Cultural Sensibilities in Blogging – A Non-Native Perspective
This will be a brief post. I intend to write the longer version on my business blog.
A feedback left by a fellow WA member on one of my sites has left me slightly distraught. Please don’t let me be misunderstood, I’m not complaining. I cannot reproduce the content of the feedback here without the person’s approval but I can tell you that it had to do with a non-native’s use of the English language in blogging. I had used the word “prolific” in the first paragraph of a post when I was writing to describe someone who’s a productive writer. To a non-native like myself, that was the most relevant word to use in the context of the article. She thought otherwise. She’s of the opinion that the word is heavy (pretentious? irrelevant?) and that I should let a native English speaker proofread my posts before submitting.
They say digital marketing is global and that it accepts people from all cultures and nations. Many of those who create top content aren’t native speakers. Agreed. But it is also a fact that English is the lingua franca of the international business world. The global domination of the English language (at least, in the blogging world) is absolute. While it is true that we are all using the same English language, are we speaking it the same way? Are we all writing English the same way? Forget about the technical aspects like grammar, spellings or punctuation, do our writings reflect the same nuances or connotations in our expressions?
It is inconceivable to think that our cultural identities have absolutely no bearings on the style of our writing or the usage of the English language in our day-to-day lives. It has been rightly said
“It is the hidden differences like the mindset, values, beliefs, attitudes, sensibilities, prejudices and preferences that also determine how we communicate, whichever be the language of our choice.”
Much of how we connect with our audience will depend on our understanding of the finer nuances of English and the cultural sensibilities of the different communities in the world. When we are in the internet marketing business, we are catering to a global audience and it pays to understand how our content will be interpreted by readers from different cultures and backgrounds. However, certain things remain universal:
- Avoid verbosity or wordiness.
- Write to express, not to impress.
- It’s okay to have your own sensibilities in your writings. The key is to maintain consistency.
- Be more direct.
- Don’t be so hung up with your style. Be natural.
Before my post gets long-winded, let me wind up here. I have a feeling that this might need a sequel someday. Happy Sunday, friends!
Recent Comments
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You write extremely well, and your use of the word 'prolific' was spot on... More than likely, you write at a far better level than the commenter, don't sweat it.
Thank you for sharing. I understand you. I once had a comment too that my English was very awkward. I prefer them to point out what the problem is, like spelling, or the structure of the sentence or ... Then I know what to work on.
I think as long as we keep reading and writing we will get the global English.
A happy Sunday for you too.
I do not know about the global English thing but I do know that there's a writing style which they call as "having the sales persona". I think it's the ability to pitch your products without sounding like it. We are all learning. Best wishes.
I enjoyed reading your insights , as I am enjoying reading the conversation that is evolving from it.
There are cultural differences, even within the same country, as content creators it is something to have on our radars, something not to get distracted by. Learning how to navigate the cultural nuances can help us to become better content crafters.
Always value your input, Alex. Cultural differences do affect our writings. What sounds impolite might be perfectly acceptable in a different cultural setting. I'm assuming that the lady in question commented as a matter-of-factly without any ill feelings, but to me, it was a slight culture shock. It is said that non-natives tend to be noun-heavy while the natives are verb-heavy. Meaning, non-natives are usually verbose while the natives are more direct. I have no way to confirm this. But one thing I have noted is that non-natives use fewer colloquialisms or slangish words.
I wouldn't worry too much about one reader because it may be more of a reflection of their education or experience level.
People have called my writing pedantic. But I was trying to be didactic.
I use the Hemingway Editor application to draft my articles because it assesses the readability level of my articles.
I'm hearing of this Hemingway Editor for the first time. Let me have a look into it. Thanks for the info, Glen.
I would argue about this person's outlook on "prolific". I remember Rick (Cosmicradio) using it in rather neutral situation.. Rick is a native speaker, with the Master's Degree in English (don't remember the major exactly), songwriter, etc.
The fact that the person is a native speaker doesn't guarantee they are always correct.It takes to be a linguist and give a lot of time to the subject to be able to give 100% accuracy, which is hardly possible with the language at all because language is to a large degree , a subjective thing.
But still, my advice would be, not to use too many "extreme" words in writing, unless they are really justifiable.
Good luck to you!:)
Vera
Sukumar, take nothing that person has said to you to heart.
'Prolific' is not a pretentious word. It perfectly fits your use.
I am a native English speaker. I write and edit professionally, and have done for decades, in a variety of genres.
If you ever feel so insecure that you need a professional's opinion, just PM me and I shall be happy to tell you whether or not your writing is hitting the mark, or needs a lashing of my red pen.
English is not your first language, but you write better than many who've heard it from birth. That's because some English-speakers have a poor level of literacy, and lack a broad experience of the language.
You write well; you write beautifully.
Edited to include the following link: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/22/13-ironic-speak-english-signs_n_1906008.html
...for your edification. ;)
Thanks for the kind words and the link, Ivy. It feels nice coming from someone like you who writes so beautifully everytime. I haven't read any post of yours (I would love to) and whatever I have read from you are the comments or replies you give to other member's posts. They are always intelligent, witty and well, hard-edged. So, I can well imagine how the lashing of your red pen will be. I will surely PM you if I feel I need a critical and quality appraisal of my writing. Well, I'm not bothered about what the person said. I know how I write. I speak and write three languages - Manipuri (my mother tongue, a Tibeto-Burman language), Hindi (my country India's lingua franca), and English (the medium through which I got my academic education throughout). I'm equally at ease in all the three. Each has its own distinct flavour and nuances. There's a lesson to be learned from the whole episode though. There will always be criticisms about your work and that it's impossible to please everybody.
Hi Sukumarth
Sorry to hear about that!
Well, I have to say, English is my 2nd language too, and I live in a country where English is for many their first and only language....
And do I need to say that I often shake my head at how English is used in the newspapers and magazines here? Not to mention their spelling and confusion of simple words like "there", "their" and "they're" or "hear" and "here" and "hair"!
Or the one that they just can't get right: "bought" vs "brought". They would say: "I bought some ice cream along for dessert." HUH? Or, how about: "I just brought a new car!" LOL! Yeah right, and then they frown at MY English, because I actually speaks it correctly!
Yes, we try our best and we sometimes get it wrong, but if they can't even get it right... ;-) LOL!
If you ever need to quickly lookup a word, type into Google: "dictionary: xyz" - where "xyz" is the word that you want to lookup.
Here is one of the translations of "prolific":
• (of an artist, author, or composer) producing many works.
"he was a prolific composer of operas"
So it sounds like you have used it correctly, Sukumarth! ;-)
The other thing that I have found is that some well-meaning person would try to correct my use of a word, until I pull out my dictionary and show them that I've used it correctly, to which they then admit that they have never heard it being used that way. So I guess there's plenty to learn for all of us.
Read this post and then shrug off her comment and go on - believe me, you are doing great and your English is good! ;-) How Much A Single Review Post Can Make? - Five Figure! Sharlee (Chocolate IceCream)
Thanks for an interesting take on the matter, Sharlee. I do not call myself a good writer but I would like to believe that I can express myself pretty well in English. I have a feeling that if I did not use my profile photo or reveal my native place in my profile description, my post would not have come under the scanner. But hey, I'm cool because that's the way I write. I cannot please everybody, can I? I loved the post that you shared by the way.
Hi Sukumarth
Wow, if it was about who you are or about where you are from... then that is a very shallow person indeed and even less reason to worry about her opinion.
I'm glad you enjoyed that post - it is one of my all time favorites here on WA. The reason being that it is so authentic. I really love that post. I know it is not perfect, but it is perfectly him, and for a non-English speaker, he is doing very well.
Besides, my mother always said that one only needs half a brain and half a word, to understand what a non-native speaker is trying to say, else, when the first half is lacking, the second half should be provided in full. ;-) LOL!
Wishing you much success!
Sharlee (Chocolate IceCream)
I am sorry that happen to you. We all need to be careful in using our words of encouragement properly in a way that it doesn't offend or defend anyone. You are exactly right we need to talk to our readers the way they can understand. To be open, honest and real.
To your success.
I was disturbed not by person's remark as such but by my initial inability to assimilate the directness of what she said. It's possible that she did not mean anything negative but was simply trying to state a fact in a more in-your-face way. To a non-native, it seems to border on being rude or imprudent. Thanks for your input, Mary. Best wishes.
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❤️ your content. Always great!
Has nothing to do with culture...
So do not bother
Would have used prolific too
Thanks for the Support, Fleeky. I'm over with it already.
:-)
GOOD
;-)