Instructions and Recipes

So often, for many of us, following written instructions and recipes is harder than it needs to be.  We read through step by step instructions and become overwhelmed and confused.  Sometimes, it has to do with the way the instructions are written:  too much information at once, or Step 3 contains information you should have had in step 2.  Mostly, it is hard for our brains to conceptualize the steps and it is just overwhelming.

Things become even more complicated if the instructions are translated from a different language.  Idioms, usage and syntax can make a simple instruction or statement sound strange.  Frequently, this is because there is no direct translation between the two languages, and the translator is not a native speaker of the second land.  So weird statements occur http://www.jnweb.com/funny/translation.html. While they may seem funny, they are also a sincere attempt to communicate to someone in a different language.

But give them credit, at least they are trying, which is more than I can say for myself.