Writing for an International Audience, part II
Tricky words-- Many words in English have multiple meanings. Some of these cause particular problems in comprehension and translation. A few of these are:
While-- this can be a time connector -- "We can improve quality while still maintaining our profit margin"-- or a contrastive connector-- "While the new product will cost more to manufacture, it will bring new customers to our brand." In some sentences, if the meaning is not made clear by the context, the wrong interpretation of the word "while" can significantly harm comprehension. since-- this also has two meanings. "Since we started the new advertising strategy, our sales have increased 15%" uses :since as a time connector, with a clause that tells when something started. In "Since we started the new advertising strategy, we no longer use the old logo" uses "since" as a synonym for "because." Again, major confusion can result, depending on the context..
Consistent vocabulary- English also uses many words to refer to the same thing. In fact, you may have learned to use synonyms to improve your writing style. However, using different terms can be confusing to someone who doesn't have a complete grasp of English vocabulary. For example, a writer might use the terms "guidelines", "blueprints", "recipe for action" and "specifications" all to refer to the same set of directions. If the reader or translator is only familiar with two of these terms, and has a vague understanding of the others, that person might miss the fact these terms are referring to the same thing. Confusion can be reduced by using one term consistently throughout the document. What you may have to ask yourself is whether demonstrating that you have a sophisticated writing style is more or less important than communicating clearly with your audience. The answer to that question will change depending on the circumstances. What I often tell my students is that if they are writing a report on a completed project, and that report will only be read by their supervisor and used for evaluating their work, they should go for the sophisticated writing style. But if they are writing direction for a technician to operate a nuclear power plant, they'd better be more concerned with being clear than with sounding intelligent!
With the growth in diversity in our workplace and the increase in international business for so many companies, attention to the specific problems of communicating with non-native speakers of English demands attention
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