Introduction to Plain Language © 2006 Impact Information.

Introduction to Plain LanguageIntroduction to Plain Language

© 2006 Impact Information

The purpose of this lesson is to introduce the basic concepts of plain language.

PurposePurpose

1.What Is Plain Language?

2.Know Your Reader

3.Reading Skills

4.Matching Texts with Reading Skills

ContentsContents

Plain language is language Plain language is language that is easy for the that is easy for the audience to understand.audience to understand.

1.1. What is Plain Language?What is Plain Language?

Plain-Language SamplesPlain-Language SamplesBefore: Before:

A thorough inspection of your forest home or summer A thorough inspection of your forest home or summer cottage and the surrounding property for obvious fire cottage and the surrounding property for obvious fire hazards is the first step in fire protection. hazards is the first step in fire protection.

After: After: You can protect your forest home or summer cottage by You can protect your forest home or summer cottage by first inspecting your land and building for fire hazards.first inspecting your land and building for fire hazards.

Before: Before: Prior to completing the application, the applicants Prior to completing the application, the applicants should determine if the proposed corporate name is should determine if the proposed corporate name is available. available.

After: After: Before you complete the application, find out if another Before you complete the application, find out if another company is using the name you have chosen.company is using the name you have chosen.

What happens when the text is What happens when the text is too difficult?too difficult?

Readers feel frustrated.Readers feel frustrated. Most often, they stop reading.Most often, they stop reading. They may seek help or call support.They may seek help or call support. They often go to some other task.They often go to some other task. All of this costs you money.All of this costs you money.

The Costs of Poor The Costs of Poor LanguageLanguage

If your organization If your organization is not using plain is not using plain language, you are not language, you are not operating effectively. operating effectively.

You are wasting You are wasting money.money.

Plain language results ingreater:

•Comprehension•Retention•Reading Speed•Perseverance

Plain-Language Benefits for the Plain-Language Benefits for the ReaderReader

Increased audience size.Increased audience size.Greater customer satisfaction.Greater customer satisfaction.Reduced costs of training, Reduced costs of training,

document production, and document production, and support.support.

All of which makes you money. All of which makes you money.

Plain-Language Cost Plain-Language Cost BenefitsBenefits

The ease of The ease of reading reading depends on depends on two sources, two sources, the text and the text and the reader.the reader.

2. Know Your Reader2. Know Your Reader

1.Prior Knowledge2.Interest3.Motivation4.Literacy (reading skill)

Features of the Reader thatFeatures of the Reader thataffect Readabilityaffect Readability

Create and sustain interest by appealing to what the reader already knows.

Lead the reader from the known to the unknown, from problems to solutions.

Make Use of Prior Make Use of Prior KnowledgeKnowledge

Study and use the design of materials familiar to your audience.

TextTextDesignDesign

Use a tone and approachappropriate for the purpose and the audience.

Tone and Tone and

ApproacApproachh

is especially is especially important for:important for:

1.1.Younger Younger readersreaders

2.2.Adults of lower Adults of lower reading skillsreading skills

3.3.Those Those unfamiliar with unfamiliar with the subjectthe subject

Clear OrganizationClear Organization

Literacy surveys Literacy surveys have shown that have shown that the average reader the average reader in the U.S. is an in the U.S. is an adult of limited adult of limited reading ability.reading ability.

3. Reading Skills3. Reading Skills

National Adult Literacy SurveyNational Adult Literacy Survey

Level 3

Canadian Survey ResultsCanadian Survey Results

Adults have the same reading difficulties as children of the same reading level.

Adult Reading DifficultiesAdult Reading Difficulties

Level of Level of EducationEducation

and Average and Average Reading AbilityReading Ability

Some high schoolHigh school graduateCollege graduateProfessional

5th grade9th grade12th grade16th grade

Effects of Low LiteracyEffects of Low LiteracyThose with low reading levels die Those with low reading levels die earlier, spend more time in earlier, spend more time in hospitals and jails, and have lower hospitals and jails, and have lower earning levels. Their children are earning levels. Their children are less likely to attend college.less likely to attend college.

Literacy and HealthLiteracy and Health

Problems caused by low Problems caused by low reading ability add an reading ability add an additional $73 billion additional $73 billion yearly to health-care yearly to health-care costs. costs.

Good readers take more Good readers take more responsibility for their responsibility for their own health.own health.

Literacy and Literacy and PowerPower

Knowledge is key to Knowledge is key to establishing and maintaining establishing and maintaining power relationships. power relationships. Furthermore, literacy is the Furthermore, literacy is the key to knowledge.key to knowledge.Highly literate persons Highly literate persons possess large bodies of possess large bodies of knowledge and information-knowledge and information-processing skills.processing skills.

Other Literacy Other Literacy FactsFacts

Large numbers graduate Large numbers graduate from high school reading from high school reading at the 8at the 8thth-grade level. A -grade level. A quarter of the population quarter of the population does not graduate from does not graduate from high school. high school.

The average adult in the The average adult in the U.S. reads at the 8U.S. reads at the 8thth-grade -grade level.level.

The most popular books The most popular books and publications are and publications are written at the 7written at the 7thth-grade -grade level.level.

John GrishamTom ClancyMichael CrichtonClive CusslerMary RenaultFrank McCourtArthur GoldenHarper Lee

All wrote at the 7th-grade level

Blockbuster WritersBlockbuster Writers

Romance NovelsRomance Novels

1. Romance fiction is written at the 7th grade level and below.

2. It generated $1.63 billion in sales in 2002.

3. There were 2,169 romance titles released in 2002.

4. Romance fiction comprises 18% of all books sold (not including children’s books).

5. Romance fiction comprises 53.3% of all popular paperback fiction sold in North America.

6. Romance fiction comprises 34.6% of all popular fiction sold.

Readability of Popular PeriodicalsReadability of Popular PeriodicalsPeriodical Grade Level % of Readers

Boston Globe 12 25%

Los Angeles Times 12 25%

Atlantic Monthly 11 30%

Atlanta Constitution 11 30%

Cleveland Plain Dealer 11 30%

San Jose Mercury News

11 30%

New Yorker 10 40%

New York Times 10 40%

Washington Post 10 40%

USA Today 10 40%

Harpers 9 50%

Time 9 50%

Reader's Digest 9 50%

Mark TwainMark Twain

“I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words, and brief sentences. That is the way to write English—it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; and don’t let the fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in.

“When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don’t mean utterly, but kill most of them—then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when close together. They give strength when they are wide apart.”

—Mark Twain, in a letter to a 12-year-old boy.

"Now," says Ben Rogers, "what's the line of business of this Gang?"

"Nothing only robbery and murder," Tom said.

"But who are we going to rob? -- houses, or cattle, or -- "

"Stuff! Stealing cattle and such things ain't robbery; it's burglary," says Tom Sawyer. "We ain't burglars. That ain't no sort of style. We are highwaymen. We stop stages and carriages on the road, with masks on, and kill the people and take their watches and money."

"Must we always kill the people?"

"Oh, certainly. It's best. Some authorities think different, but mostly it's considered best to kill them -- except some that you bring to the cave here, and keep them till they're ransomed."

"Ransomed? What's that?"

“I don't know. But that's what they do. I've seen it in books; and so of course that's what we've got to do."

Huckleberry FinnHuckleberry Finn

Literacy Changes LivesLiteracy Changes Lives

The purpose of The purpose of plain language is plain language is to close the gap to close the gap between the between the reading level of reading level of the text and the the text and the reading ability of reading ability of the audience.the audience.

4.4. Matching TextsMatching Texts

The feature of The feature of text that makes text that makes it easy to read it easy to read is called is called readability. readability.

ReadabilitReadabilityy

Benefits of ReadabilityBenefits of Readability

Improved readability increases:Improved readability increases: Comprehension (understanding)Comprehension (understanding) Retention (memory)Retention (memory) Reading SpeedReading Speed Persistence (reading more of the Persistence (reading more of the

text)text)

Easier text can compensate for lower levels of prior knowledge, reading skill, interest, and motivation.

CompensatiCompensationon

The The readability readability formulas formulas predict the predict the level of level of reading skill reading skill required to required to read a text.read a text.

Readability Readability FormulasFormulas

The popular readability formulas are 80 percent accurate. They give a good rough estimate of the difficulty of a text.

Formula AccuracyFormula Accuracy

Rudolf FleschRudolf Flesch

Rudolf Flesch caused a revolution in journalism and business writing in 1948 withhis book The Art of Plain Talkand his Reading Ease readability formula.

Flesch Publication ScoresFlesch Publication Scores

Dale-Chall Formula 1948Dale-Chall Formula 1948

Edgar Dale and Jeanne Edgar Dale and Jeanne Chall created most Chall created most accurate of all formulas. accurate of all formulas. To measure word difficulty, To measure word difficulty, it counts the words not on it counts the words not on a list of 3,000 words a list of 3,000 words familiar to 80% of fourth familiar to 80% of fourth graders.graders.

Edgar Dale

Jeanne Chall

Robert Gunning’s Fog FormulaRobert Gunning’s Fog Formula

Count 100 wordsCount 100 wordsGrade Level = .4 X (average Grade Level = .4 X (average

sentence length + number of sentence length + number of hard words)hard words)

Where:Where:Hard words = number of Hard words = number of words of more than two words of more than two syllablessyllables

Robert Gunning

Fry Readability GraphFry Readability Graph

Ed Fry

The readability formulas have provided great benefits to millions of readers worldwide in many languages.

Formula BenefitsFormula Benefits

Formula ValidityFormula Validity According to According to

reading experts, reading experts, the readability the readability formulas correlate formulas correlate highly with highly with comprehension as comprehension as measured by measured by reading tests.reading tests.

The formulas are The formulas are frequently used in frequently used in research and are research and are admitted in court admitted in court testimony.testimony.

Don’t Write to the Formula!Don’t Write to the Formula!

Plain language requires more than shortening words and sentences. You also have to adjust the style, organization, tone, approach, and design to the reading habits of the audience.

Transforming TextTransforming Text Writing for a class of Writing for a class of

readers not one’s own is readers not one’s own is very difficult. It takes very difficult. It takes training, method, and lots training, method, and lots of practice. of practice.

When writing for such an When writing for such an audience, confer frequently audience, confer frequently with members of the with members of the audience, before, during, audience, before, during, and after writing your text. and after writing your text.

DesignDesign After content and After content and

style, the design is style, the design is the next important the next important feature of feature of readability.readability.

Design includes Design includes layout, typography, layout, typography, and illustrations.and illustrations.

Design must match Design must match reading materials reading materials familiar to the familiar to the audience. audience.

ReviewReview

I. What is plain language?I. What is plain language?

Plain Language is easy for the Plain Language is easy for the audience to understand. audience to understand.

ReviewReview

II. Know Your ReaderII. Know Your Reader

Plain Language matches the prior Plain Language matches the prior knowledge, interest, motivation and knowledge, interest, motivation and reading skill of the audience.reading skill of the audience.

ReviewReview

III. Reading SkillsIII. Reading Skills

The average reader in the U. S. is an The average reader in the U. S. is an adult of limited reading ability. adult of limited reading ability.

The average adult reads at the 8The average adult reads at the 8thth--grade, middle-school level.grade, middle-school level.

ReviewReview

IV. Matching TextsIV. Matching Texts

The purpose of plain language is to The purpose of plain language is to reduce the gap between the reading reduce the gap between the reading skills of the audience and the reading skills of the audience and the reading level of the text. level of the text.

“An honest tale speeds best being

plainly told.” ——William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare

Web ResourcesWeb Resources

http://www.plainlanguage.govhttp://www.plainlanguage.gov http://www.plainlanguagenetwork.orghttp://www.plainlanguagenetwork.org http://www.impact-information.comhttp://www.impact-information.com

126 E. 18th St. #C204Costa Mesa, CA 92627

949 631 3309http://www.impact-information.com

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