Local site, global medium
For the past couple of years it's been my pleasure to tutor an Arabic-speaking family in conversational English. Recent arrivals to Australia, my students form part of the one billion people around the globe who speak English as a second language.
Tutoring has brought me into contact with all kinds of people and broadened my understanding of how learners of English negotiate the dual challenges of a new language and a new web-based medium.
Arabic characters
Initially my sessions were delivered at the kitchen table. Later we moved to the computer where I found the familiar QWERTY keyboard covered in carefully pasted Arabic characters and the pages presented in gentle cursive-like script, flowing right to left.
Plain text pages
My students consistently sought out basic html versions of page content. Like many other non-native speakers – particularly those who work with a non-Roman character set - they preferred to dispense with visual design altogether.
And why not? When you translate content word by word, line by line, it is easier to print pages in plain text and write the English version underneath.
Globalise your English
As my students' language skills improved, an English character set was installed and we explored Australian-produced websites together. I became acutely aware of how much of our locally-produced content relies on a colloquial knowledge of English.
A preference for local culture is not surprising, but it may not be the most effective way of communicating in a global medium.
Beyond our borders
In my experience many learners struggle to interpret colloquial business content even if their English skills are highly developed. It's worth consider the impact of this, especially where the intended readership extends beyond our borders, for example:
• Export industries (mining, tourism, agriculture)
• Government departments (diplomacy, international law, trade and
defence)
• Science (research, policy and international conferences)
• International NGOs (animal rights, ecology, human rights, consumer
advocates)
• Education (collaborative research, international students, distance
learning)
I'm sure you can add to my list.
Simplify
As a content author you don't necessarily need to translate your entire website in order to reach web users beyond our shores. You can reach more people by simplifying your web writing and making it less colloquial.
Common sources of misunderstanding and simple tips for improvement are provided in the article: Simplicity - the key global content.
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