On the basis of a passage from a tool manual the author illustrates some specific language characteristics which occupy a key position in the process of decoding and interpreting information. These characteristics are realted to phenomena mentioned by experts on translation processes and language for specific purposes. The conclusion is that education is a culturally bound communication process, where the gap between two or more cultural and linguistic systems has to be bridged. Finally, some strategies are proposed for the organisation of learning processes to facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and language.