Why is English so important in a developer's career?
Tags: webdev, beginners, programming
Published: 2024-07-04 19:16:47

This is a very common issue in developer groups and often a subject of controversy. Therefore, I decided to do what we programmers love the most! I gathered data on the subject, and the results were impressive. Let's go through the main topics...

## Programming Languages

Javascript, Typescript, Python, PHP... all the major programming languages in the world have something in common, which lies in their foundation: **they were all written and designed in English**.

Although this might seem simple and obvious, it makes a significant difference for learners, especially in high-level languages.

A practical example:

const product = document.getElementById('product');

Translated:
Constant (const) product equals document.getElementById('product');

Even if you have zero familiarity with programming, you can see how the code makes sense when translated into Portuguese.

## Documentation

Every programmer knows how valuable good documentation is! That's why I surveyed the leading market documentation to see if they already have translations into Portuguese.

**Officially translated documentation**:

Javascript, Python, PHP, C#, React, Vue

**No translation available**:

Typescript, Java, Node, Docker, MySQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Flutter, Swift

Despite the surprisingly high number of translations, it's clear that the number is still very limited.

## Job Opportunities

Developers are in demand worldwide, which is no secret. However, what are the differences in the Brazilian market compared to others? I quickly researched on LinkedIn and was astonished by the results:

Let's see, the number of available positions for **Software Development** on LinkedIn Brazil on March 30, 2022:

![jobs in Brazil](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/0vkyjgq5zodf0l4ovxh0.png)

Jobs available for **Software Development** on LinkedIn United States on March 30, 2022:

![jobs in the United States](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/xbz1baiiqjnvvthoeqnj.png)

That's a difference of **221,843** positions 😱, comparing only to the American market. Imagine including Canada, Australia, Europe, and others. Moreover, thanks to remote work, it's increasingly common for Brazilian programmers to be hired by foreign companies, **earning in dollars**, without even having to relocate. But this isn't simple; we're talking about highly qualified professionals who speak **fluent English**.

## But what if I don't know English? Can't I program?

**Of course you can**. The aim of this post was simply to highlight the advantages of venturing into English. However, nothing prevents you from **starting to program today**.

I've compiled some **tips** to help you **learn to program and develop your English skills simultaneously**.

## Use your operating system in English

It may be challenging at first, but it'll greatly aid your learning process. To program, you need to get used to keywords like **View, History, Config, Edit, Profiles, Debug, Console, Shell**, which are present on all screens of your operating system, as well as in the programs you use daily.

## YouTube is your greatest ally

Not just for learning English, but also for programming, cooking, everything 😆. The amount of free, high-quality content available is incredible.

Building on the previous point, in most programming tutorials and content, whether in Portuguese or not, the person producing the tutorial typically uses software **in its English version**. Therefore, using programs in the same language will make a significant difference in your learning.

## English for Devs Club

A channel that offers an entire English course specifically for programmers **for free**. Unfortunately, it's in Spanish, but [enabling Portuguese subtitles](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty8ujyucBRo) makes it easy to follow.

{% embed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjBfC2AATys %}