Internal Language

Parasol Island Language Style Guide

Target

From 01/2016 we switch to English as our first internal language. 

Style

Do’s

• 70% of our collegues are non-native English speakers. Our language must be accessible

• Means: Language accessible to non-native English speakers; short sentences, toned-down tone

• Use a journalistic approach: cover the whys, the wheres, the hows. Relay the useful, relevant information succinctly

• If you talk about Parasol Island internally refer to first person plural: „we …“

• Use „Parasols“ to adress the staff in internal communications

Don’ts

• Advertising/marketing-style text: ‘an elegant oasis of calm’; ‘the last word in modern comfort’

• Filler, e.g. ‘this is a must-see for…’: Ask yourself if every sentence serves a purpose

• Superlatives (‘the best’, ‘the coolest’, ‘the freshest ingredients’ etc.)

• We are a team. Do not just mention names of single indivduals.