A few tips on communication for native English speakers
A newspaper is a mass medium supposed to be read by the masses – to inform and educate people.
The use of language is important: too complicated and people drop out after one sentence. That is basic journalism.
Some write to impress, using complex words and expressions rather than exerting themselves to communicate. Or are their arguments so weak that they have to inflate their language?
People from English-speaking countries are often quite inward-looking. They see themselves as the centre of the world and use their language and references like they were back home.
I speak three foreign languages and know how difficult it is to learn a new language. So in the rare cases when I do meet foreigners who speak my native language, I try to make it easy for them by moderating my speech. That is the opposite of what many editorial and letter writers tend to do here, in the two main English-language newspapers. You will reach and teach more folk here if you avoid the Ivory Tower language and homegrown slang and references, and instead focus on openness and communication.
A Johnsen
Hua Hin
