Database Administrator
Database administrators keep data reliable, performant, and secure. This path covers the English for incident communication during database outages, writing runbooks, presenting capacity plans, and documenting backup and replication strategies.
Topics covered
- Query optimisation
- High availability & replication
- Backup & recovery
- Security & access control
- Capacity planning
- Performance monitoring
Vocabulary spotlight
4 terms every Database Administrator should know in English:
A situation where two or more transactions each hold locks the other needs, halting both
"The deadlock was caused by two transactions acquiring the same rows in reverse order."
In PostgreSQL, the process of reclaiming storage from dead rows and updating statistics
"We increased the autovacuum frequency after table bloat degraded query performance."
Point-In-Time Recovery — restoring a database to any moment in the past from WAL logs
"PITR let us recover the accidentally deleted records from three hours before the incident."
The delay between a write on the primary and its arrival on a replica
"Replication lag spiked to 45 seconds during the migration, which triggered read-replica alerts."
📚 Vocabulary Reference
Key terms organised by category for Database Administrators:
Performance
High Availability
Backup & Recovery
Security
Recommended exercises
Real-world scenarios you'll practise
- Writing a post-mortem for a database outage
- Presenting a capacity plan for the next 12 months to engineering leadership
- Explaining replication lag and its causes to the on-call development team
- Documenting a disaster recovery runbook for the operations team
🎯 Interview questions specific to this role
Practise answering these questions out loud — or in writing. Each question targets a real interviewer concern for Database Administrators.
- How do you diagnose a slow query and what steps do you take to optimise it?
- What is the difference between synchronous and asynchronous replication?
- How do you plan a large schema migration on a production database with zero downtime?
- What is PITR and when would you use it instead of a full backup?
- How do you approach database security for a multi-tenant SaaS application?
Recommended reading
Frequently Asked Questions
What English skills do Database Administrators most need to improve?+
Database Administrators most commonly need to improve: technical vocabulary (the correct English terms for domain concepts), collocation accuracy (using the right verb for each action), written communication (bug reports, PR descriptions, technical docs), and spoken communication for standups, code reviews, and stakeholder meetings.
How long does the Database Administrator learning path take?+
The Database Administrator learning path contains 20–40 hours of material studied comprehensively. Most learners focus on the highest-priority modules first and return to the rest over time. Spending 30 minutes per day for 4–6 weeks produces noticeable improvement in workplace English.
What vocabulary should a Database Administrator prioritise first?+
Start with the vocabulary that appears most in your daily work — terms you read in documentation, use in commit messages, and hear in meetings. The Database Administrator path begins with the most frequent vocabulary clusters before moving to advanced communication patterns.
Are there interview exercises for Database Administrator roles?+
Yes. The Database Administrator path includes role-specific interview question modules with model answers and key phrases — the actual questions interviewers ask and the vocabulary needed to answer them fluently. There is also a dedicated Interview Practice hub for general interview skills.
Does this path include pronunciation help?+
Yes. The path links to pronunciation exercises for the technical terms most commonly mispronounced in this domain. The Pronunciation hub includes drills for acronyms, silent letters, word stress, and minimal pairs — all in IT context.
What are the most common English mistakes Database Administrators make?+
The most common mistakes: incorrect collocations (using the wrong verb with a technical noun), false friends from L1, tense errors when narrating past incidents or walkthroughs, and using overly formal or overly casual register in written communication.
How do I improve my English for code reviews?+
Learn the standard code review collocations: approve a PR, request changes, leave a nit, address feedback, block a merge, resolve a conversation. Use hedging language for suggestions: "This might be cleaner as…", "Have you considered…?". The Collocations section includes a dedicated Code Review set.
Can I use this path alongside my daily work?+
Yes — the path is designed for working professionals. Each exercise set takes 10–15 minutes. The most effective approach is to study a vocabulary module before a meeting or task where you'll use that vocabulary, then practise immediately after. Context-linked practice produces much faster retention.
Is the content free?+
Yes, completely free. No registration required, no payment, no time limit. All vocabulary modules, exercises, glossary entries, and learning path guides are open access.
How do I track my progress through this path?+
Progress is tracked in your browser's local storage — completed exercise sets are marked with a checkmark when you return. No account is needed. You can bookmark specific modules and use the exercises overview to see which sets you've completed.