This paper presents the pilot implementation of the EIT (English for Information Technology) E-Learning Portal, which is the expected end product of a Leonardo Da Vinci project. This project was selected for funding by the European Union in October 2006 and involves six countries, namely Lithuania, Cyprus, Poland, Austria, Spain and Slovakia. The portal provides on-line e-learning material for English learning /teaching in the field of IT. This material has been designed particularly for IT specialists – both working professionals and students and English language tutors working with these specialists. The main aim of the material is to bridge the current gap in the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) IT-related materials and to facilitate the work of tutors, enhance self-study and encourage life-long learning. More specifically, the paper presents briefly the background of the portal development, the portal itself and the evaluation of the portal by teachers and students in all partner countries.
Our research, which was carried out into ESP (English for Specific Purposes) in the field of IT targeting several sectors at once (universities and colleges, websites of the main publishing houses and their outlets, IT specialists) showed that choice of materials in this particular area was limited. Few printed materials were found available and they either were outdated or targeted learners with intermediate and higher language level. Teachers’ feedback confirmed the current situation – they complained about lack of variety in printed materials, lack of online resources, and absence of materials for IT students at the elementary level of English.
Summing up the results of the research and keeping in mind that IT is a fast-developing field that printed materials cannot keep up with, we concluded that there is an obvious need for online ELT/ESP materials in the field of IT designed for elementary and post-elementary learners aiming at developing elementary/post-elementary level learners’ learning skills, general command of English, improving their IT vocabulary and promoting self-study. The IT specialists reported a need for a self-study tool that would comprise relevant information, interactive learning materials with elements of fun and allow them to evaluate their progress. As a consequence, the idea has been developed for a product to bridge the current gap in ESP materials for vocational, in-company training and individual learning and promote the idea of independent and lifelong learning. This led to the development of the aforementioned Leonardo Da Vinci project, entitled “The E-Learning Module - English Language for IT Specialists”. This paper reports the current findings of this project.