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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Roger L. Boyell [SMTP:boyell -at- ieee -dot- org]
>
> The naievete of the ten-year-olds shows the instructions to be defective,
> something that may not have been recognized by an experienced person (i.e.
> adult). Michelle is correct in her critique of the instructions.
> Commenters please reconsider.
>
The ten-yr-olds need more training, education, and experience in the big
picture that is their kitchen and in recognizing what prepared macaroni and
cheese actually looks like.
As for multi-lingual instructions, sure. The Canadians and Swiss do it. In
Connecticut, for example, you can take your drivers license written test in
*any* language, you need not take it in English. However, I would not change
the target audience.
There is a bigger responsibility that goes with the culinary arts, an
environment into which children have to be introduced by adults. Even if I
write my instructions in 50 languages, I would frame them in context of
cooking the particular meal and not tackle the larger issue of a reader who
has never cooked solo before, who doesn't recognize that the finished
macaroni and cheese meal needs to be re-prepared . . . etc. Let those
stumbling blocks be experience-building . . . can you imagine, preparing
macaroni and cheese only to re-submerge the mess into another bowl of cold
water and re-boil, add more milk and cheese, and from somewhere, add another
packet of sauce? Indeed, I think if the chefs did this once or twice, they'd
catch on!
In other words, my Spanish instructions would not differ from my English
ones in content . . ..
Cheers,
Sean
sean -at- quodata -dot- com
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