Idiomatic Construction
Culture-free, one-size-fits-all English is usually the most efficient way to speak to a large, heterogeneous audience of E2s. In contrast, there are times when our English materials are intended for E2s in a small number of specific countries.
In these cases, it might make good business sense to produce more than one English version, sensitive to the first language of the readers. Often English gives us a choice of idioms and, therefore, the option to choose an idiom that is close to the idiomatic structure of E2’s first language.
For example, suppose the original text in a software manual read: There is a way to save several passages at once to the Clipboard. An E2 whose first language is Hindi would probably prefer: One can save several passages at once in the Clipboard. like In contrast, an E2 whose first language is any other Indian dialect might prefer: It is possible to save several passages at once in the Clipboard.
But the application in which it makes most sense is a document containing instructions, in which the same sentence pattern may occur scores of times.
Just as most American readers would be irritated by an instruction manual written entirely in the third person-The customer should type his or her Personal Identification Number.
Many American writers think that the second person version of the instruction-Type your Personal Identification Number is far better-leaner, clearer, easier to read.
Akash Shinde
Migrant Worker 