NLA Discussion: Plain English

[Paul Jurmo]

David et al,

Clear language has been an issue in the adult literacy field in North 
America, although not a very high priority here in the U.S.  Back in the 
mid-1980s, when Tom Sticht was going around the U.S. talking about the 
research he had done in the U.S. military, he talked about the poor, 
overly-technical, jargon-filled quality of writing he found in military 
manuals.  

About 8-10 years ago, some work was done here in the U.S. to help 
health-care professionals better understand the obstacles which patients 
and their families face when confronted with English-language medical 
jargon.  

More recently, this has been an issue in Canada, especially in workplace 
basic skills programs.  ABC CANADA and others recognized that a 
significant obstacle to oral and written communications (and teamwork, 
problem-solving, etc.) in workplaces was the obtuse nature of the forms, 
manuals, directives, etc. issued to employees by supposedly "educated" 
managers.   Several projects and agencies in Canada have implemented 
guidelines for clear communications, to help employers, government 
agencies, and other institutions communicate more clearly with 
employees, clients, and others they work with.  (Sue Folinsbee, who 
worked on those projects, can be reached at 416/488-3870, or 
"sfolinsbee at ica.net.")  

Unfortunately, the policy makers who decide on adult education, workforce 
development, and related policies tend not to understand the complexities 
of why it is that some people have a hard time dealing with written and 
oral communications.   One factor is the poorly-written nature of the 
documents which are used in workplaces, businesses, government agencies, 
etc. Another is the lack of sensitivity by employers and others about the 
background knowledge and language abilities of non-native English 
speakers. 
 
Maybe the current Clinton administration policy on clear language 
in government will get decision-makers to think a bit more about the 
obstacles faced by people with lower levels of literacy and English 
language proficiency. 


Paul Jurmo
Learning Partnerships
14 Griffin St.
East Brunswick, NJ 08816-4806
732-254-2237 

-------- 
 On Tue, 2 Jun 1998, David J Rosen wrote:

> 
> NLA Colleagues,
> 
> Several years ago, at a presentation in Cambridge, Massachusetts 
> on the functional literacy approach to reading, researcher 
> Tom Sticht (and sometimes a contributor to the NLA list) said we 
> shouldn't allow college students to graduate unless they could 
> write at a fifth grade level.  I assumed he meant that we needed 
> to teach college students to write clearly, simply, and directly, 
> that this -- the other side of the literacy coin -- might also help
> to improve American reading comprehension.
> 
> Now, an executive memorandum signed by President Clinton 
> has instructed all federal agencies to use plain English in their 
> written communications.  He asks them to avoid legalisms and 
> wordiness.  According to vice President Gore, plain English is 
> brief and uses common, everyday words, pronouns like "you", and 
> the active rather than the passive voice.
> 
> Although federal agencies do not have to comply with this directive, 
> I hope that many government agencies will take it seriously.
> 
> Is plain English an issue that the adult literacy community cares 
> about?  What plain English efforts are taking place in North 
> America? Should the adult literacy community respond to the 
> President's announcement?  If so, how? 
> 
> David J. Rosen
> NLA List Moderator
> <DJRosen at world.std.com>
> 
> 
>