Language Efficiency
In one of my previous posts, I discussed a NYT article about the changes the Japanese language is undergoing as a result of new communication technologies. I ended my post with the hopeful suggestion that Kazakh will face similar changes in the future. A reader of this post commented that it will be difficult for speakers of Kazakh to express themselves in a concise form because of the metaphorical nature of the language. This post is about concision and efficiency in the Anglo-American writing style and the potential of the Kazakh language to be equally concise and efficient.
In the United States, all university students (whether they are American or foreign) are required to take courses that place great emphasis on professional writing, whether it is for business, science, or communication. At American universities, writing is recognized to be an important skill for being successful in life, and therefore the instruction of writing cannot be limited to the writing of poetry, fiction, and literary criticism.
American writing courses teach students how to express their opinions but also how to provide supporting evidence for these opinions, how to analyze problems but also how to solve problems. Moreover, these writing courses are not limited to writing; they also involve a lot of speaking. From the Anglo-American perspective, writing and speaking are forms of communication that are related; and writing should not be so complicated that it cannot be turned into speech.
In modern English (and in other modern languages, such as German), the main principles of professional writing are as follows:
1. Writing has to be divided into paragraphs.
2. Every paragraph has its own topic and purpose.
3. Every paragraph focuses exclusively on this topic and purpose, and discards everything else.
4. Every paragraph should therefore also be concise.
With the help of these principles, students learn how to organize any kind of writing and communicate efficiently with their readers.
As we all know, English is becoming the language of global business and science. As the language that is most influenced by modern communication technology, English has not become worse at all: it has become very efficient and perhaps even more beautiful. Is it because of the nature of English? I don’t think so. I think every language, including Kazakh, has the potential to develop this way. What do you think?
To read the post in Kazakh, click here.
