April 2018
The curious case of mutual intelligibility
April 2018
The need for speed of global content
February 2018
Can we create happiness at work?
Happiness in the workplace helps engage staff, increase productivity, reduce errors, and even raise sales. Happiness is also infectious, which is why, by creating a better work environment, we might just contribute to a better, happier world. read more...
October 2017
Communicating with Canada, Europe’s newest trading partner
In the past year, Canada became Europe’s newest trading partner, a relationship sealed with the ratification of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). So who is this partner? And more importantly, how can technical communicators fashion materials for the Canadian market?read more...
April 2017
Technical writing in Korea and Japan: A strong focus on the user
For ten years, I have been attending the JTCA symposium, a leading conference for technical communication in East Asia held in Japan. Over the years I have learned that many managers of technical communication departments of Korean and Japanese organizations share a common concern: How to find qualified technical writers.read more...
January 2017
Don’t use that fork! - The myth of the cultural faux pas
There once was an American businessman who was scheduled to visit his company’s Japanese subsidiary for a series of meetings. To prepare for the trip, he read about Japanese culture and customs, and even learned a few basic words of the language. He hired a consultant who taught him the proper way to greet his Japanese hosts, how to exchange business cards, how to eat with chopsticks, and more. read more...
July 2016
"Dare to go as far as your thoughts lead"
An inspirational Indian leader of the 19th century provides modern managers with food for thought and stimulating management guidelines of a different type.read more...
February 2016
Do as the locals do: Seven must-do tips for Bangalore
A long time ago, in a forgotten era, a weary traveler on a horseback trudged along a path in southern India, looking for comfort and food. The road was barren and lonely until he came across an old lady with kind eyes, who looked like she had a morsel or two on her. Being of a generous nature, she gave a handful of boiled beans to the statesman, who is credited to have named the place that we now...read more...
September 2015
Enabling smooth translations from Japanese into English
Major cultural and linguistic differences hamper translation of Japanese documents into English and other European languages. But in every challenge lies an opportunity. Improving Japanese documents to facilitate translation offers a unique insight into the distinct characteristics of these diverse languages. read more...