A course of English for business purposes in an IT company in the Gegharkunik region of Armenia

Abstract

"A course of English for business purposes in an IT company in the Gegharkunik Region of Armenia" aims at developing IT engineers' English language proficiency for business purposes to deal with business relations with foreign clientele, as well as having an impact on the community of the Gegharkunik Region and emphasizing the importance of such kinds of projects. To this end, a needs analysis questionnaire has been conducted with 15 participants of local IT company staff to elicit information about their needs in the English language. An interview has been held with the manager of the company. The result of the needs analysis revealed that among four skills speaking was highly needed. In addition, the course aims to develop soft skills and a professional development plan to apply the techniques and strategies learned during the course. Various activities were conducted to achieve the goals set for the course. "A course of English for business purposes in an IT company in the Gegharkunik Region of Armenia" was piloted at an IT company located in Sevan city and lasted 10 weeks, twice a week for 80 minutes per class. The participants' age ranged between 18 and 27. The language proficiency level of the participants was pre-intermediate to intermediate. The deliverables of this course design are lesson plans for ten weeks and materials both for a teacher and participants. The results gained from the course evaluation showed that, mainly, the course met the goals and learning outcomes, as well as the company's and participants' needs and expectations.