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Re: Need your opinions re simplified English (Can I quote you?)?
Subject:Re: Need your opinions re simplified English (Can I quote you?)? From:"Curtis Brautigam" <bunnies -at- cvns -dot- net> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Sat, 1 Jun 2002 22:23:06 -0400
I have seen some people on this list call Simplified English a language for
"simpletons." When I worked at El Al, I saw some of the Simplified English
documents. I did not use Simplified English as such when I prepared my
documentation, but I tried to approximate it as much as possible. The
decision on whether to use Simplified English or any other form of plain
English depends on the audience. If one is writing to an audience of people
whose mother tongue is not English, using Simplified English makes very much
sense, especially if safety considerations are involved. If a maintenance
person does not understand your instructions, safety could be adversely
affected. I wrote often for audiences whose mother tongue was not English.
My main concern is to express, not to impress. I am a very strong believer
in plain English or Simplified English. I followed this philosophy when I
wrote for academic audiences, and I believe in following it for technical
audiences as well. I believe that Simplified English is especially
appropriate for international audiences--I am a frustrated linguist, and I
am fully aware that there are many languages out there whose grammatical and
syntax structures are very distinct from those of English and other
Indo-European languages (particularly Semitic, African, and Far Eastern
languages).
Curtis R. Brautigam
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