Effectiveness of practical tasks in learning professional English in IT field

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of practical tasks in enhancing the acquisition of professional English among students in the field of Information Technology (IT). Recognizing the growing need for English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in technical disciplines, the research explores how targeted, context-relevant exercises can improve language competence, motivation, and professional communication skills. The study involved 125 undergraduate students from Saken Seifulin Kazakh Agrotechnical Research University, who were divided into control and experimental groups. The experimental group was provided with specially developed practical tasks based on programming language content, while the control group used traditional vocabulary exercises. Data were collected through student surveys and pre- and post-tests, with additional qualitative analysis of task content and student engagement. The results indicated that students in the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher performance in vocabulary retention, reading comprehension, and task engagement. Furthermore, students reported increased motivation and perceived relevance of English learning to their future careers. These findings underscore the importance of contextually grounded materials in ESP instruction and suggest that integrating discipline-specific content enhances both language proficiency and technical understanding. The study contributes to curriculum development practices in ESP and offers insights for language educators aiming to support IT students in acquiring field-relevant communication skills.