Shumin gave a good introduction to Simplified Technical English. Instead of writing long sentences that are difficult to read, I prefer the STE rule of presenting long sentences in a list that makes it much easier to understand the work that is required to be completed. The STE exercises were pretty engaging, and this is particularly so for day 2 of the rewriting workshop that gave the team a lot of insight into our documentation. Trainees also had the opportunity to replace many unapproved standard English words with STE ones that helped us better appreciate the application of STE rules in a real-world context. This is a training that I have rated 10/10 for.
Thuraya Al Mehrzi Production Engineer, NIMR Automotive
This was a great course with very useful and practical knowledge for my work. Simplified Technical English (STE) encourages users to always refer to the approved list of verbs and nouns in the STE dictionary before writing their technical documentation. The active voice is also a very useful and powerful tool in sending loud and clear instructions to our users. Starting a warning or caution with a simple and clear command is also very crucial in my line of work. Shumin's delivery of the training is highly organised, and she has been most patient with our comments, questions, and feedback the whole time.
Abdel Alazeem Arafah Service Coordinator, NIMR Automotive
Simplified Technical English is an important topic for our industry. I've enjoyed learning about all the rules of STE summarised into bite-sized information over the course of 2 training days. The quality of this training has been exceptional!
Andreas Herter, Technical Trainer Schindler
Frans' expertise in simplified English and teaching it to non-English speakers is of great help for aviation community. His high level of experience, professionalism and integrity together with an excellent knowledge of several languages are a true gift for those working with him. I strongly recommend him and endorse him. Top Qualities: Great Results, Expert, High Integrity
Vladimir Karakusevic Boeing, USA
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
I had the pleasure of working alongside Shumin for several projects during her time at the Singapore Aviation Academy. She is what I would call a balanced manager - always keeping a cool head regardless of the obstacles we had faced as a division. Her outstanding abilities include bringing inspiration to her team and her effortless presentation skills.
Nasuha Rahim Executive, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
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
Frans gave our group of three teams training in Simplified Technical English. He was engaging as a speaker and really made the 2-day training enjoyable and worthwhile. I didn't think we all could use the new ways of writing and thinking that he was teaching, but everyone got on board right away. We continue to use the skills that Frans taught us, with the same type of enthusiasm he brought to the group during training. This was probably the best training I've had at Check Point, in either technical or professional subjects. Top Qualities: Personable, Expert, Creative
Rochelle Fisher Team Leader, Check Point Software Technologies
Introduction to Simplified Technical English (STE) was comprehensive and gave me the full picture of this technical writing standard and its related implementation processes. Rule 6.6 is something that I appreciate very much as there is a prescribed limit for the length of every paragraph. This will make the reading process much easier and user-friendly. The exercises were challenging and do take some time to get used to. Nevertheless, this part of the training session is a 9/10 for me. Shumin's delivery of the training was very clear and succinct. Her knowledge of the STE language standard spans both breadth and depth!
Mckeena Neo Technical Writing Team Leader, Thales Group (Previously, Gemalto)
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!
Lauren Gelli Senior Technical Writer, Aerotech Inc.