Communicating internationally.
WHAT VARIES
Directness Formality How disagreement is expressed Expectations about hierarchy Interpretation of silence
WHY THAT MATTERS
The same message reads differently in different places.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT DIRECTNESS
Be clear about substance, and careful about tone.
WHAT TO AVOID GENERALLY
Idioms Sporting metaphors Humour relying on shared context Abbreviations and slang
WHY IDIOMS SPECIFICALLY
They are the commonest cause of confusion for second-language readers.
WHAT EXAMPLES LOOK LIKE
Touch base, ballpark figure, back burner.
WHAT TO USE INSTEAD
Plain description.
WHAT TO BE CAREFUL WITH IN DATES
Numeric formats, which differ.
WHAT TO DO
Write the month in words.
WHAT TO BE CAREFUL WITH IN TIMES
Time zones, always stated.
WHAT TO BE CAREFUL WITH IN NUMBERS
Decimal and thousands separators, which differ.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT NAMES
Ask how someone prefers to be addressed.
WHY
Name order and forms of address vary.
WHAT TO ASSUME ABOUT SECOND-LANGUAGE READERS
That they read well and appreciate clarity.
WHAT NOT TO DO
Simplify to the point of condescension.
WHAT TO PREFER
Short sentences, common words, explicit structure.
WHAT TO CHECK
Whether your meaning survives without tone.
