Guidelines for Writing to Those Speaking Another Language

In any multinational community, you need to think about how to communicate with people who are from other cultures and who may speak different languages.

The following are some guidelines:

• Put yourself in their shoes; those reading your message are deciphering a foreign language. Some will know your language well but many will not.
  
  
  
• If a message arrives with poor spelling and grammar in your own language, do not assume that the ideas expressed are less sophisticated than your own. Try to figure out what the writer intended, and if you can not figure it out, explain your difficulty to the writer. On the other hand, try to write your own letter without too many mistakes. You might ask someone else to check your message.
  
  
  
• When you write, use short, focused sentences. Keep your whole message short.
  
  
  
• Avoid slang, cultural (e.g.," pot calling the kettle black") or religious sayings (e.g., " good Samaritan"), and types of expressions particular to your location. If you do use them, translate them in parentheses.
  
  
  
• Take great care when writing about topics such as religion and politics. There are usually deeply held convictions in these areas, and they need to be approached with sensitivity. That does not mean you shouldn't try to discuss religion and politics, but that your message should show care and respect. Global Lab, of course, focuses on environmental issues that we all share!
  
  
  
• Look for and answer messages regularly. If you don't have time for a long answer, at least send an acknowledgment to the sender that you received the message. That way they will know you are trying to stay in contact. Understand, however, that because of language differences, there will be delays in responses.
  
  
  
• If possible, try to answer in their language. The effort to send a brief message in someone's native language is often deeply appreciated, even though your grammar and vocabulary may be poor. Just using the courtesy words (hello, thank you, etc.) is very polite.
  
  You might try out using an on-line translator like Prompt/Babelfish and attach the translation to the bottom of your English language note, explaining that it is a product of your automatic translator and asking them if it makes sense. Automatic translation is not an advanced science...yet!