Global English
'One of the serious afflictions of International Communication Disorder is loss of business'
Your company may be sending email, letters and reports that are incomprehensible to the receiver. Your company's web site content, similarly, could be difficult to understand. (see sample further down this page).
Plain English is not plain enough. To do business with people for whom English is a second language, your site needs Global English. About one quarter of the world's population use English as a second language. Can you afford to ignore one billion potential customers?
Even though many companies do half their business overseas, experience shows that few companies are willing to pay the high cost of testing in multiple countries. We're lucky if a company invests in domestic testing.
Make sure you use English that your international clients can understand.
Global English is English without phrasal verbs and idiomatic language such
as 'Wellingtonians', 'loo', or 'bring-a-plate'.
You should avoid words with a negative ring such as no, not yet, unfortunately, mistake, despite, unless, never, won't, only if, cancel, except, etc.
As a speaker of three languages (see Profile), I take a special interest in 'Global English Web Design'. See sample taken from an 'international' page of an education provider's web site:
Sample
'A range of course delivery methods balance theoretical knowledge with practical application, contributing to excellent study outcomes and respected qualifications.'
To foreign clients this sounds a bit like 'corporate mumbo-jumbo'. Better would be:
'A range of courses — theoretical and practical. We offer recognized qualifications to our international students.'
Usability and content
Difficult to understand content severely undermines usability. Contact me for assistance with Global English on your site.
Global
English