I'm thrilled to announce that the freeCodeCamp community has been developing a comprehensive English for Developers curriculum. Together, we're going to help millions of non-native English speakers prepare for careers in tech.
Why teach English?
For the first 9 years of freeCodeCamp's history, we've mainly focused on teaching math, computer science and programming. So why start teaching English all the sudden?
The answer: millions of developers need to improve their English so they can realize their full career potential.
Internationally, English has become the language of technology, with so many key technologies coming out of the English-speaking world.
English is also the language of business in many countries. I have lots of friends who use English at the office – even though they live in non-English-speaking countries.
In short: it is worth it for most people to invest the time in getting really good at speaking English. And freeCodeCamp is going to help people do this. For free.
How freeCodeCamp is teaching English for Developers
We are teaching English interactively, right in your browser.
We're teaching the essentials of English communication. We do this by following the A2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). And we've focused on vocabulary that is particularly useful for developers.
The first half of the curriculum will help you get comfortable with English grammar and usage. It will give you tons of hands-on practice. You'll learn basics like introducing yourself, making small talk, and discussing your work.
In the second half, you'll practice vocabulary specific to software development. You'll learn how to describe code, discuss tech trends, and participate in stand-up meetings.
This entire A2-level curriculum includes 105 different dialogues. Each is designed to build your vocabulary and boost your confidence when speaking in a professional tech setting.
We've already published 278 English challenges, with videos. And over the coming months we'll publish the rest of Level A2 – more than 1,200 additional challenges.
From there, we'll develop Levels B1, B2, C1, and eventually C2. (We're skipping level A1 since it is covered by most high school and college English courses in most non-English speaking countries.)
I want to give a special thanks to prolific freeCodeCamp contributor Bruce B, who helped us ensure that the curriculum has subtitles and accessibility functions for people with hearing impairment.
This is only the beginning
We'll be working throughout 2024 and 2025 to help as many developers as possible improve their English fluency.
You can get involved in our open source efforts by becoming a volunteer in the freeCodeCamp community.
And if you want to help us speed up development of our English for Developers curriculum, and the many other initiatives we have underway, you should become a monthly supporter of our charity.
Happy English learning. 🏕️