Re: English for Asian readers

[Margaret Gerard <margaret -at- TOSHIBA -dot- TIC -dot- OZ -dot- AU>]

Bonni Graham said:

        I'm curious as to where this thread is going.

Nowhere much - but there have been a few helpful responses.

        I guess I'm unclear on the original point.

I want to find out if there is any research into the effect of
common/usual rhetorical and logical structures in tech docs written
in English when those docs are read by Asian readers.

        To me, this seems like a translation issue, not an original
        writing one.  Yes, we should write with translation in mind,
        but avoiding the use of "you" goes against some common and
        familiar English usage standards.  The circumlocutions
        necessary to write this way originally seem, IMHO, to preclude
        our doing so.

These documents are read in English, not translated.

        What was the reasoning behind the original question?

The original statement was made by an academic who I have been unable
contact.  I thought readers of this list may have some information.

        Bonni Graham                               |
        Technical Writer                           |
        Easel Corporation, ENFIN Technology Lab    |
        Bonni_Graham_at_Enfin-SD -at- relay -dot- proteon -dot- com | flush, v. Align type to the
        President, San Diego STC                   | left or right, thereby
                                                   | beating a pair of aces
        NOTE: apparently my email address needs    |
        to be typed exactly as it appears here,    |          --Ezra Shapiro
        punctuation and all, or the system gets    |
        upset.                                     |

Margaret Gerard