Outlook & Opportunities Terry Sandven Christian Heitzman July 2007
“Ethical Implications of Intercultural Audiences” by Lisa Heitzman Presented by: Thomas Miller...
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Transcript of “Ethical Implications of Intercultural Audiences” by Lisa Heitzman Presented by: Thomas Miller...
“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 ???