Writing for an English-speaking international audience - a guide
“World Flags”- Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay
Introduction
English is a widely established language and the common denominator for communication at international level. However, there is still plenty of scope for misunderstandings, misinterpretation and confusion which could cause the reader’s attention to wander or to switch off altogether. As a result the message may be diluted, information lost and your hard work may not get the appreciation and acknowledgement it deserves.
Here are some essential points you should bear in mind when writing in English for an international audience. It is a wide-ranging subject and my list is by no means exhaustive, so it is likely I will return to the topic or expand on one of the sub-topics below in subsequent blog posts.
#1
Know who you are writing for
More than 1.35 billion people worldwide speak English and only about 360 million of those are native speakers. Most of these people therefore speak English as their second language. If you are marketing a product, explaining a complex theory or presenting your research in English, it is important to establish at the outset who your target audience is. You might be writing for other experts in your field in a particular country for example, or you may want your writing to resonate with a wider global audience. By establishing this at the outset, you can tailor your approach accordingly.
If you want your research/writing to reach the widest possible international audience you will need to consider whether the English you write is biased towards a particular English dialect? If you have American friends or relatives or visit this country frequently for example, you might have a tendency to use words which might not be readily understood by someone who has learned UK English. For example, “pants” in US English means something different to “pants” in the UK, “highway” in US English means “road” in UK English, and so on.
“Audience”- Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
#2
Know where you are writing from and why
As a subject matter expert, you need to be aware of who you are and where you are writing from. Are you a native English speaker or a non-native English speaker, for example? If you are a native speaker, you will naturally tend to use cultural idioms and metaphors learned from childhood and your English-speaking environment. If you are a non-native speaker, you might have learnt English at school, from books and other native and non-native speakers in the country in which you live, so your perception and understanding of the language will be different to a native speaker. If you are German, for example, you will tend to write English from a German cultural frame of reference and might use sayings and reference points that a native English speaker might not easily relate to. So it is important to develop an awareness of how your culture and sayings might come across to somebody who is not German.
A good way to do this is to have your writing checked by a native English speaker who will highlight any cultural anomalies, improve the general flow and iron out any spelling and grammar mistakes.
“Self-esteem”- Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
#3
Write short sentences - less is more
Concepts and ideas are more difficult to understand if you use long sentences with multiple clauses, especially for non-native English speakers. This could pose a challenge if you are describing a sophisticated concept but if you make an effort to keep sentences as short as possible, it is far more likely that native and non-native English speakers will be able to follow your train of thought.
“Hand Language”- Image by Marta Cuesta from Pixab
#4
Avoid technical jargon
You should generally avoid technical jargon, as your audience may not be as technically proficient or well-versed in the subject as you. To reach the widest possible audience you should use simple language and examples your audience can relate to. More specific terminology may be appropriate if you a speaking to experts in the field as they can more readily grasp complex concepts and topics. You should therefore bear in mind from the outset who you are communicating with and tailor your approach accordingly.
“Cog Wheel Gear”- Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
#5
Know when and when not to use the passive voice
This is a complex subject but developing an awareness of when and when not to use the passive voice will stand you in good stead when you are preparing your English article. A preponderance of the passive voice can often detract from the clarity and impact of your message. The active voice is the opposite of the passive voice and is used as standard when structuring English sentences. In their simplest form, they contain a subject, verb and object. When using the active voice, the relationship between the subject and object is direct.
Examples of using the active / passive voice:
- The author wrote the article / The article was written by the author
- Scientists conducted the research / The research was conducted by the scientists
- The engineer designed the bridge / The bridge was designed by the engineer
- The architect drew the plan / The plan was drawn by the architect
Using the passive voice on purpose
You can purposefully use the passive voice if you do not know exactly who carried out an action, in which case you could write “the article was written by…”, or if you want to emphasise the object rather than the subject: “project X was managed by…”.
Avoid using the passive voice if
...this implies/indicates you are not sure of the facts or your fact-finding is insufficient.
Example: “Research was conducted to determine the soil characteristics”.
Explanation: here, it is unclear who carried out the research.
...it makes your point unclear or confusing.
Example: “X and Y applied for the funding in 2019, it was granted in 2021.”
Explanation: It is unclear as to whether X and Y received the funding.
...it makes your sentence wordy and unnecessarily complex.
Example: “The bridge which had been designed by the engineer was assessed by the experts and was maintained by the service provider.”
#6
Consistency of style and terminology strengthens communication and clarity
If your article frequently refers to an object, theory or similar, try use exactly the same word or phrasing each time as this will help the reader to follow your argument. This sounds obvious, but it is surprising how many texts, even those that have been checked many times over, still have inconsistencies.
When you write about ideas and concepts or describe complex objects or theories, you will naturally be focussed on the flow so it is easy not to be consistent. For example, if you are an engineer or architect describing an innovative system for supporting a cantilevering floor slab, you might be tempted to write “floor” or “slab” in places which could lead to confusion, or if you are writing about tunnel design and referring to the depth of the tunnel below ground, you might initially write “depth” then change to “overburden” or “cover”. International English-speaking readers who are reading your article for the first time and do not have your technical insight and acuity might not realise that you are referring to the same thing. One way to help you do this is to identify key terminology (concepts) before you start or as you work and check in the final editing stages that you have used these consistently. The same applies for names of organisations and companies: if you know the official name of something, then you should use it consistently (including the handling of upper and lower case), if you are not sure whether it is correct or find different versions, decide on one and keep it consistent.
#7
Break down complex concepts and use relatable examples
If you are explaining a concept to an audience who is unfamiliar with your work, use simple language and real-life examples they can relate to. Provide some context or applications that your audience is familiar with or establish a narrative to support your explanation. Your concept may be complex and abstract but by making real-life comparisons your audience can visualise it more easily and their attention will not wander. If you are talking about a complex machine for example, you might want to compare it to an everyday object used in a domestic situation or something that many people are familiar with.
It also helps to break down complex ideas into manageable parts that can be more easily digested individually.
#8
Avoid using specific cultural phrases and references
As mentioned before, the majority of English speakers in the world are non-native, and although they might be extremely proficient in English they may not be familiar with idiomatic English usage. A Japanese or African person will have a different frame of reference to a Swedish or Icelandic English speaker, for example. If you use a local figure of speech, contextualise it briefly to make it comprehensible and spell out its relevance to the topic you are discussing.
#9
Bear in mind that thought processes vary between cultures
In a study conducted by Professor Richard E Nisbett from the University of Michigan [1}, the thought processes of “Westerners” and “East Asians” were compared. In his book “The Geography of Thought”, he described a test known as the “Michigan Fish Test”.
He asked the participants to describe an animated image showing an underwater scene of plants, fish, bubbles and other animals. He noticed that Westerners noticed bigger fish and ignored the rest while East Asians made detailed comments about the environment and relationships between objects.
This indicates an analytical (or “linear”) thinking process in the former group and a holistic (or “circular”) thinking process in the latter group.
Bear in mind therefore who in the English-speaking world you are communicating with and try to adapt your writing to their thought processes.
Summary
When writing for an English-speaking audience, be clear from the outset who you are writing for and what their cultural frame of reference is. Do you primarily want to address experts in your field or are you simply aiming to reach the widest possible audience, for example? Also consider aspects that influence the clarity and coherence of your writing and the power of its message. These include knowing when to use the passive voice, avoiding technical jargon in general or providing context with examples if you do use it, and ensuring phrases or terminology are used consistently.
One way to ensure these aspects are checked is to include a
qualified linguist and English native speaker in your workflow. This could take the form of an
initial consultation to map out a strategy for writing the article, and/or a
review of the draft prior to publication, for example.
References
[1}
https://digitalcommunications.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/2023/12/12/writing-for-an-international-audience/
Writing for an international audience
