Helped a work colleague edit a paper he wanted to submit about digital storytelling systems. Working with him is a lot of fun because he has to be the quickest “learner” I know when it comes to writing scientific papers in English.
Over the past twenty years, I have tried to explain to German colleagues how their spaghetti texts just won’t “translate”. One thought, one sentence; subject − verb − object; no convoluted Russian doll sentence structures; consistent terminology… I have gone over all the ground rules again and again. Admittedly, it is hard to go against your language culture: the roots of our language are meshed into all of our thoughts.
So, in this colleague's case, it is nice to work with someone who listens and instantly responds. Besides developing digital storytelling systems, he is also an avid fencer. This may allow him to change his language strategies with apparent ease.
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