Karen Wingate, East Sparta, Ohio

"So what is a typical American breakfast?” my new Australian friend asked.

I decided to tell him about my Southern-bred husband’s favorite, biscuits and gravy, but our conversation crashed on my first word, biscuits. The word biscuit describes a cookie, he informed me. Australians call our biscuits scones and no, they aren’t made with cream and eggs. Moreover, biscuits are served at afternoon tea, never with a meal, and always with jam, not that ghastly cholesterol-clogging, sausage grease-laden, stuff I called gravy.

Words are important. When we write, we must constantly consider the words we use and the audience we address. One little word, a word whose definition you take for granted, can sidetrack your readers and derail comprehension of what you’re trying to communicate. This is especially true if you want to reach beyond the borders of your own country.

Before you turn to the next article because you don’t intend to write for an international audience, think again. Many publications, such as Upper Room, are global in their outreach. Missionaries often translate curriculum to use among the people they serve. People around the world read Web sites and blogs. Tracking hits on my blog www.blogspot.childrenteach.com, I’m constantly amazed by the number of visitors my site receives from other countries such as Chile, Singapore, South Africa and Pakistan, to name a few.

Here are some ways you can tailor your writing to fit an international audience:

     1. Watch your words. Just as biscuits mean cookies and scones mean biscuits to an Australian, words will have different meanings to different cultures around the world even if they speak English. Try to choose universal words. Watch your illustrations. Do you mention items unique to the States? Notice I did not say, “American.” American would be offensive to our neighbors to the north (Canada) and the south (Central and South America). Aren’t they “American” too?

     2. Watch your idioms. When I served on a mission trip at a Bible training center for Eastern Europeans, our leaders warned us to watch our slang. “Raining cats and dogs,” and “six of one, half-dozen of another” were confusing to our Eastern European guests because they took us literally. When editing the rough draft of your internationally slanted article, exchange slang phrases and idioms with clear, simple language. While you may feel idioms add color and texture to your writing, in reality you’ll perplex your reader.

     3. Watch your imagery. Notice the imagery I’ve used in this article: sidetracked, derail, tailor, color and texture. Hopefully, that made my writing richer and more appealing, yet if I were writing for a targeted audience, I’d need to ask myself, “Would my reader understand my imagery?” If someone had never seen a train before, would they comprehend the word derail?

     4. Watch your cultural and regional terms. When I wrote curriculum for a publisher targeting inner city kids, my editor warned me to watch my reference to cultural activities, such as going to the mall or playing video games. These references, he told me, would alienate readers who might not be familiar with those things or feel badly because they couldn’t have them. This advice is also helpful if you are writing for an international audience. My aunt from Arizona gave a coffee mug with a picture of the state bird to a friend in an Eastern European country, thinking the person would appreciate the unique bird. Imagine her friend’s consternation in trying to understand why a bird is called a roadrunner.

While we need to be mindful of the words, idioms, imagery and cultural terms we use, we can’t delete them completely. People are still people who have universal needs. When a Bulgarian lay leader told me his church translated Sunday school curriculum from the States into Bulgarian, I became alarmed, thinking of all the games and activities I put into my lessons that called for supplies and games distinctive to my culture. Would a Bulgarian church even understand my reference to the game “Tag”? When I voiced my concern that perhaps I shouldn’t give ideas for games and activities because of the potential problems, my Bulgarian friend held up his hands, “No! No!” he said, “Any good teacher will adapt the lesson to fit the class. Besides, we love the games and activities. They make the lessons so interesting. Children still have the same learning needs no matter where they live in the world.” My use of cultural games broadened his worldwide perspective and I learned to describe my cultural games more explicitly.

When you write to universally felt needs, you will communicate effectively with your international audience. The key is not to eradicate words, idioms, imagery and cultural references from your writing. Instead, either explain your terms or opt for clearer and more concrete language when possible. 

Karen has over 200 magazine credits in such publications as Lookout, Pray! Decision, Victory in Grace and Montgomery's Journey and has written curriculum for Standard Publishing and the Salvation Army. She writes a weekly blog on Christian education issues at www.childrenteach.blogspot.com.

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