NLA Discussion: Plain English

[Art LaChance]

David,

   I gathered together 10 Adult Literacy practitioners a year ago to
elicit some information regarding the start-up of the NCSALL sponsored
Practitioner Dissemination and Research Network (PDRN) in Georgia. 
Without hesitation, the groups' first request was that ANY research
information promulgated by NCSALL to the PDRN should be in "Language
that can be understood by teachers in the field", which refers directly
to academia type structure and the difficulty that most people have
understanding  and gathering realistic meaning from it, not to mention
the statistical end.  
   Now, does this mean that we are graduating college students below the
PhD level who are unable to understand, or have difficulty processing
what academia uses as English language.  OR, does academia have their
own language that looks like English?? OR, is this in truth a class
jargon power play as Bill Asbell so aptly described.
   Fact is, we need to communicate better at all levels of our
society.    There is a LOT of GOOD information coming out of academic
research that we need.  Just thinking about going to the archives and
retreiving reports that confuse and confound me gives me the Willies.
   Probably the most important aspect we need to consider is that MOST
Adult Literacy programs that I've communicated with have a large number
of degreed people from avenues other than "Education".
   I'm not even going to touch the "Legalism" issue that only lawyers
can comprehend, but my sentiments are the same.
   
Art LaChance