Personally, it became clearer to me that STE is a language that one can learn to pick up. This includes the standard vocabulary and customised dictionary that is built for every company or product. In other words, STE is a ‘way of life’ in the field of technical writing and documentation. The ASD-STE100 exercises covered a wide spectrum of topics from choosing between approved and non-approved words to recreating documentation in STE. Shumin expertly guided us from classroom learning mode to real-life practical application of STE rules. The materials that she presented were informative and very convincing. Top Qualities: Practical, Convincing, Informative
Martin Broekhuis Technical Editor, Webasto
Shumin gave an excellent introduction to the concept of ASD-STE100 as an international writing standard in documentation. The most relevant STE rules for my industry are those related to WARNINGS, CAUTIONS, AND NOTES. The STE exercises in this workshop are very helpful for letting me put those rules into actual practice. Some of the exercises I find pretty challenging as well. I would very much recommend Shumin's training workshop to any professional out there whose work scope encompasses clear, concise, and unambiguous communication.
Hawa Suria, Technical Data Consultant Brunei Shell Petroleum
Dr Frans Wijma is a very professional and knowledgeable expert in the field of aircraft engineering and aviation documentation, especially ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English and S1000D. He is also a great teacher who knows how to inspire a group of people across cultural boundaries, always having an open mind and the determination to make everybody perform as best they can. It is amazing how he can help us to convey complex technical content in a very clear and crisp way. Top Qualities: Great Results, Expert, High Integrity
Naeem-Ul-Hassan Pakistan International Airlines, Pakistan
The trainer was extremely knowledgeable and personable. She worked with us to resolve concerns and find creative solutions to challenging word choice suggestions.
My preferred STE rules include: Limited accepted words in the vocabulary, limited length of sentences, and only using words for the approved meaning. A lot of writing, especially descriptive writing, can be verbose and cumbersome. It seems to me that sometimes engineers use fancy words to sound smarter or to show how complex or advanced the technology is, but that is not always helpful to the average user. As a user, I appreciate simple and clear instructions and explanations. I am hopeful that STE will let me write simply and clearly for our users.
Thank you, Shumin! I really enjoyed the presentation and learning more about STE and how to use it.
Mickie Newsome, Technical Communications Editor Komatsu
Followed this course last February and truly learned a lot. Shumin is very experienced and really knows what she is talking / teaching about. Recommended for all manual writers!
Hans Harlé Entecst Technical Communication
Shumin is a reference in the STE field. As a neophyte, I can hardly give you an advice. I regularly check your post on YouTube and I learn a lot from the videos and articles you post on the Internet. One word–continue. The best lesson I learnt is: Never use a long word where a short one will do. This rule forces the writer to be simple, yet concise. It is the golden rule of STE.
TCLoc Master's Student Master in Technical Communication and Localization
Entertaining, short, and clear presentation of the STE specification and rule sets. Overall, a good mix of rules, examples, and exercises. The course was very much on point and encouraged me to write in a more structured way. This will help the readers to properly understand my message even in business writing. Shumin had a very calm way of leading all of us through the training. Her style of teaching is rather empathetic and she keeps the group working effectively with timely breaks in between. Thanks Shumin for an enjoyable course with the perfect score of 10/10 in terms of trainer evaluation.
Cécile Roos, Corporate Translation Manager Schindler Management Ltd
I've worked with Shumin Chen when she was a Localization Program Manager for large projects into multiple languages. She was always very professional and confident. I would work with her again in the future.
Ulisses Bognar Account Manager, All Tasks
Clear presentation style and a very knowledgeable introduction to STE by Shumin! Great practical exercises where certainly the lessons are clear 🙂 The STE rule presentation was also a 10/10 for me and my favourite is rule 2.1: Do not make noun clusters of more than three nouns which is one of the best ways to eliminate ambiguity! If I could fix one thing that would have the biggest impact on our manuals, it would be this!
Trish York Linguistic Services Manager, Medtronic
This ASD-STE100 training course helped me better appreciate the objectives of Simplified Technical English from a technical writer's perspective. I like the fact that STE promotes the use of less complex sentence structures and does away with unnecessary words like: would, should, and might. The exercises in this course are certainly helped overcome my learning curve. STE should be the standard for any technical content written. Shumin comes across as a highly experienced STE trainer. I will recommend this STE training workshop to my colleagues!
Bert Riemens, Technical Author/ Document Management Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding