Writing Courses: When it’s ok to break the rules
Happy Friday! “Doctors make the worst patients” also applies to trainers; we make the worst students! I am taking an ILT course from a local NFP over the course of four evenings, and I’ve learned:
1. I’m an impatient student. It’s been a while since I took a class, and I had forgotten what it was like to sit on the other side of the room. I need to be a more frequent “learner” …and learn how to focus on a lecture for more than 5 minutes at a stretch!
2. Not for Profit organizations need our help! Think about where you could apply your adult learning expertise to help out a NFP in 2009. Often they don’t have the funds or time to create quality educational opportunities for their volunteers or the people they serve.
One of the things I’ve learned about in this class is the Laubach language learning method. While I’m not endorsing the materials, they do teach an interesting concept: Contractions are introduced to language learners immediately because they will encounter contractions immediately.
This is not how we often handle contractions in our learning design, which got me thinking. (See, I was getting to a point - just took me a while to get there!)
Using Contractions in E-Learning Courses
Typically, I am asked by clients to not use contractions in courses that have ESL (English as a Second Language) learners. This can make for awkward language such as when we write “Let us get started!” instead of “Let’s get started!”
Cathy Moore wrote a recent post, “Why you do not want to sound like a robot“. In it, she makes the point that conversational writing (which includes the use of contractions) is easier and best. She also argues that if we’re asking ESL learners to take technical courses like “How to Create a Clinical Plan”, then they probably can read/hear contractions with understanding. I can’t argue with her point!
So, how did the “no contractions” rule become a rule? Is it valid? What other writing “rules” do instructional designers take to heart that should be broken?
Tags: Cathy Moore, ESL, Laubach, learning design, Writing