The course was intellectually challenging and stimulating. "Less is more" as an STE principle is something that I quite like :). For a beginner, there is quite a lot of material to process, and study in a short time. On the plus side, Shumin presented the material intelligibly and gave sufficient number of examples during her lectures. Her presentations were very well-prepared, and I enjoyed her classes. 🙂

I have found Shumin to be a very patient and knowledgeable instructor! This is a great course that offers me an in-depth look into all of the technical English writing rules. I will recommend this course to everyone!

Keep doing what you’re doing - it’s a good subject and a very helpful class! I like the list of approved words. This could really help clarify and harmonize the writing in an organization. My other favourite STE rule being: Do not write noun clusters of more than 3 nouns. It helps when reading and writing texts also outside of STE.

My fave STE Rule 3.6 - Active voice, as it is easy to spot and I like to figure out how to transform the sentence from active into passive voice I also liked working with the dictionary and finding and replacing words, I guess that's Rule 1.2. Yes - great information! Definitely an interesting course delivered by Shumin. Simplified Technical English Rules 1.2 and 1.3 were challenging because to always apply the intended meaning of a word and to use it as the approved part of speech and to select the correct words present in the dictionary can be tricky, but it's the activity I liked the most.

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.

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 completed in this workshop 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!

I am glad to say the STE course attended by team was really satisfactory. Feedback is very positive and we will be interested in repeating the experience in a near future. Top Qualities: Personable, Expert, On Time

A good 1 slide introduction on the history of STE100. Not too lengthy and still comprehensive enough to inform us about how the standard came about and who is the committee behind the updates. My favourite rule will definitely be the half rule since I can decide if I want to follow it or not. Jokes aside, I think all the rules will take some time to remember and put into practice. Interesting exercises during this training that allow us to practise what was just taught. Good that the answers were provided so we can refer back in future. Shumin enunciates her words well and is understandable, so I would recommend anyone who is interested in getting some knowledge about Simplified Technical English to take up this course with her. Having the class address the rules individually keeps us awake and on our toes!

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!

I attended Frans's training course in Simplified Technical English in June 2010 and I am very glad I did. Apart from being an engaging speaker and managing to enunciate 57 and a half writing rules in three hours without boring you for a second, Frans is a brilliant technically-minded linguist - a rare find. The ease with which he can turn convoluted (or downright bad) material into crystal-clear technical writing, at first sight and without hesitation, didn't cease to amaze me throughout the training sessions. Frans is personable, flexible, an extremely knowledgeable scholar and an excellent teacher. The two days spent in training with him definitely enriched my skill set. I can wholeheartedly recommend him, as an efficient trainer, enthralling presenter, and leading documentation expert. Top qualities: Personable, Expert, Creative