Working with Plain LanguageWorking with Plain Language

© 2008 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

Workshop GoalsWorkshop Goals

By the end, you will know how to:

1. Define plain language.

2. Define readability.

3. Assess the reading skill of your readers.

4. Use a readability formula.

5. How to match a text with the reading skill of your audience.

Plain language is easy for Plain language is easy for readers to understand because readers to understand because it matches their reading ability.it matches their reading ability.

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

without even thinking about it.without even thinking about it. They may seek help or call support.They may seek help or call support. They go to some other task.They 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 Reader

Greatly increased comprehension Greatly increased comprehension and readership.and readership.

Greater customer satisfaction.Greater customer satisfaction. Reduced costs of training and Reduced costs of training and

customer support.customer 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. Reading skill (literacy)3. Interest4. Motivation

Features of the Reader thataffect Readability

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 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 EducationLiteracy and Education

There is often little relation between There is often little relation between reading skill and education.reading skill and education.

Those with little education can go on Those with little education can go on to be come highly skilled readers.to be come highly skilled readers.

Those with much education can lose Those with much education can lose their skills through lack of practice.their skills through lack of practice.

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

Good readers take more responsibility for their own health.

Literacy and Job Performance

• There is a direct relationship between reading skill and job performance.

• Good readers bring vast domains of knowledge and resources to their work.

Literacy and PowerKnowledge is key to establishing and maintaining power relationships.

Literacy is also the key to knowledge.

Highly literate persons possess large bodies of knowledge and information-processing skills.

Other Literacy Facts

• Large numbers graduate from high school reading at the 8th-grade level.

• Almost a third of the population does not graduate from high school.

• The average adult in the U.S. reads at the 9th-grade level.

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

John GrishamTom ClancyMichael CrichtonClive CusslerMary RenaultFrank McCourtArthur GoldenHarper LeeMark Twain

All wrote at the 7th-grade level

Blockbuster Writers

Romance 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 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.

Literacy 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 plain language plain language that makes it that makes it easy to read is easy to read is called called readability. readability.

ReadabilitReadabilityy

Benefits of ReadabilityBenefits of Readability

Greater readability increases:Greater 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 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.

Microsoft ProblemsMicrosoft Problems

Microsoft Office Readability Statistics

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 Formula

Count 100 wordsGrade Level = .4 X (average

sentence length + number of hard words)

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

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.

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 other factors of style, organization, tone, approach, and design to the reading habits of the audience.

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.

ContentContent

RhetoricRhetoric

Purpose and outcome.Purpose and outcome.Behavioral change.Behavioral change.Persuasion and Persuasion and

strategy.strategy.

A Readable StyleA Readable Style

1. Short words and sentences.1. Short words and sentences.2. Active voice.2. Active voice.3. Concrete nouns and action 3. Concrete nouns and action

verbs.verbs.4. Direct, personal approach.4. Direct, personal approach.5. Imperative mood for 5. Imperative mood for requirementrequirement..

Trim! Cut! Simplify!Trim! Cut! Simplify!

DesignDesign

After content and After content and style, the design style, the design is the next is the next important feature important feature of readability.of readability.

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

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

GraphiGraphicc

DesignDesign

Especially 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

OrganizationOrganizationI.I. The lower the reading skill, the more important The lower the reading skill, the more important

the organization. the organization.

A. Outline form is very logical.A. Outline form is very logical.

B. Narrative is like a story. B. Narrative is like a story.

II. II. Headings and indents show how elements are Headings and indents show how elements are related to one another.related to one another.

A. Clear structure makes it easy to find A. Clear structure makes it easy to find things. things.

B. It also makes things easier to learn andB. It also makes things easier to learn and remember. remember.

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

Tone and Tone and

ApproacApproachh

ReviewReview

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

Plain Language is easy to understand Plain Language is easy to understand because it matches the reading level because it matches the reading level of the audience.of the audience.

ReviewReview

II. Know Your ReaderII. Know Your Reader

What the reader brings to the text is What the reader brings to the text is

1.1. Prior knowledge.Prior knowledge.

2.2. Reading skill.Reading skill.

3.3. Interest.Interest.

4.4. Motivation.Motivation.

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, who adult of limited reading ability, who reads at the 9reads at the 9thth-grade level.-grade level.

Nearly one half of U.S. adults, or 104 Nearly one half of U.S. adults, or 104 million, read below that level. million, read below that level.

Twenty-one percent, or 45 million Twenty-one percent, or 45 million adults, read below the third-grade level.adults, read below the third-grade level.

ReviewReview

IV. Matching TextsIV. Matching Texts

What the text brings to the reader is:What the text brings to the reader is:1.1. ContentContent2.2. StyleStyle3.3. DesignDesign4,4, Organization Organization

“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

For more information:For more information: