Why it is most perilous to ignore services of editors, proofreaders
The two well secured doors are entrances to washrooms. If you’re a MALE (not MEAL) you use the door to the left and if you’re FEMALE (not FEMEAL) you use the one to the right. Could it be the artist who penned the signs did his work when he was hungry? Trust signwriters! PHOTO | COURTESY
When you’re producing information meant for public consumption, you need to be wary of the fact that you aren’t perfect—none of us is! That’s why you need to be humble and see the need to ask someone else to take a look at what you’ve written, however good you may think you are. We call that in Kiswahili “jicho la pili” (literally, a second eye).
There’re at least two things that will mess your English text. One, your ignorance. It could be that what you consider correct is actually incorrect. Two, mishaps. This could be a result of an oversight, like dropping a word or a letter inadvertently. Or just a typing error, something a harsh critic would call carelessness!
Having too much confidence in yourself may result to coming up with a presentation that’s incomprehensible. You fail to communicate your message and expose yourself to ridicule! To minimise all that, our advice here is: seek the services of an editor or, at least, a proofreader, who should be a person of proven good knowledge of the language you’re using to convey your message.
A dedicated reader of ours, one Mr IM who was in Iringa recently, booked into a hotel and in his room, there was a notice to customers, written in English on an A-4 laminated sheet. Here are excerpts (the emphasis is ours):
• Payment’s modes which are available are cash, through banks i.e. Crdb, Nmb, Nbc and Lipa.
• Cancellation made less than or no show up the rate shall be changed.
• For larger booking we require 50% advance payment to ensure confirmation for the rooms booked.
• If there is cancellation with larger booking with less 48hrs before booking date the 50% deposit will be changed.
• Kindly do not smoke, inside the room, in steady there is a special area for smoking outside the room in order to don’t disturb other customers with smoke.
• Kindly do not ironing inside the room, in steady ironing is done on laundry and special area for self-service for customers in need outside the room in order to avoid burning or bedsheets, duvet covers, chairs etc Note: Any burning of the room facilities will be charged fully to the customers.
• In case of any damage there will be responsibilities for it.
To most us, sons and daughters of Bongo, English is too treacherous to handle, but so what? We’re easily pardonable when we mess it up, aren’t we? In any case, others mess with our Kiswahili too, and we don’t sentence them to death!
The best thing for you is to avoid using our former colonisers’ language unless you have to. Like when you’re communicating to a tourist who can only converse with you in English.
However, when it comes to public communication, we shouldn’t be so casual as to proceed to pen things in ways that render our message nonsensical.
Make use of the dictionary. Consult people with verified good command of English. These are widely available in media houses, neighbouring schools and colleges.
Even this piece you’re reading now, Our Kind of English, goes through the hands at least one person, a sub-editor, before it’s dispatched to the printer. That, when its author is a seasoned teacher of English and editorial consultant (bah!).
Ah, this treacherous language called English!
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