Plain Language 2.0
- 1. Plain Language 2.0 ROMINA MARAZZATO SPARANO
- 3. Gobbledygook Literacy & Diversity Science Communication & Policymaking Research & Development Plain Language 1.0 Citizen Information Service Access Consumer Needs Plain Language 2.0 Government Bureaucracy Legal Jargon Corporate Filler
- 4. T-9 Agenda 1. Definition 2. Strategies 3. Motivation 4. History Why? How? Who?
- 6. Locating Understanding Acting upon … relevant information Plain Language is about…
- 7. the idiomatic and grammatical use of language that most effectively presents ideas to the reader
- 9. Plain Language Strategies PL Text :: APT3 Text Content Purpose Text Design Text Flow
- 10. Consider your reader questions, interests, needs Beware the Curse of Knowledge! contextualize appropriately How?
- 11. *Overcoming Textbook Fatigue by ReLeah Cossett Lent Provide context with your readers’ prior knowledge in mind
- 12. Address your readers needs from their point of view Children, Disabilities, 2nd Language General Public Specialists
- 13. HERD IMMUNITY Context for kids Hey guys – I don’t even feel any rain! Why are you doing this again? Just put down the stupid umbrellas—they’re bad for your arms anyway.
- 14. Purpose Lead with your topic scaffolding for learning & action Plan a clear destination set goals & expectations How?
- 15. The Blue Book by TARSHI http://www.tarshi.net/For Teenagers 15+ Purpose Your topic is the primary lifeline to your readers prior knowledge
- 16. Purpose Scaffolding for learning and action > familiarity eases parallel processing To get started, a newspaper is better than a magazine. After this, a seashore is a better place than a street. One needs lots of room. At first, it is better to run than to walk. Also, you may have to try several times. It takes some skill but it's easy to learn. Once successful, complications are minimal. Birds seldom get too close. And rain soaks in very fast. Too many people doing the same thing can also cause problems. But if there are no complications, it can be very peaceful. A rock will serve as an anchor if you need to rest. If things break loose, however, you will not get a second chance.
- 17. Original Bransford & Johnson Text The procedure is actually quite simple. First, you arrange things into different groups. Of course, one pile may be sufficient depending on how much there is to do. If you have to go somewhere else due to lack of facilities, that is the next step; otherwise, you are pretty well set. It is important not to overdo things. That is, it is better to do too few things at once than too many. In the short run, this may not seem important but complications can easily arise. A mistake can be expensive as well. At first, the whole procedure will seem complicated. Soon, however, it will become just another fact of life. It is difficult to foresee any end to the necessity for this task in the immediate future, but then one can never tell. After the procedure is completed one arranges the materials into different groups again. Then they can be put into their appropriate places. Eventually, they will be used once more, and the whole cycle will then have to be repeated. However, that is part of life. Purpose
- 18. Include only the details your readers need Pupose Purpose Create a road map with clear destinations
- 20. Text Flow Organize your information headlines, sections, lists … Structure your ideas hierarchy, sequence, Q&A … How?
- 21. Flow Break it up! Use sections, headlines, lists
- 22. Sequence Timeline Cause Effect Question Answer Hierarchy Flow Which text structure?
- 23. Flow
- 24. Text Content Use grammar sense! length, word order, parsing Build your discourse cohesion, coherence How?
- 25. Content Use active voice & SVO order for the right reasons! Subject means aboutness, not agency A reminder will be sent to the patient. You will receive a reminder. PROCESS USER My dog died.
- 26. # ROLE 1 Participant Intransitive 2 Participants Transitive ‘doer’ Subject + ACTIVE VOICE The storm raged on. ‘doer’ Subject + ACTIVE VOICE + Object The storm destroyed the city. ‘doer’ ‘done-to’ ‘done-to’ Subject + ACTIVE VOICE The city collapsed. ‘done-to’ Subject + PASSIVE VOICE (+ Compl.) The city was destroyed ‘done-to’ (by the storm.) ‘doer’ Unaccusative Unergative Transitive Transitive
- 27. The baby, Jack tells his wife, had been brought to the hospital by a fireman, who had been dissuaded from adopting the child himself. Content In defense of the passive ‘Doer’ is Unknown Relevant to ‘done-to’ view Heavy and new!
- 28. This is a grammatically correct sequence. Grammar Rules! Content Avoid noun piling & garden paths Parsing is nested!
- 29. Content We convinced her students have the maturity to talk about difficult subjects. Steel knives are made from is often high-carbon steel. that / RELATIVE CLAUSE ACCUSATIVE +SUBORDINATE Garden Paths
- 30. Name Piling Buried cable technician Gamma-aminobutiric acid Content
- 31. Cohesion: use of connectivity devices > markers, referencing, concept-families Content Police Report (uses 3rd person!) When the suspect walked into the store, he was wearing a stocking mask. *When he walked into the store, the suspect was wearing a stocking mask.
- 32. T1 R1 T1 R2 Constant T1 R1 Ta R2 Tb R3 Tc R4 DerivedLinear T1 R1 T2 R2 Content Coherence: Logical message progression given before new Story-telling THEME RHEME
- 33. A hurricane is a huge storm that swirls around a low-pressure center of mostly calm weather. The low-pressure center of the storm is known as the eye of the hurricane Content . In the eye, winds are light and precipitation low. Above the eye, skies are usually clear. Around the eye, a thick ring of towering thunderstorms form the wall of the hurricane…
- 34. Content . A hurricane is a huge storm. Hurricanes rotate in a counter-clockwise direction around an "eye" in the Northern Hemisphere. The center of the storm or "eye" is the calmest part. When they come onto land, the heavy rain, strong winds and large waves can damage buildings , trees, and cars.
- 35. Text 1 Content A hurricane is a huge storm that swirls around a low- pressure center of mostly calm weather. The center of the storm is known as the eye of the hurricane. In the eye, winds are light and precipitation low. Above the eye, skies are usually clear. Around the eye, a thick ring of towering thunderstorms forms the wall of the hurricane. This is where winds are strongest and rain is heaviest. Outside the wall, swirls of clouds and rain form orbiting thunderstorms and tornadoes. These are called rain bands and usually stretch out for hundreds of miles.
- 36. A hurricane is a huge storm that can be up to 600 miles across and have strong winds. Hurricanes gather heat and energy through contact with warm ocean waters. Each hurricane usually lasts for over a week, moving 10-20 miles per hour. Evaporation from the seawater increases their power. Hurricanes rotate in a counter-clockwise direction around an "eye" in the Northern Hemisphere. The center of the storm or "eye" is the calmest part. When they come onto land, the heavy rain, strong winds, and large waves can damage buildings, trees, and cars. Content Text 2
- 37. The peregrine falcon was brought back from the brink of extinction by a ban on DDT, but also by a peregrine-falcon mating hat invented by an ornithologist at Cornell University. If you can’t buy this, Google it. Female falcons had grown dangerously scarce... The peregrine falcon was brought back from the brink of extinction by a ban on DDT, but also by a peregrine-falcon mating hat invented by an ornithologist at Cornell University. If you can’t buy this, Google it. Female falcons had grown dangerously scarce. A few wistful males nevertheless maintained a sort of sexual loitering ground…
- 38. Text DesignText Design Catch your readers’ eye Formatting, space, visual elements Use data visualization Infographics, pattern libraries
- 39. Design
- 41. Recap Definition Strategies: APT3 Audience: … Needs & Context Purpose: … Topic & Relevance Text Flow: … Sections & Structure Text Content: … Parsing & Coherence Text Design … Formatting & Data Visualization Purpose Text Flow Text Content Text Design
- 42. Motivations Why?
- 43. Written Language & the Brain Why? The brain constructs the message differently for reading and listening
- 44. Subject Matter Why? Writers Readers LegaleseLearning Disabilities I Immigration & 2nd language AcademeseLimited Schooling Bureaucratese
- 45. JUDGE: The charge here is theft of frozen chickens. Are you the defendant? DEFENDANT: No, sir, I'm the guy who stole the chickens.* Why? •preponderance of the evidence = “slow and careful pondering of the evidence” •speculate = ? burden of proof = ? *Disorder in the Coutroom, Sevilla.
- 46. Why? Locating information | Low level Inference | High-level Inference verbatim | | & Interpretation TOMATO SOUP $1.15 Weight: 3.5 oz Packaged on: 5/17/12 ORANGE JUICE $2.99 Weight: 64 oz Packaged on: 11/8/12 BEEF JERKY $6.29 Weight: 16 oz Packaged on: 2/24/12 PEANUT BUTTER $3.36 Weight: 28 oz Packaged on: 3/24/12
- 47. Plain Language in the Sciences? 25% of adults do not understand Earth orbit 30% of adults do not understand how science works 50% of major bills have a major scientific component 66% of reporters cannot interpret scientific results Juries evaluate technical evidence (DNA-based, etc.) Scientists do not reach one another 73% more citations if reported by The New York Times Taxpayers do not have access to publicly funded research 1 year Why? From National Science Foundation, National Center for Biotechnology Information& Pew Research
- 48. Plain Language … does it work? Satisfaction Safety Savings & Productivity Access Compliance
- 49. Before After FDA
- 53. Help British Aerospace 1st lease for $180 M 6 months > 25 days! redraft lease contract > 1/3 length! Who?
- 55. No failure or delay on the part of the Bank in exercising, and no failure to file or otherwise enforce the Bank’s security interest in or with respect to any Collateral, shall operate as a waiver of any right or remedy hereunder or release any of the undersigned, and the Obligation of the undersigned may be extended or waived by the Bank, any contract or other agreement evidencing or relating to any Obligation or any Collateral may be amended and any Collateral exchanged, surrendered or otherwise dealt with in accordance with any agreement relative thereto, all without affecting the liability of any of the undersigned. You can delay enforcing any of your rights under this note without losing them. Who?
- 56. U.S.. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management John O’Hayre 1966 Maury Maverick 1944 Who?
- 57. Quintilian ~70 CE Henry V ~1420 CE Alphonse X ~1250 CE You should put the reader in such a position that he can not misunderstand you. Who?
- 59. PL Action & Information Network Who?
- 61. Center for Health Literacy UARK How to Talk to Your Doctor HANDbook Who?
- 62. Who?
- 63. Who?
- 64. Who? “Brexit means Brexit and we’re going to make a Titanic success of it.” British Politician
- 65. Summary T-9 Agenda ► Definition ► Strategies ► Motivation ► History & Evolution
- 66. Summary Locate Understand Use … relevant info Needs Context Parsing Coherence Text Content Formatting Data Visualization Text Design Sections Logical Structure Text Flow Readers: Needs & Interests Writers: Jargon & Logic Topic Relevance Purpose
- 67. Diversity & Science Citizen Access GobbledygookClarity Fuels Progress APT3 Strategies Clear & Elegant Prose
- 68. Thank you!!! romina at languagecompass dot com In the event of trials and tribulations with this presentations, please do no hesitate to approach the speaker. She will gladly engage in dialog with you! Λ Questions? Just ask!
- 69. References Adams, Keneth (2014) “Banishing Shall From Business Contracts: throwing the baby out with the bathwater.” In: The Australian Corporate Lawyer. Vole 24 Issue 3– September.12-13. https://www.scribd.com/document/360474965/Banishing-Shall-From-Business-Contracts-ACLA Asprey, Michèle M. (2010): Plain Language for Lawyers (4th edition). Annandale, NSW Federation Press. Asprey, Michèlle. (2005 ) “Plain Language Around the World.” http://www.federationpress.com.au/PDFs/AspreyCh4Exp.pdf Bransford, J.D., & Johnson, M.K. (1972). “Contextual prerequisites for understanding: Some investigations of comprehension and recall.” In: Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 11, 717-726. Butt, Peter & Castle, Richard (2013): Modern Legal Drafting: A Guide to Using Clearer Language (3rd edition). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Dejica, Daniel & Cozma, Mihaela (2014). Using Theme-Rheme Analysis for Improving Coherence and Cohesion in Target-Texts: A Methodological Approach. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 84. https://ac.els- cdn.com/S1877042813017424/1-s2.0-S1877042813017424-main.pdf?_tid=cda2ab8e-b683-11e7-a7f8- 00000aacb361&acdnat=1508606466_ccf16e69d13bf2b6ac2db67c0fe43a51 Duncan, David. (2008) “Cherish This Ectasy.” In: The Sun, July. https://www.thesunmagazine.org/issues/391/cherish- this-ecstasy
- 70. Duncan A. MacDonald. (2015) “How Miss America Changed City Bank.” https://www.americanbanker.com/opinion/how-miss-america-changed-citibank-part-i Giordano, Michela (2014): “Crystal Mark, Clear Mark and Write Mark: assessing websites’ clarity and usability across three English-speaking cultures.” ESP Across Cultures 11: 75-93. Lemens, Chris and Kenneth A. Adams (2015): “Fixing your contracts: what training in contract drafting can and can’t do.” Docket 22 September 2015. http://www.accdocket.com/articles/fixing-your-contracts.cfm Monteiro, Claudia. Linguagem Clara. “A brief review of ‘Plain English’ and ‘Português Claro’ (Plain Portuguese) campaigns.” https://prezi.com/ifgaah3di647/linguagem-clara/ O’Hare, John (1966): Gobbledygook Has Gotta Go. Washington D.C.. U.S. Government Printing Office. http://www.governmentattic.org/15docs/Gobbledygook_Has_Gotta_Go_1966.pdf OECD Literacy in the Information Age FINAL REPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL ADULT LITERACY SURVEY https://www.oecd.org/edu/skills-beyond-school/41529765.pdf Pinker, Steven. (2014 )The Sense of Style. New York. Penguin.
- 71. Plain English Campaign (Maher, Chrissie, et al.) 1997. Born to crusade: One woman’s battle to wipe out gobbledygook and legalese. New Mills, High Peak. http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/files/born_to_crusade.pdf SEC. A Plain English Handbook: How to Create Clear SEC Disclosure Documents. (1999) https://www.sec.gov/pdf/handbook.pdf Sevilla, Charles.(1999) Disorder in the Court: Great Fractured Moments in Courtroom History. W. W. Norton & Company. Tiersma, Peter. “The Plain English Movement.” http://www.languageandlaw.org/PLAINENGLISH.HTM Williams, Christopher (2005). Tradition and Change in Legal English: Verbal Constructions in Prescriptive Texts. Bern: Peter Lang. Williams, Christopher (2015). “Changing with the Times: The Evolution of Plain Language in the Legal Sphere. Alicante Journal of English Studies 28 (2015): 183-203. University of Foggia. Italy. https://rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/54185/1/RAEI_28_10.pdf
- 72. Lenguaje Claro en la Justicia Argentina: https://www.argentina.gob.ar/noticias/lenguaje-claro- en-la-justicia Comisión de Lenguaje Claro del Poder Judicial de Chile: http://www.pjud.cl/primer-concurso- de-sentencias-con-lenguaje-claro Australian Office of Parliamentary Counsel: http://www.opc.gov.au/plain/index.htm Good law initiative in the UK: https://www.gov.uk/good-law Government of Canada call for plain language: http://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tcdnstyl- chap?lang=eng&lettr=chapsect13&info0 Klarsprak, Language Council in Sweden: http://www.sprakochfolkminnen.se/sprak/klarsprak.html Kotus, Institute for the Languages of Finland https://www.kotus.fi Manual de Lenguaje Claro de México: https://www.gob.mx/cms/uploads/attachment/file/7260/Manual_Lenguaje_Claro.pdf Government Initiatives
- 73. New Zealand Office of Parliamentary Counsel ‘Principles of clear drafting’: http://www.pco.parliament.govt.nz/clear-drafting/ Office of the Scottish Parliamentary Counsel on drafting legislation in plain language: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2006/02/17093804/0 Sprakradet, Language Council in Norway: http://www.sprakradet.no US Plain Writing Act of 2010. https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-111hr946enr/pdf/BILLS- 111hr946enr.pdf US Federal Government Plain Language Action and Information Network: http://www.plainlanguage.gov/
- 74. Claro Portugal: http://www.claro.pt/ Clarity International in Canada: http://www.clarity-international.net Communication Research Institute in Australia: http://communication.org.au Lenguaje Jurídico de Chile http://www.lenguajejuridico.com/lenguaje-claro-chile/ Plain English Campaign in the UK (Crystal Mark provider): http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/ Plain Language Commission in the UK: http://www.clearest.co.uk/pages/home Plain Language Association International (PLAIN): http://www.plainlanguagenetwork.org/ Plain Language Australia: http://www.plainlanguageaustralia.com/ Scribes: The American Society for Legal Writers in the US: http://www.scribes.org Writemark Plain English Standard in New Zealand: http://www.writemark.co.nz/ Organizations & Plain Language Providers
- 75. https://tremary.deviantart.com/art/How-dare-you-to-change-Wondy-272890827 https://www.123rf.com/profile_dedmazay https://www.123rf.com/profile_macrovector Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division LC-USZ62-25338 DLC https://www.123rf.com/profile_doomko https://www.123rf.com/profile_studiostoks https://www.123rf.com/profile_omnimoney Bettmann Archive / Getty Images http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/henry-v-england Image Attributions
- 77. Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA http://www.kolotv.com/content/news/Health-insurance-signup-period-cut-in-half- 446964803.html https://www.123rf.com/profile_miceking https://www.123rf.com/profile_1001holiday' https://www.123rf.com/profile_dipressionist' http://api-university.com/blog/what-is-api-design/ https://www.123rf.com/profile_marina99 https://www.123rf.com/profile_rawpixel https://www.123rf.com/profile_kovaleff https://www.bupa.co.uk/health-information/directory/h/healthy-eating
- 78. Associated Press via https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/bess-myerson-a- miss-america-tarnished-by-scandal-dies-at-90/2015/01/05/4d0373a4-94fe-11e4-8005- 1924ede3e54a_story.html?utm_term=.5bf794b3f3ea http://turning-point.us/credit/plain-english-crusade/ http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017693169/ Photo: DON HOGAN CHARLES / New York Times https://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-makes-a-hero-matthew-winkler https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7788338 https://www.123rf.com/profile_lculig All Logos and Trademarks and the property of their respective owners and are used in this presentation for educational purposes https://www.nationalgeographic.com/content/dam/environment/photos/000/002/200.ng sversion.1491444014261.adapt.1900.1.jpg