Developing Technical Communication Education for Chinese Industry Professionals: Preliminary Findings and Suggestions

Existing literature argues, in general terms, that China has a growing need for technical communication and technical communication education. Following up on these studies, this paper more closely examines China´s needs for technical communication education. Based on interviews with industry professionals and reviews of their writing samples, this paper seeks to find out who among the industry professionals in China needs technical communication, what their communication practices are, the areas in which they need education, and what US technical communication professionals can do to help develop this education. Preliminary findings and suggestions as well as topics for future research are presented.