English in the Profession:

An Analysis of the Language and

Format in Varied Professional Writings
TOPIC

Week 7
s

Objectives
At the end of the session the students should be able to:

1. Explain language and format analysis is done in technical writing;

2. Appreciate the uniqueness technical writings’ language and format; and
3. Demonstrate via writing activities the language and format
requirements of technical documents

Introduction
Having good English language skills can open up several opportunities for career
development, including the possibility of working in multinational companies. In the
corporate world, the English language is important for communicating with cross-
functional teams and with top authorities.
English in the profession will provide you with confidence while delivering
presentations and speeches. Good communication will help you make a good first
impression, be it at a job interview or a business event. It will be of great assistance
when you travel to a different country or working at an international company.
To communicate across national borders and maintain correspondence with
overseas business parties or professionals, English is essential. In Education: English is
important for higher education and specialized training. Most of the books on any
subjects are written in English or quickly translated into English.
Language Analysis

Language analysis explores how authors/writers/speakers convey meaning

through specific language analysis techniques, such as figures of speech, word choice,
sentence structure, and register or tone.
Analyzing the English language is essential to understand that language is a
complex system made up of various components, such as phonetics, phonology,
morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. By analyzingthese components, you
can gain a deeper understanding of how the language works and how to effectively
teach it.
Semantics is the branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words, their
historical and psychological development, their connotations, and their relation to one
another.
It takes on a formal tone and focuses on a positive outlook. This writing avoids
the use of slang terms. Grammar and spelling will be accurately used, and the language
will be broad and non-discriminatory. Professional writing also utilizes the first-person
point of view.

English Language and Technical Writing

Using plain English language in technical documentation allows to make the

writing clear, concise and helpful to readers. Plain language writing helps the target
audience easily perceive information, avoid misunderstandings and save time, because
it gets the job done the first time.
Standard English is the language used in professional and business
communication. It is the form of English that follows the formal rules of the language.
Nonstandard English uses regional or social language variations. Nonstandard English
should only be used when there is a purpose for it in writing.
In short, the purpose of technical writing is to break down complex ideas and
information into easy-to-understand tasks or explanations for the reader. It's
straightforward and clearly informs the reader on a topic (no matter their current
knowledge level or if they're a non-technical audience).
Formatting and Format Analysis
Formatting is important. This method defines not just how sources are to be cited
and referenced, but how the paper should look overall, including the size of margins,
how far to indent first lines of paragraphs, where page numbers are placed, and more.
Formatting also makes information more accessible to the reader by creating and
labeling sections (headings), highlighting key words or ideas (bold, italics, or lists), and
making a good impression (professional look and feel, appropriate font choice for the
document type).