Editing Content for International Audiences

At Just Content, we have worked on a number of different projects where the resources are being produced for use in countries outside of the UK.

This brings with it a number of challenges in terms of making the content understandable, accessible and acceptable to a number of different cultures and readers where English is their second language.?

Here are some helpful tips from our lessons learned when editing this type of content.?

Language

Keep the language simple

Remember readers may not be native English speakers. This means they have to decode the language as well as learn new concepts. Sentences should therefore be shorter and have a simple structure.?

Keep paragraphs short and simple so that readers can translate smaller chunks of content if needed. Break up text by using paragraphs, bullet points, illustrations and tables.

Use of pronouns

It can be difficult for non-native English speakers to follow which pronoun refers to each noun, so it is best to repeat nouns. This repetition can also help to embed vocabulary; it takes 15-20 meaningful exposures to a word before the students can use it with confidence.

For example, ‘A group of cells is called a battery. A battery provides the power in a circuit’ would be preferable to ‘A group of cells is called a battery. This provides the power in a circuit'.

Avoid passive voice

The use of passive voice can be more challenging for non-native speakers to decode (passive voice is defined as 'a form or set of forms of a verb in which the subject undergoes the action of a verb).

For example, 'Food is being prepared by me' is passive, but 'I am preparing food' is active.

'A circuit was built using these components' is harder to decode than 'A student built a circuit using these components'.

Idiomatic language

Be aware that idiomatic language may not be understood by non-native speakers. Idioms are a group of words that have a meaning that doesn't relate to the meanings of the individual words.

For example, ‘Carry out the experiment’ may be problematic as the verb ‘to carry’ has other meanings (e.g., carry my bag).

Subject-specific language

A well-written glossary which explains the language as simply as possible, and does not involve the student checking the meaning of words used in the definitions themselves, is invaluable.

So, for example, a definition of a circuit that includes the word 'component' would only be meaningful and easy to understand if that reader already knew what a 'component' was in this context.

A definition of a circuit, 'a pathway through which electricity can flow' is easier to understand than 'a pathway through which an electrical current can flow that includes several components'.

Cultural considerations

Companies will often provide their own guidelines based on their target audience and the market to which they are selling, but here are some good general points to take into consideration:

• In some cultures, genders mixing together outside family units is seen as undesirable. In these instances, it is also advisable to avoid anything that suggests students should touch one another in any way.
• Avoid showing bare skin in illustrations. Hair (if visible) should not be untidy.?
• Take care with headdresses - there are subtle, but important, differences in headwear in middle eastern countries, for example, and getting this wrong can cause offence.?
• Be careful about context which would be routine in UK publishing. For example, whilst a data handling example about pets would be perfectly acceptable in the UK, for other cultures pet ownership is not a ‘thing’ and, in some instances, dogs are seen as undesirable.
• Contexts that could be seen as related to gambling, such as playing cards in probability exercises, are not appropriate for some cultures.
• Avoid references to politics, alcohol, religion, sex, narcotics, isms, pork (PARSNIP).

Experimental

International schools vary tremendously in terms of what equipment they have available. So, for example, you cannot assume that a Science department will have data logging devices for practicals about motion. Instead, you need to think about how practical activities can be undertaken with the most basic equipment.

Another example we have come across is making sure that materials do not assume that all students have particular experiences. For example, going on expensive holidays.?

Conclusion

While all editing involves careful consideration of words and presentation, these skills are particularly important when producing materials that will be used by students who have English as an additional language.

We also need to be especially vigilant about the content that could potentially cause offence.