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When I first entered the fields of translation as well as technical writing, I had no idea where to begin, or even what a technical writer does. At that time my company decided to put me through a course. However, they didn't know where to start either! I remember hearing about so-called distance-learning courses (now referred to as online courses).
I started first by looking for several possibilities within Japan. However, at that time most of the courses were at vocational schools, something that could not fit into my schedule. Then I thought "why not overseas?" After a month's search and evaluation, I came across a site called "Online Learning", in Ottawa, Canada.
This site offered some really neat courses on Professional Technical Writing, Usability Testing and XML authoring for writers. After consulting with the instructors online. I decided to go for the Professional Technical Writing course.
As it was my first time taking an online course, I was a bit hesitant. However, once I got used to it, the course became a rewarding experience. The price was reasonable, the material was very much in-depth (all the material comes on one CD-ROM sent from the school), and the instructors were always available. Chat rooms were provided (for those of us who could stay up late) to exchange ideas with other students.
The course helped me get a clearer idea of what "Technical Writing" was all about. The assignments provided by the school included many real-world examples that could be put to use in actual work. Throughout the course, several links and information were also provided to further enhance one's skills after the course ended.
Overall, an online course like this one does help many of us who, having a job to tend to, cannot manage to go to an actual school. Another good point is that it can be done at one's own pace and not rushed through.
Kim Knudsen is Danish/Panamanian and currently lives in Chiba. He has been working as a technical writer and translator in Tokyo for two years.