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Plain Language Writing
From a Good Idea Emerges Good Public Policy
by Peter Zvalo
"Plain language" is language that everyone can easily understand. It saves time and money, and ultimately, even lives. Plain language is
indispensable whether you are preparing a brief, writing a procedure, running a business, publishing a newsletter, managing a department, or training
workers.
While there are many different ways to write text that is easy to understand, plain language writing consistently incorporates
the following elements:
- Familiar words and a conversational, personal tone;
- Logical presentation of information, with the most important ideas first, and linked from one paragraph to the next;
- Action verbs and active construction, not passive;
- Short words and sentences, where possible;
- Short paragraphs;
- Concrete examples to illustrate ideas or concepts;
- Illustrations or diagrams to present ideas, if this makes them easier to understand; and
- Headings, point form, and boldface type to highlight main ideas and important information.
Since the 1970s, countries around the world have adopted the principles of plain language. The first notable plain language
initiative in Canada began in 1971, when the Law Reform Commission of Canada began reviewing all federal laws and publishing recommendations for
improvements. Like any bona fide movement, plain language has an association, called The Plain Language
Association International (PLAIN). The association operates an extensive web site and hosts a conference every two years to discuss plain language
issues.
In Sweden, plain language is a priority. Officially appointed "language experts" are required to review all
government bills drafted by the Swedish legislature, and no government bill can be released without the approval of linguists and lawyers at the
Ministry of Justice. To be sure they have well-trained experts, the Swedes developed a Language Consultancy Program at Stockholm University. Graduates
of the program, whose graduates train consultants on the use of plain language, who in turn educate authorities and government institutions.
Canada, too, has made progress in promoting plain language in both of its official languages — English and French. During
the 1990s, three separate bills were presented in the House of Commons aimed at passing a Plain Language Act, which was intended to promote the
use of plain language in federal statutes and regulations. None of the bills, however, made it past the first reading. Despite this setback, plain
language continues to be a matter of policy within the Canadian government.
The Communications Policy of the Government of Canada
refers to plain language as a policy requirement. The policy obliges Canadian government departments and agencies to communicate
"effectively" and in a manner in which information about policies, programs, services, and initiatives is "clear, relevant, objective,
easy to understand, and useful." The policy states that "to ensure clarity and consistency of information, plain language and proper grammar
must be used in all communication with the public."
What does this mean in practice? One example is the recent initiative to use plain language to simplify the Employment
Insurance Act. The Act is a federal statute providing insurance against unemployment for all paid workers in Canada, and is considered to be one
of the most difficult federal laws to understand, despite its application to some 3 million unemployed insured workers per year. Once completed, the
employment insurance plain language prototype is expected to serve as the plain language model for future statutes of the Department of Justice.
Other organizations have undertaken similar initiatives. The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) has made strides in
redesigning tax forms and supporting documentation in an effort to improve readability and comprehension for all sectors of the population. This
commitment to the principles of plain language is especially important at the CCRA (and its counterparts in other countries), as it is always a
challenge to present complex laws like the Income Tax Act in a way that the majority of the population can understand. The CCRA has also
implemented a plain language training program for staff involved in the preparation of communications materials, and participates on an
Interdepartmental Committee on Plain Language.
Despite these efforts, however, there is much work left to do. That’s because, according to the National Survey of Less
Educated Canadians (Communication Canada, 2000), more than 4 out of 10 people who responded to a questionnaire felt that information provided by
the Canadian government is difficult or very difficult to understand. Only one third of the respondents felt that such information is easy
or very easy to understand. The survey also suggested that many people not only find the information difficult to understand in terms of
vocabulary and the meaning of words, but also have difficulty extracting relevant information (i.e., information that they could use or relate to).
Perhaps as a sign of its growing significance, plain language writing has its critics. Some suggest that plain language
advocates want baby talk or a drab, simplified version of English, and that the need to express complex ideas precisely makes plain language
impossible. Others argue that there is no hard evidence that plain language improves comprehension.
These criticisms, however, are sour grapes, most often espoused by subject-matter experts who fail to appreciate that it is
often much harder to simplify than to complicate. Only the best minds and best writers can cut through the often unnecessary complexities of technical
and legal writing and present the same information in a way that is understandable to a wider audience. Writing simply and directly — while
communicating complex information — only looks easy.
Peter Zvalo is a Contributing Editor for Writer’s Block.
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