Globalisation 101
February 22, 2006
Rule one: do not use idiomatic or culturally-referenced vocabulary. “101″ is a good example of what not to say!
English is indeed the working language for many global organisations in the world. However, it’s not the English of the English, nor the Americans. It’s the English of the international world. And “101″ is not part of it!
That term carries meaning for Americans because introductory courses to different subjects are called “Something 101″. History 101. Biology 101. Etc.
I recently came across “Blogs 101″ as a navigational item on the intranet of a huge global company. It was noticed by a manager who’d been educated in the US, who laughed and said “that was designed by an American”. The other people in the room looked mystified – and did not know what to expect when clicking on “Blogs 101″.
A few days ago, I found “Something 101″ in the table of contents of a new book. I imagine the author is aiming at an international readership, but maybe not.