At the first hint of awkward, unclear English used in Hong Kong or beyond, many people may consult little orange books to set things right.
Business English Made Easy (2009, Hong Kong Economic Times), a two-volume set by long-time Hong Kong resident Frank Murdoch, has slightly larger dimensions than Chairman Mao Tse-tung's infamous “little red book”, but probably holds more sensible advice.
One volume, subtitled Write to a System, runs 208 pages. Its companion, Speak With Confidence, has 64 pages. Both stress the need for clarity.
“Conciseness comes into it,” Frank said. “Making yourself understood takes precedence over getting the grammar perfectly correct.” He says few business letters should exceed one page.
A Chinese newspaper, Hong Kong Economic Times, commissioned the books and has distributed thousands of copies in a special promotion. Readers collect two coupons from the newspaper and then buy the books for HK$28 at designated convenience stores. “It's probably one of the best deals in Hong Kong at the moment,” Frank said.
“It is a sad fact that many people today lack the courage to create English correspondence for fear of getting the grammar wrong. As a result, they resort to the tried and tested method of using letters on file and modifying them to suit the current situation. Give them a blank piece of paper or computer screen and they are lost.”
Soon, Business English Made Easy should appear in bookshops. By then, the two volumes may be combined into one.
“My purpose was to write something useful to business people, university graduates and others, making writing and speaking in English simpler for them,” Frank said. “Too often, business English is taught like grammar. The more complicated and the more words in the vocabulary, the better it is. But these books emphasize the purpose for writing or speaking, the information to be given and how to lay it out. The advice is based on normal speech patterns that people have.”
The author explains what works, what doesn't and why. Nearly every page offers practical advice, examples or exercises to improve language skills rather quickly.
“The language used in memos and letters should always be simple and direct. The key to good writing is to use as few words as possible to make your meaning immediately clear to your reader.”
Business-letter writers must “point the way with effective headings”, “give opening paragraphs purpose” and “get your way with tone”. The author insists: “short paragraphs are easy to digest”, “adjust your tone for clients and customers”, “avoid officialise and jargon” and “don’t keep saying ‘please’ and ‘thank-you’.”
“Avoid any form of unnatural repetition in your writing. This includes repetition of the same word, information or sentiment in any sentence.”
There's a strong Asian flavor. “I introduce a system, and it's all based on a dragon,” Frank said. “There's the head, which is the first paragraph of a single-page letter, the tail at the end, and the explanation piece, which is the fat body in the middle.
“I give examples, say, of a bad heading, a little comment and then how the heading can be improved. There's also discussion of bad habits, Americanisms as opposed to English forms and other topics so it covers a wide perspective.”
The best communications, those easily understood, are short, to the point and use familiar words. “Anyone going to a dictionary to write a letter runs into trouble by using unfamiliar words and getting the construction wrong,” Frank said. “Very likely, the person at the other end has to go to a dictionary to read the letter. It's always best to use simple English with familiar words.”
His readers will improve their use of English, but probably not perfect it. That would require “big, thick” orange volumes.
The books' covers, with images of a blazing sun, show curved wording impossible to read without part of it being upside down. How bizarre considering the stated goal to improve clarity of communication!
A former reporter for the Hong Kong Standard, Frank has extensive experience as an engineer, writer and teacher. Originally from London, he has lived much of his life in Africa and Asia. He moved to Hong Kong in 1972 and settled on Lamma Island in 1982. These are the first books to list him as the solo author, but he has ghost-written and edited others.
Does Frank have any doubt about the merits of the little orange books? “None whatsoever,” he said. Anything that improves communication can make life easier and business better.
(March 25, 2009)
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