Justice & Technology
Practicum
Plain Language &
Readability
What is Plain Language?
Agenda
1. Introduction to Plain Language
2. Definition of Plain Language
3. US History, Clinton’s Memo
4. Statistics
5. Steps to Plain Language
6. Exercises
7. Tools
What is Plain Language?
Plain Language Handbook, Write for Your Reader
NWT Literacy Council

Plain language is writing for your readers.
Plain language means you think about your readers and pay
attention to:

How you organize the information – you tell your readers
what the document is about. You help them find the
information they need.

What you write – you include only the information your
readers really need.

How you write – you use words and grammar your
readers understand. You speak directly to your reader.

How you present the information – you use design
techniques to help people read more easily.

What is Plain Language?
Definition by Professor Robert Eagleson
former Associate Professor of Modern English Language at the University of Sydney
directed numerous projects for private & government organizations in rewriting documents in plain English
Plain English is clear, straight forward expression, using only
as many words as are necessary.

It is language that avoids obscurity, inflated vocabulary and
convoluted sentence construction.

It is not baby talk, nor is it a simplified version of the English
language.

Writers of plain English let their audience concentrate on the
message instead of being distracted by complicated language.

They make sure that their audience understands the
message easily.

Recent History
Clinton Memorandum on
Plain Language in Government Writing
June 1, 1998
Stated he was “determined to make the Government more
responsive, accessible, and understandable in its
communications with the public”

“The Federal Government's writing must be in plain
language. By using plain language, we send a clear message
about what the Government is doing, what it requires, and what
services it offers.”

Recent History
Clinton Memorandum on
Plain Language in Government Writing
June 1, 1998
Clinton’s Definition
“Plain language documents have logical organization, easy-toread design features, and use:
common, everyday words, except for necessary
technical terms;


"you" and other pronouns;

the active voice; and

short sentences. “
Statistics
Adult Literacy in America
National Center for Education Statistics, 2002
 A five-year,

$14 million study
Included lengthy interviews of over 90,700 U.S. adults.
The most comprehensive study of literacy ever
commissioned by the U.S. government.

 A follow-up
study by the same group of researchers using a
smaller database (19,714 interviewees) was released in 2006
that showed no statistically significant improvement in U.S.
adult literacy.
Statistics
Adult Literacy in America
National Center for Education Statistics, 2002
Nearly 50% of adults are "functionally illiterate." They
cannot carry out simply tasks like balancing check books,
reading drug labels or writing essays for a job.

21% to 23% of adults were not "able to locate information in
text", could not "make low-level inferences using printed
materials", and were unable to "integrate easily identifiable
pieces of information.“

41% to 44% of U.S. adults in the lowest level on the literacy
scale are living in poverty

Statistics
More than 20 percent of adults read at or below a fifth-grade
level - far below the level needed to earn a living wage.

National Institute for Literacy, Fast Facts on Literacy, 2001
21 million Americans can't read at all, 45 million are
marginally illiterate and one-fifth of high school graduates can't
read their diplomas.

Department of Justice, 1993
There are almost half a million words in our English
Language - the largest language on earth - but a third of all our
writing is made up of only twenty-two words.

Paul Kropp “The Reading Solution”
Steps to Plain Language
Write for your audience. Consider age, education, culture,
language of your reader.

Use familiar words and phrasings, or if specialized terms are
used, explain them

 Avoid

foreign, archaic and noun-heavy phrasings
Use active voice and direct address
Eliminate surplus words and omit unnecessary detail. Boil
down the information to what your readers need to know

Match the reading grade level to the average America’s
reading proficiency (5th grade level)

Exercises
Words
1.
Conceal
2.
Consent
3.
Enjoined
4.
Expenditures
5.
Injunction
6.
Modification
7.
Parties
8.
Shall
Exercises
Latin Words
1.
E.g.
2.
i.e.
3.
XIV
4.
In propia persona
5.
Subpeona duces tecum
Exercises
Phrases
1.
At the present time
2.
Effective date of termination of order
3.
Set the matter for hearing
4.
With regards to
5.
To make such other orders as appropriate
6.
Pursuant to the terms contained in this Agreement
7.
Without consent of the other party of an order of the court
8.
Determination of the reasonableness of the location
Exercises
Lawyer & Police Talk
1.
Subsequent to securing the vehicle
2.
Respondent waives notice
3.
Appear in person
4.
Dissolution of Matrimony
5.
Each party shall retain records of all expenditures
6.
Not seeking relief
7.
Injunction shall not preclude
8.
Unfavorable decision in your legal matter
Exercises
Active Voice
1.
Enjoinment against cancelling, modifying, terminating,
assigning any insurance policy
2.
Program Eligibility Determination
3.
Appeal Procedures Information
4.
Prohibitions against Extraordinary Adjustments to
Operations of Business
5.
Attendance Requirement
6.
Firearms possession prohibition
Exercises
Definition: Legal Guardian
Before:
A legal guardian has the authority and duty to care for
the personal and property interest of another person.
Ü Grade Level: 13.5
Exercises
Definition: Legal Guardian
After:
A legal guardian acts as a parent for another person.
The guardian must care for and make decisions for that
person. For example:
• The guardian must make sure the person is
properly fed, clothes, housed and goes to school
• The guardian has the power to make property,
medical care and schooling decisions for that
person
Ü Grade Level: 7
Exercises
Transcend Readability
 Assessing

Form as a Whole – Page 8
Revised Form – Page 12

Visual Accessibility – Page 18

Usability – Page 23

Examples

Page 32-33

Page 36-43
Tools


Word Lists

CAJT Word List – please contribute

The Plain English Campaign, A-Z of Alternative Words

PlainLanguage.gov “Word Suggestions”

Create your own specific to your project
Assessment Tools

Microsoft Word – Set Up Demo

Online Readability Gadget

Legal Guardian Example:
“A legal guardian has the authority and duty to care
for the personal and property interest of another
person.” (grade 14 reading level)
