No doubt for Frans knowledge of simplified technical English. It's really useful in my job. Top Qualities: Personable, Expert, Creative
Jumadi Timotius Simangunsong Aircraft Engine Maintenance Planning Engineer, GMF AeroAsia
The goals and expectations of the course were laid out clearly. My favourite STE rule was rule 4.2: Do not omit words or use contractions to make your sentences shorter. I tend to shorten sentences as much as possible so I had to pay extra attention each time to ensure accuracy. I've found the course to be very interesting, and Shumin has conveyed the message very well. It would be great if we had more time to go through more assignments during class.
TCLoc Master's Student University of Strasbourg
Both the introduction to Simplified Technical English and presentation of technical writing rules were great and received a 9 out of 10 score from me. I have very much enjoyed this face-to-face workshop session with Shumin CHEN and in terms of her training evaluation it is a 9 out of 10 again for me!
Adrienne Brieffies Technical Writer, Alfa Laval
The introduction to Simplified Technical English (STE) was simple to follow and understand. Rule 1.4 to use only the approved forms of verbs and adjectives from the STE dictionary is something that I appreciate very much. Applying the rules faithfully was a challenging albeit enjoyable process. There is a lot of good writing rules to learn here. I've found the exercises to be very useful for learning reinforcement, and they have helped me to apply STE rules in a more efficient manner and I've gained a much better understanding of STE as a result. Shumin's training methodology is easy to follow, and she offers us great technical writing advice and has simplified the process for us. Every aspect of this training is a 10/10 for me.
Nour Bazuhair Engineer Trainee, NIMR Automotive
The course intro was helpful. Shumin used examples, videos, and
asked us questions to introduce the material. Knowing that the
subject matter could be dry, she tried to counteract that by varying
the presentation. The information itself was useful for what we did
later in the course.
My favourite rules are the word count rules. That sounds lame, but
I tend to write too long of sentences that don’t get to the point.
The exercises were really helpful in demonstrating the rules that
we had talked about / gone over. I got the most out of doing the
exercises and working on the examples that we submitted.
I would definitely recommend the course to someone considering or currently using STE. Shumin catered the course to our needs and familiarity level. She was very knowledgeable and was happy to help us through trouble spots and answer our questions.
Kelly Walsh, Technical Writer Aerotech Inc.
I find that STE rule 2.1 extremely useful in technical documentation to avoid ambiguity. Rule 3.6 is one of my favorites because you need to master well syntax and language to always avoid passive voice. It was a good excercise, thanks Shumin for this interesting and challenging topic!
Master's student, TCLoc for Technical Communication & Localisation University of Strasbourg
As advisor to her ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English on-the job-training, Shumin adopts a very structured approach to learning. She observes, absorbs and analyses to come up with relevant and insightful questions as well as ideas regarding the subject matter and improved ASD-STE100 training methods.
Shumin is a very driven and highly intelligent professional who works very well either independently or as part of a team. She has strong analytical skills and expresses herself very well both verbally and in writing. Her sense of responsibility and passion about achieving the set objectives while meeting and exceeding clients' expectations is very inspiring and is a great asset to the company and its customers alike.
Frans Wijma, PhD ILS expert, trainer & consultant, Shufra Ltd
I love how you can apply the concept of STE to many industries whether or not you choose to work as a technical writer. Shumin was very clear in her instructions and it's too bad I could never catch up on time to review her entire courses and pose questions "in real time". The rules concerning the technical verbs and names + the categories for the different exceptions makes STE a very flexible standard that responds to the needs of specific users.
TCLoc Master in Technical Comunication & Localisation 2018 University of Strasbourg
The introduction provided a well-rounded history of ASD-STE, the types of industries that use it, and how they use it. I now have a better understanding of what ASD-STE is and how our company should be using it.
My favorite writing rule is Rule 1.3 (Use approved words only with their approved meanings.) This rule is the heart of STE. It makes consistency, clarity, and comprehension ubiquitous across all documents regardless of who writes them. It is the main rule that unifies writers with one voice.
My favorite STE verbs are Apply, Attach, Make Sure, and Show. The verb Apply has multiple use cases for our documents. The verb Attach is a great utility verb because common alternatives like “mount” are not approved. The verb “make sure” is extremely helpful in cautions and warnings, also in some procedural steps. Finally, the verb “show” is extremely helpful when I write about background processes and how things work in general.
The presentation on rules clarified a lot of things of which I was unaware. I have a much better understanding of how to format lists with colons, when to use obey vs. comply, and the differences between notes, cautions, and warnings. Moving forward, I will be able to utilize the ASD-STE rules more effectively to write better documents.
I appreciated the exercises because they helped me immediately practice and enforce the ASD-STE rules. I like the fact that they were timed. Writing under time-constraints forced me to think quickly and fully concentrate on my writing.
I will definitely recommend this training to writers of many fields, especially technical fields. The material, presentation, and instructor are fantastic. I learned a lot about ASD-STE. Even though I’ve been using this writing convention for almost eight years, formal training brought much clarity and comprehension that I had not previously realized. I now know that an aptitude for writing and a copy of the STE rules is a good start, but not enough. This course takes your understanding to a professional level.
Lauren Gelli, Senior Technical Writer Aerotech Inc.
I worked with Frans on a project for translation for technical manuals. It was a pleasure to work with him and he was very professional. He responded to our queries quickly and informatively and he was an asset to have on the project, as he has a vast knowledge of technical translation. Top qualities: Great Results, Expert, On Time.
Juliette Grant International CH-47 Logistics Specialist, Boeing