The Elements of International English Style: A Guide to Writing Correspondence, Reports, Technical Documents, and Internet Pages for a Global Audience

by Weiss,Edmond H.

• ISBN13: 9780765615718
• ISBN10: 0765615711
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-02-28
• Publisher: Routledge

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Acknowledgments	xvii
1. The Language of Global Business Is International English	3	(12)
A Riddle	3	(1)
What Is International English Style?	4	(7)
The Two Strategies: Culture-Free, Culture-Fair	11	(2)
Discussion Questions	13	(1)
Sources and Resources	14	(1)
2. Principles of Simplicity	15	(23)
Meaning and Risk	15	(2)
Ogden's Basic English	17	(19)
Tactic 1: Adopt a Locally Invented, Controlled English	18	(1)
Tactic 2: Adopt a Reduced Dictionary	19	(1)
Tactic 3: Adopt an Industry-Sanctioned Controlled English	19	(2)
Tactic 4: Choose Words with One or Few Meanings	21	(3)
Tactic 5: Avoid Verbs with Two or Three Words in Them (Phrasal Verbs)	24	(1)
Tactic 6: Use the Simplest Verb Forms	25	(1)
Tactic 7: Define Many Terms in a Glossary	26	(2)
Tactic 8: Choose Words that Are Pronounceable	28	(1)
Tactic 9: Do not Coin Words that Are not Needed	29	(1)
Tactic 10: Avoid Redundant and Wordy Expressions for Time and Place	30	(2)
Tactic 11: Avoid Unhelpful Redundancies	32	(1)
Tactic 12: Avoid Nominalizations	33	(3)
Discussion Questions	36	(1)
Sources and Resources	36	(2)
3. Principles of Clarity	38	(25)
The Problem: Clear Only If Known	38	(23)
Tactic 13: Be Careful of Loosely Connected Words and Phrases	40	(2)
Tactic 14: Be Aware of Frequently Misplaced Descriptive Words	42	(1)
Tactic 15: Do not Confuse Frequently Confused Terms	43	(2)
Tactic 16: Form Words in Standard Ways	45	(1)
Tactic 17: Use Standard Spellings	46	(1)
Tactic 18: Avoid Converting Nouns into Verbs	46	(1)
Tactic 19: Be Aware of the Several Englishes	47	(1)
Tactic 20: Be Careful with Money and Dates	48	(1)
Tactic 21: Avoid Illogical or Arbitrary Idioms	48	(2)
Tactic 22: Avoid Words that Can Have Opposite Meanings	50	(1)
Tactic 23: Avoid Abbreviations, Contractions, and Acronyms	51	(1)
Tactic 24: Avoid Figurative Language in General	51	(1)
Tactic 25: Avoid Literary and Cultural Allusions	52	(1)
Tactic 26: Avoid Military and Sports Vocabulary	53	(2)
Tactic 27: Avoid Technical Terms Used with Nontechnical Meanings	55	(1)
Tactic 28: Avoid Business Jargon and Fashionable Business Terms	56	(1)
Tactic 29: Avoid Regionalisms and Slang	57	(1)
Tactic 30: Avoid Sarcasm or Irony	58	(1)
Tactic 31: Avoid Humor and Wordplay	59	(1)
Tactic 32: Suit Your English Idiom to the Local Language	60	(1)
Discussion Questions	61	(1)
Sources and Resources	62	(1)
4. Reducing Burdens	63	(30)
Reading and Stress	63	(6)
Tactic 33: Prefer Shorter Sentences	65	(1)
Tactic 34: Prefer Simple Sentences to Compound Sentences	66	(1)
Tactic 35: Prefer Simple Sentences to Complex Sentences	67	(1)
Tactic 36: Retain Certain Optional Words	68	(1)
Punctuation and International English	69	(8)
Tactic 37: Use Commas Aggressively	72	(1)
Tactic 38: Use Hyphens Aggressively	73	(2)
Tactic 39: Avoid Quotation Marks	75	(2)
The Burdensome Page	77	(13)
Tactic 40: Do not Justify Text, but Do not Break Words at the Ends of Lines	78	(2)
Tactic 41: Create a Readable, Accessible Page	80	(4)
Tactic 42: Reduce GOTOs	84	(1)
Tactic 43: Break Apart Long Paragraphs	85	(1)
Tactic 44: Convert Some Paragraphs into Lists	86	(1)
Tactic 45: Convert Some Paragraphs into Tables	87	(1)
Tactic 46: Convert Some Paragraphs into Playscripts	87	(1)
Tactic 47: Convert Some Paragraphs into Decision Tables	88	(1)
Tactic 48: Convert Some Paragraphs into Logic Diagrams	89	(1)
Reducing Burdens as an Ethical Objective	90	(1)
Discussion Questions	90	(1)
Sources and Resources	91	(2)
5. Writing for Translation	93	(12)
Limits on Translation	93	(2)
Translation Is a Business Expense	95	(2)
Preparing a Manuscript for Translation	97	(2)
Controlled Language and the Future of Translation	99	(4)
Discussion Questions	103	(1)
Sources and Resources	104	(1)
6. Principles of Correspondence	105	(19)
Business Letters: An Exercise in Style	105	(13)
Tactic 49: Eliminate Western Letter Lingo and Formats	107	(4)
Tactic 50: Adopt the Receiver's Format	111	(4)
Tactic 51: Emulate the Receiver's Opening Paragraph and Customary Closing	115	(1)
Tactic 52: Emulate the Receiver's Content Restrictions	116	(2)
What about E-mail?	118	(1)
Adapting E-mail for International Recipients	119	(3)
Discussion Questions	122	(1)
Sources and Resources	123	(1)
7. Principles of Cultural Adaptation	124	(17)
Was der Bauer nicht kennt...	124	(11)
Tactic 53: Be Extremely Polite and Formal	127	(2)
Tactic 54: Assess Other Cultures without Stereotyping	129	(2)
Tactic 55: Localize Radically	131	(2)
Tactic 56: Define Your Graphics Strategy	133	(1)
Tactic 57: Consider Hall's Context Continuum	133	(2)
Issues of Philosophy and "Hypernorms"	135	(4)
Discussion Questions	139	(1)
Sources and Resources	140	(1)
Appendixes
1. Projects for Students of International English	141	(2)
2. Sentences that Need Editing	143	(2)
3. Instructional/Technical Passages that Overburden the Reader	145	(4)
4. A Portfolio of Bad News Letters	149	(4)
5. An Internationalized Website Checklist	153	(4)
Index	157