Choose Your IT Role
24 curated learning paths — each focused on the vocabulary, exercises, and scenarios specific to your job. A DevOps engineer and a PM have very different daily English needs.
Prefer to practice by skill type? Browse all exercises →
Not sure which path fits you?
Take the 5-question role quiz and get a personalised recommendation in under 2 minutes.
-
Frontend Developer
DOM manipulation, CSS architecture, JavaScript patterns, rendering, accessibility, browser APIs, and UI performance.
- DOM & Browser APIs
- CSS & Layout
- JavaScript & TypeScript
- Accessibility (a11y)
- Performance & Web Vitals
- Component design
-
Backend Developer
REST and GraphQL APIs, databases, authentication, microservices, caching, and server-side architecture.
- API design
- Database & ORM
- Authentication & Auth
- Microservices
- Caching strategies
- Message queues
-
Full-Stack Developer
End-to-end system thinking, API contracts, monorepo vocabulary, and cross-layer communication patterns.
- API contracts
- Monorepo tools
- SSR vs. CSR
- Cross-layer debugging
- Full-stack architecture
-
Mobile Developer
iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter — app store releases, crash reports, push notifications, and mobile architecture.
- App Store language
- Crash & ANR reports
- Release notes
- Mobile architecture
- Push notifications
-
DevOps & Cloud
CI/CD pipelines, Kubernetes, Terraform, Docker, infrastructure-as-code, and cloud services vocabulary.
- CI/CD pipelines
- Kubernetes & Docker
- Terraform & IaC
- Cloud services (AWS/GCP/Azure)
- Monitoring & alerting
- Blue-green deployments
-
SRE / Platform Engineer
SLOs, SLIs, SLAs, error budgets, incident management, runbooks, and reliability engineering.
- SLO/SLI/SLA
- Error budgets
- Incident response
- Post-mortem writing
- Runbooks
- Chaos engineering
-
QA & Testing
Test plans, bug reports, regression, smoke tests, test automation — everything QA engineers write and say daily.
- Bug report writing
- Test case documentation
- QA communication
- Test automation vocabulary
- User acceptance testing
-
Data Science & ML
Data pipelines, ML models, statistical vocabulary, reading research papers, and presenting findings.
- ML paper English
- Model training vocabulary
- Data pipeline language
- Statistical terms
- Presenting results
-
Cybersecurity
CVE advisories, threat modelling, penetration testing reports, security audits, and incident response.
- CVE & advisory language
- Threat modelling
- Pen test reporting
- OWASP vocabulary
- Security incident communication
-
Solution Architect
Architecture Decision Records, RFCs, trade-off discussions, system design language, and stakeholder communication.
- ADR writing
- RFC format
- Trade-off language
- System design interviews
- Architecture presentations
-
Project Manager
OKRs, roadmaps, stakeholder updates, sprint planning, retrospective facilitation, and risk communication.
- OKRs & KPIs
- Roadmap language
- Stakeholder updates
- Risk communication
- Retrospective facilitation
-
Technical Writer
API documentation, Diatáxis framework, docs-as-code workflows, change logs, and SME interviews.
- API docs language
- Diatáxis framework
- Docs-as-code
- SME interview English
- Changelog writing
-
Blockchain Developer
Smart contracts, Web3, DeFi protocols, consensus mechanisms, and on-chain/off-chain communication.
- Smart contracts
- Web3 & dApps
- DeFi & tokenomics
- Consensus mechanisms
- Security & audits
- Layer-2 scaling
-
AI / ML Engineer
Machine learning, model training, MLOps, LLMs, RAG pipelines, and responsible AI communication.
- ML fundamentals
- LLMs & foundation models
- RAG & embeddings
- MLOps & deployment
- Model evaluation
- Responsible AI
-
Data Engineer
Data pipelines, ETL/ELT, data warehouses, streaming, orchestration, and data quality vocabulary.
- ETL/ELT pipelines
- Data warehouse design
- Streaming & batch
- Orchestration
- Data quality
- Data contracts
-
Game Developer
Game loops, physics engines, shaders, multiplayer networking, ECS architecture, and game dev workflows.
- Game loops & architecture
- Graphics & shaders
- Physics & collision
- Multiplayer & netcode
- ECS & design patterns
- Performance profiling
-
Embedded / IoT Engineer
Microcontrollers, RTOS, hardware protocols, firmware communication, power budgeting, and IoT platform vocabulary.
- Microcontrollers & SoCs
- Real-time OS (RTOS)
- Hardware protocols
- Firmware & drivers
- Power management
- IoT platforms & connectivity
-
Database Administrator
Query optimisation, replication, backup strategies, high availability, capacity planning, and database security.
- Query optimisation
- High availability & replication
- Backup & recovery
- Security & access control
- Capacity planning
- Performance monitoring
-
Scrum Master
Facilitation language, retrospective formats, impediment vocabulary, metrics, and coaching agile teams in English.
- Scrum ceremonies
- Agile metrics
- Impediment removal
- Retrospective facilitation
- Stakeholder management
- Coaching vocabulary
-
Engineering Manager
People management, performance reviews, hiring, technical strategy, roadmap communication, and leadership vocabulary.
- Performance conversations
- Hiring & interviews
- Technical roadmaps
- Team health & culture
- Stakeholder management
- Engineering strategy
-
Business Analyst
Requirements gathering, use cases, BDD, stakeholder elicitation, gap analysis, and process documentation.
- Requirements elicitation
- User stories & use cases
- BDD & acceptance criteria
- Stakeholder interviews
- Gap analysis
- Process documentation
-
Cloud Architect
Multi-cloud design, cost optimisation, infrastructure as code, Well-Architected frameworks, and FinOps vocabulary.
- Cloud design patterns
- Infrastructure as Code
- Cost optimisation & FinOps
- Security & compliance
- Multi-cloud & hybrid
- Well-Architected frameworks
-
Network Engineer
Routing, switching, BGP, SD-WAN, network security, troubleshooting, and telecom vocabulary.
- Routing & switching
- BGP & WAN
- Network security
- SD-WAN & SASE
- Cloud networking
- Troubleshooting & monitoring
-
Freelance Developer
Client communication, proposals, contracts, invoicing, scope negotiation, and reputation building vocabulary.
- Client proposals
- Contract & scope language
- Status updates & reporting
- Invoicing & payment
- Handling difficult clients
- Building reputation
Role Comparison — Skills & First Steps
Not sure what to focus on? This table maps 24 IT roles to their most critical English skills and the best exercises to start with.
| Role | Key language skills | Start here | Est. path time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🖥️ Frontend | Reading docs, writing PR descriptions, code review phrasing | Vocabulary → Frontend · Writing → PR descriptions | ~4 h |
| ⚙️ Backend | API docs, system design language, async written communication | Vocabulary → Backend · Writing → API docs | ~5 h |
| ☁️ DevOps | Runbooks, post-mortems, deployment announcements, incident calls | Writing → Post-mortem · Speaking → Incident call | ~5 h |
| 🛡️ SRE | Incident communication, SLO/SLA writing, status updates | Writing → Runbook · Numbers → SLA uptime | ~4 h |
| 🔍 QA | Bug reports, test plans, acceptance criteria, no-go decisions | Writing → Bug report · Reading → Bug report | ~4 h |
| 📱 Mobile | Release notes, App Store language, crash report reading | Writing → Release notes · Reading → Crash report | ~3 h |
| 🤖 Data / ML | Research summaries, model explanations, data storytelling | Vocabulary → Data Science · Writing → Model summary | ~5 h |
| 🔒 Security | CVE advisories, incident reports, compliance documentation | Writing → Security advisory · Reading → CVE | ~4 h |
| 🏛️ Architect | ADRs, RFCs, trade-off presentations, design review facilitation | Writing → ADR · Speaking → Architecture presentation | ~5 h |
| 📋 PM / PO | Status reports, user stories, stakeholder escalation, meetings | Writing → Status report · Email → Stakeholder update | ~4 h |
| 🔄 Full-Stack | End-to-end system language, API contracts, cross-team communication | Vocabulary → Frontend + Backend · Writing → PR + API docs | ~6 h |
| 📄 Tech Writer | Doc structure, plain language, API reference, changelog conventions | Grammar → Active voice · Writing → API docs | ~5 h |
| ⛓️ Blockchain Dev | Smart contract docs, audit reports, DAO proposals, whitepaper English | Vocabulary → Blockchain · Tech-to-Business | ~4 h |
| 🧠 AI / ML Engineer | Model cards, RAG architecture language, responsible AI communication | AI Prompting · Writing → Model card | ~5 h |
| 🏗️ Data Engineer | Pipeline design docs, data contracts, schema documentation | Vocabulary → Database · Writing → Data contract | ~4 h |
| 🎮 Game Developer | GDD writing, patch notes, bug reports, GDC-style presentations | Writing → Patch notes · Presentations | ~3 h |
| 🔌 Embedded / IoT | Firmware docs, datasheet reading, hardware constraint communication | Reading → Datasheet · Writing → Firmware changelog | ~4 h |
| 🗄️ DBA | Incident communication, query optimisation reports, recovery runbooks | Incident Response · Writing → Runbook | ~4 h |
| 🏉 Scrum Master | Ceremony facilitation, sprint goal writing, agile metrics communication | Meetings → Retro facilitation · Sprint Demo | ~4 h |
| 👔 Eng. Manager | Performance reviews, hiring docs, strategy presentations, 1:1 coaching | Mentoring · Presentations → All-hands | ~5 h |
| 📋 Business Analyst | User stories, requirements docs, workshop facilitation, gap analysis | Writing → User stories · Meetings → Workshop | ~4 h |
| ☁️ Cloud Architect | Cloud ADRs, FinOps presentations, cost estimation language | Writing → ADR · Tech-to-Business → FinOps | ~5 h |
| 🌐 Network Engineer | Change requests, outage communication, network design documentation | Incident Response · Writing → Change request | ~4 h |
| 💼 Freelance Dev | Client proposals, scope negotiation, invoice language, status updates | Email → Client communication · Negotiation | ~3 h |
All exercises are cross-listed — a Backend developer can and should do Grammar and Speaking exercises too. The paths above are starting recommendations, not restrictions.
Browse all exercises by category
Prefer to explore by exercise type rather than role? Vocabulary, Writing, Grammar, Reading, Listening, Speaking, Interview Prep, and more — all organised by skill.