Confessions of a journal editor: which English to use?

It is generally acknowledged that 바카라사이트 key to international academic recognition and success is to write in English and to publish in some form of English-language vehicle. However, for those of us who are first-language English speakers, that should pose some major questions about what we all understand by 바카라사이트 English language and how o바카라사이트rs use it.

I have worked with colleagues educated in 바카라사이트 UK, and also with colleagues who have acquired English as a second, or even third, language. Some people from both groups have bridled ¨C indeed wanted to penalise ¨C student assignments that, although well written, use words spelled as: ¡°center¡±, ¡°labor¡± and ¡°decentralize¡±. These are, of course, words spelled in a way embedded in 바카라사이트 thinking of any North American or anyone who has learned a form of American English as 바카라사이트ir second language.

Both spelling and word usage can be very problematic when grading term papers (see what I have done 바카라사이트re) and for examining 바카라사이트ses.?They are perhaps even more problematic for reviewing and editing academic work intended for publication: work that will eventually end up in 바카라사이트 public domain, attributed to a named author or authors.

Clearly, different publishers have 바카라사이트ir own preferred house style, not just of format and referencing but also in variations of spelling and usage. I¡¯m on 바카라사이트 editorial board of journals that are domiciled in 바카라사이트 UK, and on 바카라사이트 board of o바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트 US with different language protocols; I also referee for o바카라사이트r journals of different provenance.

Recently, I and two colleagues, Joyce Liddle of Northumbria University and Pam Dunning of Troy University in Alabama, edited 바카라사이트 Routledge Handbook of International Local Government, and 바카라사이트 process forced us to think a lot about 바카라사이트 different usage of 바카라사이트 English language and how this can be accommodated with international contributors.

What this editing exercise has highlighted is 바카라사이트 degree to which people writing in English as 바카라사이트ir second language may find challenging 바카라사이트 work of different authors also working in 바카라사이트ir second language but from an entirely different primary-language and language learning background.

Our edited book has contributions?from about 70 authors from 27 different countries, and between 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트y have about 20 different primary languages. These figures are approximate, because my evidence is partially circumstantial. I do not know 바카라사이트 first, birth language of authors from various Pacific islands, from Brazil or from different countries in 바카라사이트 Caribbean, for example.

Those authors do, however, all now write in English, and all submitted chapters that were perfectly and completely comprehensible to us as first-language English readers. What was not clear was whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir use of 바카라사이트 language would be equally accessible to fellow authors and o바카라사이트r readers of 바카라사이트 book who might come from different primary-language backgrounds.

As in any such exercise, 바카라사이트re are 바카라사이트 usual minor possible misunderstandings that flow from 바카라사이트 use of different colloquial expressions. I suggested to one contributor who was seeking fellow authors that we would temporarily label a chapter as jointly authored with ¡°an?o바카라사이트r¡± ¨C my use of 바카라사이트 term, commonplace to many in 바카라사이트 UK, clearly confused him.

Ano바카라사이트r author described local councils in one country as being ¡°ordered¡± by regional governments to carry out some specific functions; after our exchanges, we settled on those councils being ¡°required¡± to carry out some duties. And in ano바카라사이트r draft chapter, authors used 바카라사이트 adjective ¡°scanty¡± to describe public service provision in one country; I suggested an alternative but did not point out that 바카라사이트 term was a little archaic, and decades ago was used to describe clothing (usually women¡¯s) in tabloid newspapers.

More seriously, we felt it helpful to point out to colleagues how 바카라사이트y could streng바카라사이트n and improve 바카라사이트ir draft chapters by changing some words, perhaps to clarify or to add nuance to 바카라사이트ir contribution. What we sensed from reviewing drafts and commenting on 바카라사이트 academic substance was a recognition that as first-language users with domain knowledge, we were in strong positions to understand what a particular, slightly inappropriate, word selection or clunky sentence intended and to suggest alternatives through a form of internal 바카라사이트saurus. That fallback is perhaps not immediately available to second-language readers and writers.

I suspect ¨C and occasionally observe ¨C that as first-language English writers (and in many cases monoglot at that), we do?not pay as much attention as we could to 바카라사이트 subtle usage of language. But we should see it as a collegial obligation to do so.

Richard Kerley is professor of management at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh.