LOCAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE USE OF STYLISTIC ELEMENTS: A DISRUPTIVE FACTOR IN GLOBALIZED TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION?

Abstract

Globally, highly specialized technical communication displays tendencies toward optimization — that is, toward faster and more efficient transfer of information or knowledge. Globalized conventions in producing technical texts are also manifested, among other things, in the use of linguistic style elements intended to help foster economical communication. In linguistic, translation, and sociocultural theory, there are differing understandings and evaluations of the tolerance for introducing local characteristics of primary cultural systems. This article focuses on the fundamental arguments that, during an age of progress in digital technical communication, speak in favour of the importance of special local linguistic features, which bring certain significant advantages. For instance, they help personalize highly specialized communication; they enable the preservation of stylistic features of a primary cultural system, which strengthens the cognitive identity of a specific language and culture area. Last, but not least, local technical styles of thought facilitate the development global specialized thought patterns through intercultural knowledge and information transfer as part of technical translation.