Plain English is good English?
From Orrmulum_2006
Anna Kabacinska
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The English language as we know it today is one of the most complicated and extensive in the world. With a vocabulary expanding over 400 000 words, we will never run out of ways to communicate what we desire. Despite this, there are recent noticeable changes in the way we communicate on paper. A movement of using plain English in communication has risen and is slowly but surely taking over those complex ways of the past. Contemporary documents lack complicated and ambiguous sentences and employ a clear, concise and simple way of writing. This is exactly what plain English has achieved: the simplification of expressing an idea. |
This simplification, however, does not change the meaning or intended message from the author’s original intention. It is merely making it comprehensive and allowing each word to be precise in its meaning and set in the correct context. The use of plain English appeals to a broader audience and the general public rather than a specific target audience.
The initiative of implementing plain English is surprisingly not a new one. In fact many writers, such as George Orwell and Mark Twain, were already aware of its impact and advantages before the rest of society followed. History shows that plain English was suggested as early as the 1920s, but it was decades before this writing style would be seriously considered as an effective technique in communication. In the 1970s it was noticed that subjects related to law and the government would most benefit from this writing style. The introduction and distribution of books explaining plain English increased common knowledge about it. Its popularity grew through audiences’ interest and this writing style expanded.
It is also important to recognise that plain English is not only about the wording and language choice but also about the design, layout and structure of a text. If the design is complex or outdated then the message may suffer. Today, good design and layout must adhere to the audience’s expectations of advertising and marketing. It is vital to understand how a reader will receive the text and what they require from the text. It is important to evaluate elements to see whether the structure is in logical sequence, easy to identify, and relevant. These aspects will impact and alter the design of any communication and will determine its success in expressing an idea.
Implementing plain English has multiple advantages that should be considered. The first is that plain English deals with legal documents and papers. These include contracts, leases, bank applications, insurance reports, business forms, corporate policy booklets/brochures, wills, and many more important communications. The consequences of miscomprehension of such a document could have disastrous consequences for both the reader and author.
The second advantage is that plain English targets a wide audience, with no assumptions regarding their knowledge on any topic, or their skills and abilities in the English language. The use of plain English also denotes that jargon, clichés and bias need to be avoided. It makes texts accessible to anyone, whether you are a doctor, an architect, a waiter or a student.
Another advantage is the register in which plain English is written. There are three types of register: formal, standard and informal. The first applies a very distant relationship with the reader, only using language which does not connect to the reader in any way and states facts. The third, the informal register, takes on a casual approach to writing and expressing thoughts to readers. Using colloquial language and a relaxed approach, it is a text which is utilised for articles or opinion pieces, not official documents. The standard register is the one used for plain English. It is neither casual nor strict in language, but neutral in its communication. It employs a style of writing which focusses only on presenting the message to an audience. It informs, but does not judge or create opinion, which is why this register was chosen above others, for plain English.
In today’s society, the introduction and rapid expansion of communication through the internet has also altered the use of language completely. Focusing on communication through emails, language has shortened and become less formal. Writing has a spontaneous and instant feel. Plain English thrives in this technological environment because emails do not require exhaustive wording. If a message is sent and a person responds to it immediately, then there is little or no time for elongated thought and description or unnecessary text. The entire purpose of emails is to create short, simple, clear messages. This coincidently is the purpose of plain English!
Stemming from emails, but much more evolved and shortened, is the modern language used on mobile phones using a Short Message Service (SMS). The shortened messages on phones have developed quickly and they do not support the writing principles of plain English. Instead SMS use abbreviations and new words which are made up of symbols, numbers and shortened phrases to complete a sentence. Punctuation is never checked or seen as an important factor to understanding the idea behind an SMS. If these patterns continue to be used on mobiles and they begin to spread into emails and paper communications, then older generations will not understand the new writing techniques.
As for the disadvantages of plain English, it is hard to point out any, as all people like to read clear writing which is comprehensive and enjoyable. Plain English presents strong sentences, good structure and effective design, which all complement good communication.
Here is George Orwell's advice to writers on how they should write:
- Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
- Never use a long word where a short one will do.
- If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
- Never use the passive where you can use the active.
- Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
- Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.
Anderson, PV 2006, 'Chapter 20: Writing reader-centred correspondence' in Technical communication : a reader-centered approach, 6th edn, Thomson/Wadsworth, Australia, pp.536-537.
Blamires, H 2000, The Penguin Guide to plain English, Penguin Books, London.
Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs and the Australian National Training Authority 2004, 'Plain English at work', viewed 18 July 2006, http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/training_skills/publications_resources/profiles/Plain_English_at_work.htm.
Eisenberg, A 1992, 'Chapter 3: Editing for style' in Effective technical communication, 2nd edn, McGraw-Hill, New York, pp. 47-65.
Ober, S 1998, 'Chapter 4: Writing with style - individual elements' in Contemporary business communication, 3rd edn, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, pp. 104-131.
Office of Parliamentary Council 2000, 'Plain English Manual', viewed 1 September 2006, http://www.opc.gov.au/about/html_docs/pem/contents.htm.
Snooks & Co. 2002, 'Chapter 4: Effective and inclusive language' in Style manual for authors, editors and publishers, 6th edn, John Wiley & Sons, Brisbane, Australia, pp. 48-62.
Mackenzie, J 2004, 'Chapter 5: Language' in The Editor's Companion, Cambridge University Press, New York, pp. 75-79.
Plain English Foundation, 'Benefits of Plain English', viewed 18 August 2006, http://www.plainenglishfoundation.com/benefits.htm.
| Easy reading is damned hard writing—Nathaniel Hawthorne |
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