What Level of English Do You Need to Be a Developer?

October 2026  ·  7 min read

English is the working language of most programming: keywords, documentation, Stack Overflow answers, library issues and commit messages are almost all in English. But “good English” means very different things for a student reading a tutorial and for a tech lead negotiating scope with a client in London. This guide breaks the question down by task and by career stage, so you can see exactly where you are and what to work on next.

1. English by Task: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking

Developers rarely need all four skills at the same level. Reading usually comes first, speaking usually comes last, and the gap between them is where many careers stall.

• Reading documentation and errors: possible from A2 with a translator, comfortable at B1. Technical text is repetitive and the vocabulary is narrow, so this is the easiest skill to build.
• Writing commits, tickets and PR descriptions: B1 for short, clear messages; B2 to explain trade-offs and context without sounding rude or confusing.
• Listening in meetings: B2 to follow a fast stand-up with several accents; C1 to catch jokes, hints and what people mean but do not say.
• Speaking: B1 for a scripted stand-up update; B2 to discuss a problem live; C1 to lead a design discussion, run an interview or push back on a deadline.

If your reading is B2 but your speaking is A2, employers will usually judge you by your speaking, because that is what they hear in the interview.

2. English by Career Stage

The level you need depends less on your title and more on who you work with every day.

• Student or self-taught beginner: A2–B1. Enough to follow tutorials, read docs and search for answers.
• Junior developer or QA in a local company: B1. You read English docs and write commit messages, but meetings are in your first language.
• Developer on a remote or outsourced project: B2. You join calls with clients, write tickets and answer questions in Slack in real time.
• Member of an international team: strong B2 to C1. English is the default for everything, including informal chat and conflict.
• Senior, tech lead or engineering manager: C1. You explain architecture to non-technical people, give feedback, interview candidates and write documents other teams depend on.

3. B1, B2 and C1 in Real Workplace Tasks

CEFR levels are easier to understand when you attach them to things you actually do at work.

A very common profile is somewhere between B1 and B2: strong reading, but freezing when a meeting moves fast. That is normal, and it is fixable with targeted practice. For a closer look at that step, read B1 vs B2 English.

4. How Hiring Typically Assesses English

Few tech companies ask for a certificate such as IELTS. The typical approach is to test your English as part of the normal process. Practices vary by company and country, but these are the common patterns:

• CV and cover message: recruiters notice spelling, tense errors and copied text. A short, clean English CV already signals B2.
• Recruiter screening call: often the first real English check. Expect “Tell me about yourself” and “Why are you looking for a new role?”
• Technical interview in English: you are judged on whether you can think aloud, ask clarifying questions and explain trade-offs, not on perfect grammar.
• Take-home task: your README and commit messages are read too.
• Outsourcing and staffing agencies: some run a separate English interview and assign a level, often labelled with CEFR letters or “intermediate / upper-intermediate”.

Job adverts often say “Upper-Intermediate English”. That usually means B2: you can take part in meetings and write clearly without help.

5. Phrases That Make You Sound More Confident

Interviewers and teammates forgive grammar mistakes. What they notice is whether you can keep a conversation going. Learn these by heart:

• “Let me make sure I understand the requirement: you want…”
• “I’d approach this in two steps. First…”
• “The trade-off here is speed versus readability.”
• “I haven’t used that library, but I’ve used something similar.”
• “Could you say that again a bit more slowly?”

Our guide to English for stand-ups and IT meetings has many more, with sample scripts at B1 and C1.

6. How to Improve Your English for IT Quickly

General English courses spend weeks on holidays and shopping. You will move faster by practising the exact situations you face at work.

1. Measure first. Find your level and your weakest skill. Studying blind wastes months.
2. Learn work vocabulary in context. Words like merge, roll back, flaky and blocker come up daily. See our list of technical English vocabulary for developers and review it with spaced repetition.
3. Write in English every day. Commit messages, Jira comments, a short daily log. Use templates from writing emails, tickets and code reviews in English.
4. Rehearse your stand-up aloud. Record a 60-second update, listen back, then record it again without notes.
5. Listen to real engineering talk. Conference talks and podcasts with different accents. Turn on subtitles first, then turn them off.
6. Do mock interviews. Explain one of your projects in English for five minutes. Then answer “What would you do differently?”

Derstina’s English for IT courses run from A1 to C2 and are built around these tasks: code reviews, tickets, stand-ups, documentation and emails, with spaced-repetition vocabulary review and a personalised study plan based on your diagnostic result.

How long will it take? It depends on your starting point and hours per week; moving one CEFR level commonly takes several months of regular study. Regular, short daily practice beats occasional long sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I be a programmer with bad English?

Yes, you can start learning to code and even get a first job with basic English, especially in a local company. You need enough reading to follow documentation and error messages, roughly A2 to B1. But weak English limits which jobs you can apply for, so most developers who want remote or international work aim for B2.

Is B2 English enough for a remote developer job?

For most remote roles, a confident B2 is enough. It lets you follow stand-ups, write clear tickets and pull request descriptions, and discuss problems with teammates. Senior or client-facing roles in English-speaking teams often expect C1, because you will lead discussions and handle disagreement.

Do tech companies ask for IELTS or TOEFL?

Usually not. Most tech companies check English during the recruiter call and technical interviews instead of asking for a certificate. Certificates matter more for visas and university study. Some outsourcing companies run their own English interview and assign you a level.

What does Upper-Intermediate English mean in a job advert?

Upper-Intermediate usually corresponds to CEFR B2. In practice it means you can take part in meetings, explain your work and write clear messages without needing a translator. Intermediate usually means B1 and Advanced usually means C1.

How can I check my English level for IT?

Take a short diagnostic built around workplace tasks rather than general topics. The free Derstina English for IT test takes about 7 minutes and checks vocabulary, reading and situations like tickets, code reviews and stand-ups, then gives you an estimated CEFR level.