The course intro was helpful. Shumin used examples, videos, and asked us questions to introduce the material. Knowing that the subject matter could be dry, she tried to counteract that by varying the presentation. The information itself was useful for what we did later in the course. My favourite rules are the word count rules. That sounds lame, but I tend to write too long of sentences that don’t get to the point. The exercises were really helpful in demonstrating the rules that we had talked about / gone over. I got the most out of doing the exercises and working on the examples that we submitted. I would definitely recommend the course to someone considering or currently using STE. Shumin catered the course to our needs and familiarity level. She was very knowledgeable and was happy to help us through trouble spots and answer our questions.

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!

TAI hired Frans to work with our experienced team and help them to improve their ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English skills. Frans helped us to identify areas for improvement both in our own documents and in those supplied by our customers and partners. At the end of the training, we all had learned simple yet effective methods to improve the quality, readability and compliance of our writing. Most importantly, we learned how to scrutinize text for commonly made mistakes and how to balance compliance with optimum readability. We enjoyed working with Frans, who has a pleasant personality and an open mind. I am happy to recommend him to any company that wants to improve its documentation, be it for compliance reasons or to facilitate translation. Top Qualities: Great Results, Expert, Good Value

Shumin introduced the very interesting concept of a controlled language in the form of Simplified Technical English (STE). My favourite STE rule is to use approved words from the dictionary only as the part of speech given. In the two-day duration, we were able to familiarise ourselves with all the STE rules as well as practical steps for implementation of this controlled language standard. Shumin is very capable of explaining STE concepts in a brief but accurate manner, giving us easy access to a highly technical subject. Love the humour you inject in between lines! Top Qualities: Concise, Personable, Knowledgeable

Thanks for this course. I learned a lot and would have liked to spend more time improving these skills. My takeaway? Simplify and remove whatever is unnecessary.

STE Rule 1.3 Use approved words only with their approved meaning is my go-to rule. My favourite STE verbs are “examine”, “measure” and “make sure”. I always use the non-approved verbs of “check” and “inspect” before. I highly recommend this course to other people. If most people write with STE, technical work steps will become clearer and easier for understanding. 

I was at first skeptical of the advantages that STE will bring as it seemed to have mainly been used in the aerospace & defence industry. This intensive three-day training course has changed my opinion and certainly helped to sharpen my technical writing skills tremendously! Top Qualitites: Cheaper, faster, and better translations.

Shumin is a reference in the STE field. As a neophyte, I can hardly give you an advice. I regularly check your post on YouTube and I learn a lot from the videos and articles you post on the Internet. One word–continue. The best lesson I learnt is: Never use a long word where a short one will do. This rule forces the writer to be simple, yet concise. It is the golden rule of STE.

I attended a Simplified English course given by Frans in Israel. He’s an excellent presenter, making the subject relevant and interesting. Frans provided expert advice on how to implement the Simplified English standard. Following the seminar, I have a much better understanding of the topic, which is already helping me and my team in our ongoing documentation projects. Top Qualities: Personable, Expert, Creative

Dr Frans Wijma is a very professional and knowledgeable expert in the field of aircraft engineering and aviation documentation, especially ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English and S1000D. He is also a great teacher who knows how to inspire a group of people across cultural boundaries, always having an open mind and the determination to make everybody perform as best they can. It is amazing how he can help us to convey complex technical content in a very clear and crisp way. Top Qualities: Great Results, Expert, High Integrity