See on Scoop.it – M-learning, E-Learning, and Technical Communications
I like the idea of a BYOT–Bring Your Own Thoughts–as the theme of Adobe Day at the 2013 STC Summit. I’ll be there, and definitely bringing my own thoughts!
(Although I had hoped that the "T" stood for tequila, since Adobe Day is on Cinco de Mayo–a great idea for a fiesta. Oh well…probably tequila at 8:00AM might not be a good idea… 😉 )
–techcommgeekmom
See on www.campaignsandmedia.com
See on Scoop.it – M-learning, E-Learning, and Technical Communications
summit lean communication and lego play
Coming from a strongly LEGO household, you know I will be checking this out during the Summit.
–TechCommGeekMom
See on notebook.stc.org
See on Scoop.it – M-learning, E-Learning, and Technical Communications
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Gamifying Chores. While chores are easy to quantify and measure, activities such as writing have a different dynamic. How do you gamify an activity that has so m
This is another fantastic blog post by @tomjohnson. I don’t think I’ve ever thought of blogging itself in gamification terms, but everything he described here is so spot-on. Now I understand why I get such a thrill out of blogging! Brilliant post, Tom!
–techcommgeekmom
See on idratherbewriting.com
See on Scoop.it – M-learning, E-Learning, and Technical Communications
Why cursing could curtail your career path, quick
Found this article via Princeton One at LinkedIn.
I have to say I totally agree with this, especially with the comment that media consultant Phil Cooke says paraphrasing Jerry Seinfeld. I have found that I had more respect for my fellow professionals if they rarely–if ever–would swear. Those who use profanity often have not earned the same respect from me, no matter how capable they are. This concept is something that has been ingrained in me since I was very young. My mother owned her own employment agency for years, so she understood the value of not cursing and putting on your best behavior at all times. Such behavior provides a much more favorable impression. This is something that my husband and I are trying to teach our son as well. The worst that comes out of our mouths at home are "crap", "damn", and "hell", although those are usually slips of the tongue for us (usually me more than my husband). Of all curse words out there, those are not the worst.
As technical communicators, this is still something we should be conscious of as well. While we may not use profanity in our writing, we should use the same care in our spoken language as we do with our written language. It really can make the difference in the impression people will have of you.
–techcommgeekmom
See on www.cbsnews.com
Earlier this year, I was asked by the STC-PMC to write a two-part article about the differences and similarities between American and British English. Part 1 was published in February. Today, I happily saw that the second part was published in the STC-PMC bi-monthly newsletter.
To find the original article, see the March/April 2013 edition of the STC-PMC Newsletter here.
The article itself is below.
Is English an International Language?
Part 2
David Crystal, author of English as a Global Language, has said that in the pursuit of a World Standard Spoken English (WSSE), American English seems to be the most influential in its development, as American grammar is now starting to influence contemporary British usage. He also discusses at length how different dialects will allow national and international intelligibility to start developing. He said, “If WSSE emerges as the neutral global variety in due course, it will be make redundant the British/American distinction. British and American English will still exist, of course, but as varieties expressing national identity in the UK and the USA.
Edmund H. Weiss, the author of The Elements of International English Style, also points out that there is clash when trying to come up with a standard version of English, namely between “…globalization, producing a one-size-fits-all solution for a diverse world of English speakers, versus localization, adapting and modifying this universal model for particular readers in particular locales.” Where English is a second language, Weiss demonstrates, the idioms and figures of speech end up resembling the language structure of the native language. Because of there are about 400 million native English speakers, and about a billion people who speak it as a second language or as a foreign language (for business or a profession), the importance of clear, unambiguous communication is undeniable.
There are many great resources available about this conundrum that can help put everything in perspective, especially in a world in which the Internet is starting to spread the use of English more and more all the time. Some good ones include:
Recent Articles:
“Internet + English= Netglish”
“Learning English online: How the Internet is changing language”
“Tongue and Tech: the Many Emotions from Which English Has No Words”
Books:
· Do’s and Taboos of Using English Around the World by Roger E. Axtell
· Divided by a Common Language: A Guide to British and American English by Christopher Davies
· The Elements of International English Style: A Guide to Writing Correspondence, Reports, Technical Documents, and Internet Pages for a Global Audience by Edmond H. Weiss
· English as a Global Language by David Crystal
· Brit-Think, Ameri-Think by Jane Walmsley
Podcast:
· International English by Danielle M. Villegas at https://soundcloud.com/techcommgeekmom/international-english
So, what’s a technical writer supposed to do? The best thing to do is to be exceedingly careful of using slang or idioms that relate to one’s native English, and be aware of local usage used on a global scale. This isn’t an easy task at all, yet it’s an important consideration when translating English into another language, let alone trying to write for English speakers globally.
You must be logged in to post a comment.