Fluency Class 5 — Explaining Tech to Non-Developers

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Part 1 – Warm-up Chat

5 minutes • Share experiences

🎯 Goal: Talk about explaining tech to non-technical people

Teacher shares first: "Last week my mom asked me what I do for work. I said 'I'm a developer' and she said 'but what do you actually DO?' Anyone relate?"

Then discuss naturally:

When do you need to explain tech to non-technical people?
What's the hardest technical concept you've tried to explain?
Have you ever used a good analogy that really worked?

💡 Teacher note: Share real frustrations! "My PM thinks everything can be done in 2 days..." This builds rapport.

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Part 2 – Vocabulary Sprint

5 minutes • Learn simplification phrases

📖 Phrases for Explaining Tech Simply

Teacher introduces these by explaining a simple concept (like "what is an API"):

Phrase	When to use it
In simple terms...	"In simple terms, an API is like a waiter at a restaurant"
Think of it like...	"Think of it like a translator between two programs"
Basically, what this means is...	"Basically, what this means is the app talks to the server"
To put it another way...	"To put it another way, it's a digital filing cabinet"
Without getting too technical...	"Without getting too technical, we store data securely"
The key thing to understand is...	"The key thing to understand is this takes time to build properly"

🔄 Quick practice: Teacher says a tech term (e.g., "database"). Student explains it using 1-2 phrases from above.

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Part 3 – Mini Roleplay Rounds

10 minutes • Practice explanations

🎯 Practice explaining to different people

Do these 3 quick scenarios. Teacher plays the non-technical person!

Scenario 1: Explaining to Your Family

Situation: Your grandmother asks "What do you do at work all day?"

Challenge: Explain your job without using ANY jargon. Use analogies!

Scenario 2: Explaining to a PM Why Something Takes Time

Situation: PM: "Can't you just add a button? Why does it take 2 days?"

Challenge: Explain the complexity without sounding defensive or condescending.

Scenario 3: Explaining a Bug to a Client

Situation: Client: "Why did the login stop working? Did you break something?"

Challenge: Explain what happened, why, and when it'll be fixed. Sound professional.

💡 Teacher tip: Actually role-play as these people! Act confused. Ask follow-up questions. Make the student adjust their explanation.

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Part 4 – Your Explanation Presentation

25 minutes • Explain something technical

🎯 Main Task: Explain a technical concept to a non-technical audience

Student prepares and presents (15 min) + Teacher asks "confused" questions (10 min)

Choose ONE topic to explain:

What is cloud computing? (Explain to your non-tech friend)
Why does software have bugs? (Explain to a frustrated client)
What do you actually do as a developer? (Explain to family)
Why does this feature take 2 weeks? (Explain to impatient PM)
What's the difference between frontend and backend? (Explain to beginner)

🎙️ How this works:

Student: Explains the concept using simple language, analogies, and the vocabulary from Part 2

Teacher (playing non-technical person): Interrupts with "confused" questions:

"Wait, I don't understand what you mean by [term]"
"Can you explain that in a different way?"
"But why can't you just...?"
"So basically, it's like...?" (tests if they got it)

This simulates real situations where you need to adjust your explanation!

📝 Success criteria: Teacher should be able to explain the concept back to you at the end. If they can't, your explanation wasn't simple enough!

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Part 5 – Takeaways & Reflection

5 minutes • Wrap-up conversation

🎯 Quick reflection discussion:

What was hardest about simplifying your explanation?
Which analogy or phrase worked best today?
When will you use this skill in your actual work this week?
What's one habit you'll develop for explaining tech better?

💬 Real-world application: You'll use these skills in: client meetings, team presentations, writing documentation, explaining estimates to PMs, and literally anytime someone asks "what do you do?"

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Homework Assignment

Practice for next class

📝 Create Your Own Analogy Library

Write simple explanations for 3 technical concepts you use daily (150-200 words total):

For each concept:

Name the technical term
Create an analogy or metaphor
Explain it in one simple sentence
Use at least 2 phrases from today's vocabulary

Example: "API - Think of it like a waiter. In simple terms, it takes your order (request) to the kitchen (server) and brings back your food (data)."

💬 Fluency Class 5 – Explaining Tech to Non-Developers