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Subject:RE: Yet another spin-off: ESL authors From:mlist -at- safenet-inc -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Thu, 9 Jun 2005 10:34:38 -0400
Borodkin, Yevgen rubbed a sore spot:
> On a totally irrelevant note - "ESL authors" and "poor
> writing" aren't necessarily synonyms, are they? I am
> wondering if that's a common (mis)perception or just an
> example to make a point?..
There are any number (and it's a growing number, too) of ESL and ETL
(English as a third, fourth, fifth language) writers in this list and
in the writing biz, who are very good in whatever language they
choose. That's talent, learned skill, and interests at work.
However, most of us in the computer-related biz, and probably a
similar proportion in the other technical areas, are accustomed
to encountering ESL engineers and scientists (not to mention
some with English as their first language) who are not very
proficient in English (or even at writing in their first languages).
There's nothing wrong with that. It's to be expected. Not everybody
is a polymath. Some of us are word nerds and others are computer
or chem or physics nerds who don't have a lot of overlap. That's
much of our job niche. No insult intended. Just a reality of living
in a non-homogeneous world and filling a need that results therefrom.
Kevin (English-speaking/writing Canadian, who wouldn't dare try
writing for money in French, his only other (barely-so) language)
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