[Edling] English is the language of science — but precision is tough as a non-native speaker

[Margaret van Naerssen via Edling]

Thanks to a helpful list member, I was able to access the *Nature *article.
It is informative  to read the scientist's own perspective on writing in
the sciences.  We must consider these stakeholders.
I'm repeating the link Francis Hult posted.
  https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00899-y

I would also urge those concerned with accessibility in communication
across fields, to look to the *Plain Language community, including with
some groups in Australia, where the author of the Nature article now
lives. *
One such group is Clarity International. It's website is
 http://www.clarity-international.org/orgs/

While Clarity International focuses on plain language in legal contexts, the
website--under ORGANIZATIONS, includes a number of other plain language
groups, including several in Australia. These include groups that are
broader in their plain language efforts. It is my impression that plain
language advocates in Australia are very active.

Again, this posting is in addition to the ESP/English for Academic Purposes
field.that I mentioned in my earlier, long posting, before I accessed the
Nature article.  ESPEAP support can also be found at some
universities.around the world.

Before closing, I also want to acknowledge the ideological and cultural
concerns about English being the dominant language in the sciences.
However, that important topic deserves separate discussion beyond the focus
of the postings generated on Edling by the reference to the article in
*Nature*. It has been treated extensively by some sociolinguists.

Margaret van Naerssen



On Thu, Apr 8, 2021 at 6:37 AM Francis M. Hult via Edling <
edling at lists.mail.umbc.edu> wrote:

> Nature
>
> English is the language of science — but precision is tough as a
> non-native speaker
>
> English is the international language of science, for better or for worse,
> but most of the world’s scientists speak it as a second language. We
> shoulder an extra career challenge: not only must we gain command of our
> science, but we must also be able to write to professional standards in a
> foreign language to communicate that science.
>
> Full story:
> https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00899-y
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Edling mailing list
> Edling at lists.mail.umbc.edu
> https://lists.mail.umbc.edu/mailman/listinfo/edling
>


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