Technical writing

Technical writing mostly consists of writing manuals, or instructional booklets. As such, it is very hard to do for people new to a language, since it requires:


 * A very strong command of the language being used.
 * Technical expertise in creation and presentation of such works.
 * Competence in the technical field being addressed.

Unfortunately some technical writers whose first language is not English lack these necessary skills and consequently much technical writing in English is poorly done. The work which is produced may be called such names as "Japlish", "Chinglish" or "Spanglish" - meaning written English that follows the syntax of the writer's original language, with a smattering of understanding mixed in, just to keep things confusing.

In terms of difficulty for the learner of English as a foreign language, technical writing is perhaps the second-highest challenge, close behind translating poetry and literature whilst maintaining its spirit.