“Ethical Implications of Intercultural Audiences”

by Lisa Heitzman

Presented by: Thomas Miller

11 February 2008

EGL 393

Overview

• Introduction • The Need to Teach Cultural Awareness• No Universal Standard• The Global English Language• Clarifying • Globalization• Localization and Translation• Expanding the Field • Dangers of Localization• Conclusion

Introduction • “Crucial that technical writing courses raise the

awareness of the implications of intercultural communication”– “How to include the translator as the target audience”

• Global market & product are shipped around the world– The is explaining the product

• General Electric Medical Systems– Sued by French worker because of English documents and

instruction manuals • promotes discrimination• safety issues

• Not just technical messages but, ethical and cultural implications as well

The Need to Teach Cultural Awareness

• Readers in other countries can use the documents that we create

• Awareness of cultural differences helps employees relate and work together

• Technical documents can sell products

• Language use entails ethical values

No Universal Standard

• Internationalization approach • Visuals are already somewhat universal

– Still carry a large amount of cultural connotations – The internationalization approach – Awareness of what visuals may mean other cultures – Modernist flatman design

• Ikea, home furnishing store • “No single standard can erase all cultural

connotations, which still leaves the task of writing to international audiences a problematic issue.”

The Global English Language

• American standards = universal ideal

• Spoke by over a trillion

• American cultural preference – Spatial arrangement– linear orientation or circular orientation

• Positive force or Power struggle– trade in language for another

Clarifying

• English language – Focuses on clarity

• Some don’t focus as much

• Simplify– Common words and short sentences – easily read – Fails to accommodate the complexity of international

audiences – leads to more interpretive confusion

• Get the right words

Globalization

• Increasingly global market– No longer assume readers speak English– Other languages are spreading

• Mandarin

– Decline of English as standard • Need to deal with the cultural and linguistic

differences

Localization and Translation

• Localization has gained popularity – Focuses on cultural differences

• Writing towards a specific discourse community– Microsoft – Translation

• Used to implement localization • Adapting rather than forcing to adapt• Write to the translator as a standard audience

“Teaching our students how to write to translators is one way that we can help to prevent the cultural hegemony associated with internationalization.”

Expanding the Field

• “For localization to succeed, technical writers must become aware of cultural and linguistic differences of their audiences so they can write their documents with these specific aspects of the audience in mind.”

• “Establishing a cross-discipline curriculum would help in teaching our students some of the differences they need to be aware of both linguistically and culturally as they write to international audiences.”

Dangers of Localization

• Criteria must be decided– What constitutes as a culture? – Where the boundaries lie?– What the characteristics of the culture are?

• Does not offer a flawless solution – A single community will rarely have same

interpretation

• Excessive generalization– Can lead stereotyping

Conclusion

• “Learning prescribed guidelines for writing for translation writing is an essential tool in addressing intercultural audiences and offers the most ethical standardization. However, even with the standard translator in mind as an audience, technical communicators must learn to adapt their writing to the situation and the context they are writing for.”

Rounding Things Up

• Introduction• The Need to Teach

Cultural Awareness• No Universal Standard• The Global English

Language• Clarifying

• Globalization• Localization and

Translation• Expanding the Field • Dangers of Localization• Conclusion

??? Questions ???