Technical Writing in Trans-Cultural Contexts

As stated by Yiqin Wang and Dan Wang in their article, “Cultural Contexts in Technical Communication,” “there are cultural differences in terms of high and low contexts, in language, and in thought patterns” (Wang and Wang 48). This is a very important point because technical writing is not just significant in the United States, but it is also a crucial field all over the world as many audiences from different cultures continue to need the work of technical writers. Even within the United States, there are many cultures represented. So, as a beginning technical writer, it is central that I explore technical communication in a broader, worldly view to advance my training in global communication.

The best way for me to prepare for my career as a technical writer in a trans-cultural context is through my education. My college of liberal arts degree will make me better able to adapt to the technical needs of different cultures when I am constructing technical documents. In contrast to the liberal arts degree, an engineer, for example, in the college of science and engineering may not get much training for working in a global environment.

Becoming more culturally aware will definitely help me in my career because according to Nicole St. Germaine-Madison in her article, “Localizing Medical Information for U.S. Spanish-Speakers,” “different cultures have different rhetoric preferences” (St. Germaine-Madison 236). With the increasing diversity inside and outside the workplace, it is critical for me as an effective technical writer to learn these different rhetoric preferences like structure, terminology, and graphics. When I understand these preferences in technical documents, I will be better equipped to adapt to diverse audiences by making relevant information that is fitting for many cultures.

Another good way that is helping my career as a trans-cultural technical communicator is learning a second language. By learning a second language, I have been able to learn speaking and writing preferences for the Hispanic culture. By understanding different aspects of the Hispanic culture, I have relevant experience that will help me adapt to the preferences of the Hispanic population because according to St-Germaine-Madison in her article, “the rapid growth of this population indicates that technical communicators will need to increase their efforts to address this population in terms of its rhetorical preferences” (St. Germaine-Madison 235). However, Wang and Wang make a necessary point in their article stating that I cannot “assume that any organized approach adopted by one culture in representing technical information can be adopted easily by another” (Wang and Wang 48). Thus, it is essential to engage and interact with many cultures and groups of people.

There will always be a need for technical writers to communicate information. More important, there will be a bigger demand for technical writers with experience in working as global communicators who understand the preferences and the cultural dimensions of diverse population groups.