Drega Abdi

Technical communication and instructional design share a common goal: making information clear, accessible, and useful for the intended audience. When developing e-learning content, especially in environments with a diverse, multilingual workforce, this goal becomes both critical and challenging. In this reflective entry, I explore how technical communication principles inform instructional design in e-learning and how we can address language disparities in a multicultural workplace. I currently work as a health informaticist and instructional designer in a hospital in Qatar, where staff members often speak English as their second, third, or even fourth language. I’ll discuss feedback from colleagues and learners on barriers to understanding our training materials and outline strategies to simplify and optimise content for everyone.

The intersection of technical communication and instructional design

Instructional design is fundamentally about effective communication – teaching someone how to do something or why something is important. In a sense, every instructional designer is also a technical communicator, crafting messages that must be understood easily by the target audience. Technical communication theories emphasise knowing your audience, clarity of language, and user-centric design. For example, a rigorous instructional design process typically includes analysing the target audience at the outset. This means understanding learners’ backgrounds, language proficiency, and prior knowledge so that learning content can be tailored to their needs. In my case, designing learning materials in the form of e-learning courses and job aids for hospital staff in Qatar requires recognising that many learners are non-native English speakers and adjusting content to that reality.

One key principle from both fields is the importance of plain language. Clarity isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. Plain language advocates argue that failing to use plain language can be seen as a form of exclusion (Clark & Mayer, 2016). In instructional design, this aligns with cognitive load theory: extraneous complexity in language is a type of extraneous cognitive load that can impede learning (Bean, 2023). In other words, if learners are struggling to decipher convoluted sentences or unfamiliar jargon, they have less mental energy to grasp the actual lesson. Good technical communication strives to eliminate those hurdles by using clear, concise wording and structure. As the UK Government’s content design guide succinctly puts it, our job is to create “user-focused content” (GOV.UK, 2021) – content that meets learners where they are and guides them toward understanding without unnecessary friction.

Language disparity in a diverse workforce

At our hospital in Qatar, it’s common to find a single department staffed by professionals from all over the world – nurses from the Philippines, lab technicians from India, doctors from Egypt, administrators from Eastern Europe, and so on. English serves as the lingua franca, but for almost everyone, it’s an acquired language. This diversity enriches the workplace culture, yet it also introduces language barriers that affect how we train and communicate.

In instructor-led training sessions, language disparity manifests in subtle ways. I have noticed that when an online assessment uses complex text or idiomatic expressions, some staff hesitate to engage fully. They might ask for clarification, rely on a colleague to explain in simpler words, or misunderstand the content entirely. For instance, a training slide might instruct staff to “verify the integrity of the apparatus prior to initiation of the procedure.” To a native English-speaking medical professional, that sentence might be clear. But to a non-native speaker, this could be a linguistic puzzle: multiple-syllable words (“integrity,” “apparatus,” “initiation”) and a formal structure that isn’t common in everyday conversation. In essence, language can become a hidden barrier – the content is technically in a language everyone knows (English), yet not everyone truly understands it.

Strategies for simplifying and optimising content

Based on feedback from colleagues and insights from technical communication theories, here are some approaches to creating clear, accessible learning content for a multilingual audience that I have been striving towards:

• Use Plain English – Short sentences, familiar words. Aim for an average sentence length of under ~20 words (Plain English Campaign, 2018). Avoid complex vocabulary where a simpler word would work just as well.
• Avoid jargon (or explain It) – For any technical term or abbreviation, provide a brief explanation in plain language when first using it. I am also making use of the glossary function in Articulate Storyline so that learners can refer back to definitions of terms and abbreviations throughout the course.
• Manage Acronyms and Abbreviations – Spell them out the first time they appear and reintroduce them periodically in longer documents.
• Structure Content with Signposts – Use clear headings, bullet points, and white space to break up information and aid comprehension.
• Incorporate Visual Aids and Multimedia – Diagrams, icons, and instructional videos can reinforce understanding.
• Avoid Colloquialisms and Cultural Idioms – Phrases like “once in a blue moon” or “think outside the box” may be unclear to non-native speakers.
• Apply Iterative Testing and Feedback – Test content with real users, particularly those from diverse language backgrounds.

Reflection and moving forward

Looking back at the journey of improving instructional materials in our hospital, I am struck by how much technical communication lies at the heart of good instructional design. The most advanced e-learning technology will mean little if the content isn’t communicated in a way that learners can grasp. Addressing language disparity in a diverse workforce is not about dumbing down content; it’s about respecting the audience enough to present information in an accessible manner.

Moving forward, I aim to continue integrating plain language principles and cognitive load management into my instructional design process. I also plan to use user testing and feedback loops to refine my materials. The ultimate goal is to create training that is effective for all learners, regardless of their language background.

References

• Bean, C. (2023) The Accidental Instructional Designer: Learning Design for the Digital Age. 2nd ed. La Vergne: American Society for Training & Development. Available at: ProQuest Ebook Central [Accessed: 1 March 2025].
• Clark, R.C. and Mayer, R.E. (2016) e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, Newark. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central [Accessed: 1 March 2025].
• GOV.UK (2021) ‘Content design: planning, writing and managing content’, gov.uk. Available at: GOV.UK [Accessed: 1 March 2025].
• Plain English Campaign (2018) ‘How to write in plain English’, Plain English Campaign. Available at: Plain English Campaign [Accessed: 1 March 2025].