Technical Writing For Non Native Speakers of English
The technical writing for non native speakers of English training course is designed to help non-native speakers write science research papers, proposals, engineering documents, economics articles, etc. in English in a way which is understandable, interesting, and persuasive. However, this course certainly could also be used as a guide for native English speakers who would like to improve their technical writing skills.
Writing is a form of communication. According to the Society for Technical Communication, technical communication includes any type of communication that meets one of the following characteristics:
- Communicating about technical or specialized topics
- Communicating by using technology
- Providing instructions about how to do something, regardless of how technical the task is or even if technology is used to create or distribute that communication.
STC also states that technical communicators, in this case technical writers, intend to accomplish two goals: To make information accessible to those who need it, to advance the goals of their own business or organizations.
Technical writing is the process of sharing information in the form of writing and in a professional language and frame. Such technical information is usually complex and thus the main goal of the writer should be to convey such complicated concept in the simplest way possible. A few examples of technical writing include but not limited to proposals, product descriptions, instructions, press release, papers and manuscripts, technical reports, resumes, job applications, cover letters, memos, and etc. Such documents are often the key elements of success to people as they represent their work. For instance, no matter how great a scientist a person is and how impressive the results of their research are, if they cannot present their results as they are, in a way others could understand and follow, their work won’t be appreciated. Therefore, effective writing is the key to success. Challenge is writing effectively is not easy, neither for native English speakers nor for foreigners. At TONEX, we understand this completely. Our instructors are non-English speakers who have several publications in prestigious journals. They have gone through the pain and suffering of learning the effective writing and they are ready to share their knowledge and experience with you.
Communication, and in particular writing, often is the biggest challenge to non-native English speakers who study or work in the United States. Good scientists, engineers, or managers are not always good writers and even native English speakers sometimes have difficulty when it comes to writing and publication. You could have discovered the most interesting results in your research but if you cannot describe it well in your manuscript, chances are your work will not gain the attention and appreciation it deserves. In the technical writing for non-native speakers of English training course, we will give you the information, vocabulary, and skills you would need in order to write confidently using the style and structure you see in the journals you read.
As a scientist or engineer, you always are able to read and understand complex, high-level material in your field. However, you might find it frustrating and even impossible to generate written documents at the same level as your knowledge and understanding. The goal of the technical writing for non-native speakers of English training course is to help you use your reading skills to improve your writing skills and to develop your very own writing style.
As a professional, you can never depend on English speakers to write up your work or translate your writing, as their writing or translation may not represent exactly what you intended. Also, if you rely on proofreaders to edit your writing, it is very likely that they miss some mistakes and errors, as a sentence which is grammatically correct can still be ‘wrong’ if it does not carry the exact message. The technical writing for non-native speakers of English training course enables to gain sufficient information and learn enough techniques to be able to reflect the value of your work and convey your message in your writing.
Because technical writing usually follows conventional styles and requires limited vocabularies, most of which you are already familiar with through your work, it is much simpler and quicker to learn compared to non-technical writing. In the technical writing for non-native speakers of English training course, we teach you the common structures, grammars, and vocabulary used in technical writing.
Who Should Attend?
The technical writing for non-native speakers of English training is a 2-day course designed for:
- Non-native English speakers who study or work in the science, engineering, or any other field in which writing plays a critical role.
- Science and engineering students who need to write a Master’s thesis or a PhD dissertation.
- English native speakers who would like to improve their technical writing.
What Will You Learn?
Below are the major topics we will cover in this training course (detailed outline can be found under the course full description):
- Overview Of Technical Writing
- General Strategies for the Writing Process
- Visual Elements
- Specific Applications
- Readability
- Review of the Grammar, Style, and Vocabulary Building
- Science Research Writing (OPTINAL)