Digital reading strategies in computer English

Abstract

This paper focuses on the use of web-based discourse by three Spanish undergraduate students in Computer Engineering. Key lexico-grammatical features in Computer English have been analysed by means of corpus linguistics techniques, for which word statistics and collocation functions in the WordSmith concordancer have been highly useful. The information was then used to compare the students' results. The students' reading skills have been evaluated in the documentation process of the three final projects, required prior to their graduation as engineers. Overall observations point to code-switching, re-wording, and key vocabulary identification as strategies that the students demonstrate to be able to operate with significantly after on-line reading. The students also rely more on Internet discourse as a main source of feedback for their projects and useful tool for work. Two of the projects have dealt with the design and use of interactive platforms for language learning (via two different approaches), while the third project has focused on the management of e-learning with the use of Squeak, a special language for programming. The assessment of the three students' reading / interpretation skills has taken place by means of written tasks and personal interviews.