Introduction to Global English

Introduction to Global EnglishJohn R. KohlLinguistic EngineerSAS Institute, Inc.Fort Wayne, [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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Agenda

Important Concepts Selected Guidelines Benefits of Developing Global English Skills Acrolinx Software and Global English

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Important Concepts

non-native speaker translation-memory software

– SDL Trados, Multicorpora, Wordfast, Déjà Vu, Transit machine-translation software

– Google Translate, Bing Translator, Asia Online, SYSTRAN, PROMT, Moses

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Important Concepts (cont.)

Considerations:– For non-native speakers, we need to simplify our

language somewhat and avoid unusual terms and constructions.

– Native speakers typically still outnumber non-natives. We don’t want to alienate native speakers by going to extremes.

– The use of translation memory underscores the importance of consistency. (Global English targets sources of unnecessary inconsistency, not just errors.)

– For translation—especially machine translation— simplification, consistency, and clarity are important.

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Agenda


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Selected Guidelines

1. Conforming to Standard English2. Simplifying Your Writing Style3. Using Modifiers Clearly and Carefully4. Making Pronouns Clear and Easy to Translate5. Eliminating Undesirable Terms and Phrases6. Punctuation and Capitalization Guidelines7. Using Syntactic Cues

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1. Conforming to Standard English

Use standard verb complements You can select to display a floating command dialog

box. You can choose to display a floating command dialog

box.


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Don’t use intransitive verbs transitively, or vice versa If you are not sure what an icon represents, pause

your cursor on the icon. If you are not sure what an icon represents, position

your cursor over the icon.

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Don’t use non-standard comparative and superlative adjectives Ants are likelier to take bait when the temperature is

between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Ants are more likely to take bait when the

temperature is between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

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2. Simplifying Your Writing Style

Some familiar guidelines:– Use shorter sentences– Avoid unnecessary use of passive voice– etc.

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Avoid unusual constructions– The “get” passive

When you press F6, your program gets submitted for execution.

When you press F6, your program is submitted for execution.

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Avoid unusual constructions– Causative “have”

All variables that are shorter than 8 bytes will have their lengths increased by 1 byte.

If a variable is shorter than 8 bytes, its length will be increased by 1 byte. [same word count, but two short clauses instead of one long one]

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Avoid ambiguous verb constructions– “appear” plus an infinitive: The Message Display window appears to indicate

how many records were inserted into the new table.? The Message Display window seems to indicate how

many records were inserted into the new table. The Message Display window appears. This window

indicates how many records were inserted into the new table.

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3. Using Modifiers Clearly and Carefully

Place “only” immediately before whatever it is modifying Treatment is generally only effective within three hours

of the first symptom. Treatment is generally effective only within three hours

of the first symptom.

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3. Using Modifiers Clearly and Carefully

Clarify what each prepositional phrase is modifying: Only 17 characters are available for the table name

on a standard label.? Only 17 characters are available for the table name

that is on a standard label. On a standard label, only 17 characters are available

for the table name.

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4. Making Pronouns Clear and Easy to Translate

“it”► You must correct the error in your program before

submitting it again.? Vous devez corriger l’erreur dans votre programme

avant de la soumettre encore.? Vous devez corriger l’erreur dans votre programme

avant de le soumettre encore. You must correct the error in your program before

resubmitting the program.

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5. Eliminating Undesirable Terms and Phrases

Eliminate unnecessary unusual non-technical terms If the MEND statement is extraneous, then delete it. If the MEND statement is unnecessary, then delete it.

This book includes many of the same procedures as the User's Guide, albeit at a more advanced level.

This book includes many of the same procedures as the User's Guide, but at a more advanced level.

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5. Eliminating Undesirable Terms and Phrases

Eliminate abbreviations– i.e., e.g., etc. (common, but they lead to inconsistency)– a.k.a., n.a.– Sls, Mgmnt, Tbls

Eliminate truncated spellings– dupe– hi, lo– But what about app?

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6. Punctuation and Capitalization

Don’t use an em dash to introduce an -ING phrase ActiveX draws each part of the step—resulting in a

somewhat different graph. ActiveX draws each part of the step, resulting in a

somewhat different graph.

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6. Punctuation and Capitalization

Use a period instead of a semicolon before certain transitional words and phrases Because the shares add up to one, the system is

singular; therefore, one equation is omitted from the estimation process.

Because the shares add up to one, the system is singular. Therefore, one equation is omitted from the estimation process.

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7. Using Syntactic Cues

A linguist’s definition of syntactic cue:any element or aspect of language that helps readers identify parts of speech and analyze sentence structure.

Syntactic cues help readers make sense even out of nonsense:

‘Twas brillig, and the slithy tovesDid gyre and gimble in the wabe.

Lewis Carroll, Jabberwocky

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The Global English definition of syntactic cue:any optional element or aspect of language that helps readers identify parts of speech and analyze sentence structure.

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Examples:

– Ensure the client computer is still connected.– Ensure that the client computer is still connected.

– A label assigns a variable a more informative name.– A label assigns a more informative name to a variable.

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Research (summarized in Appendix D) shows: Non-native speakers rely more heavily on syntactic cues

than native speakers do. Syntactic cues also improve readability for native speakers.

Empirical evidence shows: Syntactic cues eliminate ambiguities that would otherwise

impede translation.

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Syntactic cues proof of concept:

If you’re ready to master the basics of the software, take your SAS skills to the next level, become SAS Certified, or simply need access to SAS software to practice along with a course or book, check out SAS OnDemand for Professionals.

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Syntactic cues proof of concept:

If you’re ready to master the basics of the software, to take your SAS skills to the next level, or to become SAS Certified, or if you simply need access to SAS software in order to practice along with a course or a book, check out SAS OnDemand for Professionals.

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Explicit sentence structure improves readability:

The page you requested could not be located. The page that you requested could not be located.

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Syntactic cues eliminate ambiguity:

The Cardiac Compass report includes an entry for every defibrillation therapy delivered.

? The Cardiac Compass report includes an entry for every defibrillation therapy that is delivered.

? The Cardiac Compass report includes an entry for every defibrillation therapy that was delivered.

The Cardiac Compass report includes an entry for every defibrillation therapy that has been delivered.

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Syntactic cues eliminate ambiguity:

Use the FILENAME statement to specify the logical member name and member type.

? Use the FILENAME statement to specify the logical member name and the logical member type.

Use the FILENAME statement to specify the logical member name and the member type.

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Syntactic cues eliminate ambiguity:Simpler example:

? The yellow cat and dog are best friends. (ambiguous) The yellow cat and the dog are best friends.

(unambiguous)

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Two cardinal rules of Global English1. Don’t make any change that will sound unnatural to

native speakers of English. Corollary: There’s usually a natural-sounding alternative if you have time to think of one.

2. Don’t insert a syntactic cue without considering whether some other revision would be even better.

The data available in the episode log includes the following types of data:

? The data that is available in the episode log includes the following types of data:

The episode log includes the following types of data: (31% reduction in word count)

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Agenda


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Benefits of Developing Global English Skills

The Global English guidelines help technical writers and editors make “sense out of nonsense.”

The guidelines provide explanations and justifications for edits that editors might naturally be inclined to make anyway.

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Agenda


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Acrolinx Software and Global English

SAS has 58 grammar rules, 126 style rules, 70 “term/style” rules.

About half the rules pertain to Global English issues.


Obstacle 1: No background in foreign languages, little appreciation for the consequences of unnecessary complexity

1. Do you have a middle tier and if you do, please provide information about your WebDAV server.

あなたの WebDAV サーバーに関する中間層およびあなたが行う場合は、提供してください情報を持っていますか。 Backtranslation: If you do the middle-tier and on your WebDAV server, do you have any information please provide.

2. Do you have a middle tier? If so, please provide information about your WebDAV server.

あなたは、中間層を持っていますか？もしそうなら、あなたの WebDAV サーバについての情報を提供してください。 Backtranslation: Do you have a middle tier? If so, please provide information on your WebDAV server.

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Obstacle 2: Lack of understanding of basic grammar and punctuation rules

After entering this command, your cursor turns into a crosshair. After you enter this command, your cursor turns into a crosshair.

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Obstacle 3: Overgeneralization GE 6.1: Don’t use a telegraphic writing style:

LABEL option not supported for file format. The LABEL option is not supported for this file format.

The STATE and the TYPE variables are used to group the data.

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Obstacle 3: Overgeneralization (cont.):– The yellow cat and dog are best friends. (ambiguous)– The yellow cat and the dog are best friends.

(unambiguous—only the cat is yellow)

The STATE and the TYPE variables are used to group the data. The STATE and TYPE variables are used to group the data.+ The STATE variable and the TYPE variable are used to group the data.

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For the complete set of Global English guidelines, see Kohl, John R. The Global English Style Guide: Writing Clear, Translatable Documentation for a Global Market (2008, SAS Press). Available at all the major online booksellers.

www.globalenglishstyle.com

http://www.globalenglishstyle.com/

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Questions?

問題問題

Fragen?Fragen? Quaestiones?

Quaestiones?

¿Preguntas?

¿Preguntas?

Sorular?Sorular?Domande?

Domande? 질문질문

Вопросы?

Вопросы?

Questions?Questions?Perguntas?Perguntas?

Vragen?Vragen?

问题问题

質問質問Ερωτήσεις ;Ερωτήσεις ;

Sة Uَّي َمUَطUاِلXب َأSة Uَّي َمUَطUاِلXب َأ

Pytania?Pytania?

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Thank You

谢谢谢谢

Danke!Danke! Gratias!Gratias!

¡Gracias!¡Gracias!

Teşekkürler!Teşekkürler!Grazie!Grazie!

당신을 감사하십시오

당신을 감사하십시오

Срасибо!Срасибо!

Merci!Merci!Obrigado!Obrigado!

Dank u!Dank u!

谢谢谢谢

ありがとうありがとうΣας ευχαριστούμε

Σας ευχαριστούμε

Dziękuje!Dziękuje!

شكًر[شكًر[

Introduction to Global English

Software

Transcript of Introduction to Global English