Simplified English
Simplified English is a set of approved words and writing rules. Its makers made it to help engineers write manuals (instruction books) so that people all over the world can read them.
Some people think that:
- It can decrease doubt.
- It can make reading faster.
- It can help understanding for people whose first (native) language is not English.
- It can make translation easier for humans.
- It can make computer-helped translation and machine translation better.
The rules say to only use the words in simplified English in approved ways. This decreases misunderstanding. For example, the rules approve the use of the verb close ("Do not close the door"). The rules approve the use of the adjective closed, meaning "not open" ("The door is not closed"). The adjective close means near ("Do not go close to the door"). The rules disapprove the use of the adjective close. The rules approve the use of the adjective near ("Do not go near the door") for this meaning. The rules specify the use of the adjective near instead of the adjective close. This way, the reader can be sure if the instructions say to keep the door open or to stay far from the door.
People started developing simplified English in the 1970s. People continue developing simplified English today. AECMA is the "European Association of Aerospace Manufacturers". AECMA began work on simplified English. ASD is the "AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe". ASD has a Maintenance Group called STEMG that continues work on simplified English. STEMG is the "Simplified Technical English Maintenance Group". STEMG maintains the ASD-STE100, the latest simplified English.
Related pages
Other websites
- Official page of ASD Simplified Technical English Maintenance Group (STEMG)
- A brief overview of Simplified English with a selection of links Archived 2007-08-26 at the Wayback Machine
- World English Organization Archived 2005-07-11 at the Wayback Machine
- Simplus - Simplified English Checker[dead link]
- Plain Language