The aims of the subject Acquisition of the special vocabulary for information technology on an intermediate level. This course combines a specialist vocabulary, and it also develops general language skills which are necessary for the students to succeed in this area. The course contains topics that reflect the latest developments in the field making it immediately relevant to students’ needs. The course trains the students for the effective communication at work.

Seminars

1. Giving information on the course criteria, forming groups for the collaborative tasks, (e.g. presentation), communication: learning presentation skills, watching and analysing presentation videos on IT topics. Collecting tips and good practices for making presentations. 2. Description of major fields of computer science, the aspects of computing and their applications. Communication: descriptions of different IT subjects areas and their content, writing skills: organising paragraphs. 3. A Career in Information Technology: skills and responsibilities of software engineers, network engineers, security experts, network administrators, grammar skills: review of present tenses, speaking skills: group discussion of future workplace skills. 4. Different types of computers, traditional vs. quantum computers, vocabulary: superposition, bits, qubits, quantum entanglement, communication: discussion on the challenges of development of quantum computers, reading a text on quantum computers. 5. History of computers, Neumann’s principles, reading comprehension ( answering questions), grammar: review of past tenses, description of processes, speaking skills: discussion on the major milestones of the history of computer science. 6. Evolution of the motherboard, parts of the motherboard e.g., CPU, buses, different operations connected to the CPU, vocabulary: basic algebraic expressions, communication: building and maintaining your own computer, summarising experiences. 7. Input and output devices, writing skills: describing their function and operation, main benefits of 3 D printing, reading, and summarizing a text on the input and output devices. 8. Storage devices: solid state drives (SSD) and hard disk drives (HDD), listening task: Evolution of storage devices. Benefits and drawbacks of different storage devices. 9. Software development, programming basics: programming vocabulary, watching and analysing a short video on the challenges of programming. Reading a text on programming skills. 10. Windows basics, types and functions of databases, comparison using adjectives. The evolution and change of the Windows operating system, main types and features. 11. Computer networks and Internet access, Internet protocols; writing skills: gap filling tasks, reading skills: Beginning of the Internet, communication: role plays and arguments on the pros and cons of the Internet. 12. Internet safety: different types of malware and hackers, reading comprehension on types of malware. Writing a manual to users how to protect data and avoid cyber-attacks. Communication: giving advice on computer security. 13. Writing a vocabulary test and students give presentations, course evaluations.

Current issues of Spectrum journal (IEEE), current scientific articles selected by the instructor