I would rate the introduction to ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English an 8 out of 10. Base on the STE presentation on rules, my favourite would be Rule 2.3 where you use an article (the, a, or an) or a demonstrative adjective (this, these) before a noun. The STE exercises provided in this workshop were of a very high standard and I would rate them 9/10. In terms of trainer evaluation, I would rate Shumin's training an 8 out of 10.
Rutger van Alphen de Veer Technical Writer, MAHLE Group
Rule 3.6 Use only the active voice in procedural writing is my favourite STE rule. Use the active voice as much as possible in descriptive writing. In my opinion, this rule would avoid a lot of translated texts misunderstandings. Thank you for the course and being flexible. You accepted moving the course to September to give us the opportunity to complete the TCTrainNet unit.
TCLoc Master's Programme University of Strasbourg
This course shares a good overview of structure, purpose, history, and contextual information about STE. The limited vocabulary and restricted list of words, short sentence constructions, active voice, and imperative verb usage are valuable takeaways messages to act upon in Simplified English. The examples used in this training are quite realistic and it is very likely that I will recommend this STE training to someone else.
Roland Kiser, Terminology Coordinator, Schindler
"No phrasal verbs" is my favorite rule. Forming phrasal verbs in the English language remains as one of my biggest challenges in English grammar. STE Rule 9.3 makes it easier for me to fully understand technical English sentences.
TCLoc Master's Student Technical Communication and Localization
My favorite STE writing rules:
* Rule 1.9 and Rule 1.10
When you must select a technical name, use one which is short and easy to understand. Both rules ensure a better understanding of technical contents.
* Rule 3.6
Do not use a past participle with a helping verb to make a complex verb. Past tenses may be adequate for marketing texts due to stylistic reasons, but not for technical contents, where precision and clarity play a major role.
* Rule 5.1
Keep procedural sentences as short as possible. The description of procedures in technical manuals has to be as simple as possible to avoid confusing the reader.
TCLoc Master's Student University of Strasbourg
I found all the STE rules to be highly beneficial for my work and certainly look forward to start applying Simplified English rules by using the ASD-STE100 specification. The two-day workshop conducted by Shumin has taught me how to use the STE rules correctly and apply them in the appropriate context. Everything has been explained very clearly.
Tina Kosman Safety Engineer, De Boer Machines
The presentation on rules clarified a lot of things of which I was unaware. I have a much better understanding of how to format lists with colons, when to use obey vs. comply, and the differences between notes, cautions, and warnings. Moving forward, I will be able to utilize the ASD-STE rules more effectively to write better documents.
I appreciated the exercises completed in this workshop because they helped me immediately practice and enforce the ASD-STE rules. I like the fact that they were timed. Writing under time-constraints forced me to think quickly and fully concentrate on my writing.
I will definitely recommend this training to writers of many fields, especially technical fields. The material, presentation, and instructor are fantastic. I learned a lot about ASD-STE. Even though I’ve been using this writing convention for almost eight years, formal training brought much clarity and comprehension that I had not previously realized. I now know that an aptitude for writing and a copy of the STE rules is a good start, but not enough. This course takes your understanding to a professional level!
Lauren Gelli Senior Technical Writer, Aerotech Inc.
I have a great pleasure to work with Shumin Chen on a number of complex technical translation projects. She is very talented, efficient and dependable, making sure to meet and exceed the customer's expectations.
Anouar Koutchoukali Owner, A Propos Vertaalbureau
Shumin gave a two-day ASD-STE100 training to standardize and improve the language used by technical authoring personnel. I learnt a great deal in terms of advantageous STE writing rules for the authoring of technical manuals. Thank you once again for the excellent training!
Fatih Ülger Product Support Engineer, FNSS Defence Systems
This was a great course with very useful and practical knowledge for my work. Simplified Technical English (STE) encourages users to always refer to the approved list of verbs and nouns in the STE dictionary before writing their technical documentation. The active voice is also a very useful and powerful tool in sending loud and clear instructions to our users. Starting a warning or caution with a simple and clear command is also very crucial in my line of work. Shumin's delivery of the training is highly organised, and she has been most patient with our comments, questions, and feedback the whole time.
Abdel Alazeem Arafah Service Coordinator, NIMR Automotive