Teaching Technical Writing in other Countries

Abstract

There is essentially no teacher training for technical writing overseas. Western Europe follows United Kingdom practices because English is the primary scientific and technical language and the U.K.'s ISTC has assumed leadership on the continent. In the U.K., teachers are primarily concerned with preparing students for the external examinations given by the City and Guilds for certification of technical writers; elaborate teacher-training programs are unnecessary for this. Canada has not yet expanded course offerings sufficiently to create a demand for teachers of technical writing. Australia has this year decided to implement the U.K. procedure. While all nations train their scientists, en passant, to communicate in their own disciplines, none trains teachers of technical writing specifically.