Skill Up! (4)

Shall we talk about it?

The IT world is an area that is constantly developing. As the technology changes, so too does the language we use to talk about it. New expressions, often used only by computer experts in the past, are now finding their way into everyday conversations. It’s hard to know which terms will remain useful in the future, and which ones will be thrown out with the old laptops. In this guide, we focus on the IT terms that we think are here to stay.

In Word Bank (pages 6–9), we look at the everyday, basic functions of a computer and also at common computer problems. Computers have become such an important part of most of our lives that when something goes wrong, it makes us think of death! To learn why, see Essential Idioms (pages 16–17).

Why don’t you start by studying our illustration in Picture This! (pages 4–5), where we present IT vocabulary? If you’ve recently given a presentation — or watched one — I’m sure the image will be familiar.  

Have you had a break from work yet this year? Or are you planning one? Turn to Small Talk (pages 20–21) for key expressions for talking about your holidays.

Don’t forget to read the Skill Up! boxes for tips on remembering the vocabulary.

The sections:

• Picture This! Use illustrations to help you to visualize the meanings of words.
• Word Bank Study key expressions and translations in our vocabulary list.
  
• False Friends Use visual memory aids for tricky translations.
  
• In Focus Memorize common word partnerships to become more fluent.
  
• Essential Idioms Learn idiomatic language through dialogues.
  
• Close Relations Focus on words and word families.
  
• Small Talk Learn common idioms and expressions for socializing.
  
• Your Profile Personalize our guide with your own example sentences.

We hope you enjoy our new guide and look forward to your comments.

Deborah Capras

Contributing author
Cornelia Kreis-Meyer contributed to this issue of Skill Up!. She is a certified English translator specializing in technical English, and a teacher of technical and business English. Contact: cornelia@ck-translations.eu Website: ck-translations.eu