English for IT Communication

Tony Myers has worked for over 15 years in the tertiary sector helping learners develop skills in academic and technical writing. He is currently an assistant professor teaching at Zayed University, specializing in ESAP. He has previously written books on academic writing, psychoanalysis, and literature for Routledge and for Bloomsbury Academic, and has published articles on genre pedagogy, feedback literacy, and remote learning. Jaime Buchanan is a senior lecturer at Zayed University who has taught academic and technical writing in higher education since 2010. She has published articles on subjects as diverse as pedagogy, feedback literacy, and remote learning. She is passionate about developing an awareness of effective writing strategies in her students to promote best practice communication in IT.

Chapter 1 – Audienceand Purpose in IT

1.1 Introduction to audience and purpose

1.2 Analyzing audience: who’s going to read this?

1.3 Common types of IT audience

1.4 Analyzing purpose: why are they reading it?

1.5 Language for audience and purpose

1.6 Review

Chapter 2 – Design principles in IT

2.1 Introduction to design principles

2.2 Design principles

2.3 Design in IT contexts: headings

2.4 Design in IT contexts: lists

2.5 Data visualization strategies

2.6 Review

Chapter 3 – Workplace communication in IT

3.1 Introduction to workplace communication

3.2 Email

3.3 Memos

3.4 Enterprise social media

3.5 Language focus in workplace communications

3.6 Review

Chapter 4 – Process documents in SDLC

4.1 Introduction to project management documentation

4.2 Work breakdown structures

4.3 Roadmaps

4.4 Other process documents

4.5 SDLC documentation best practice

4.6 Review

Chapter 5 – System documents in SDLC

5.1 Introduction to product documentation

5.2 Product requirement document

5.3 Software requirements specification document

5.4 UX design documentation

5.5 API documentation

5.6 Quality assurance documentation

5.7 Language focus in system documentation

5.8 Review

Chapter 6 – User documents in SDLC

6.1 Introduction to user documentation

6.2 End-user documentation

6.3 Online tools

6.4 Language focus for user documents

6.5 System admin documentation

6.6 Review

Chapter 7 – Report writing in IT

7.1 Introduction to report writing in IT

7.2 Proposals

7.3 Recommendation reports

7.4 Feasibility reports

7.5 Progress reports

7.6 Evaluation reports

7.7 Common report features

7.8 Language focus in report writing

7.9 Review

Chapter 8 – IEEE referencing and formatting

8.1 Introduction to IEEE

8.2 The basics of referencing

8.3 In-text citations

8.4 End-reference list

8.5 Abbreviations and locators

8.6 IEEE style guide

8.7 Drafting tips for organizing source material

8.8. Review

Chapter 9 – Multimodal communication in IT

9.1 Introduction to multimodal communication

9.2 Video conferencing

9.3 Presentations

9.4 Language focus in presentations

9.5 Review

Chapter 10 – Case Studies: Applied communication in IT

Note to the teacher/independent learner

Case study 1: conduct a stakeholder profile

Case study 2: redesigning a company website

Case study 3: reviewing automated messages

Case study 4a: developing a micro-payments app

Case Study 4b: developing a micro-payments app

Case study 5: writing for end users