NLA Discussion: Plain English

[Jodi Crandall]

Paul, et al,

Let me add to what Paul has provided in terms of history.  About the time
that Tom was talking about these issues, the Document Design Center was
funded by the federal government to deal with these issues.  I remember
that some of their first acts concerned leases, warranties, and
health-related matters such as patient package inserts (the information
provided with drugs).

I'm not sure what else they accomplished, but the reason we have some
chance of understanding leases we sign or warranties we receive was because
of their work.

Jodi Crandall
UMBC

At 02:34 PM 6/5/1998 -0400, Paul Jurmo wrote:
>
>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>
>> 
>> 
>> 
>
>
JoAnn (Jodi) Crandall, Co-Director                  tel:  	410-455-2313
ESOL/Bilingual MA Program		    	fax:       410-455-3986
Department of Education			crandall at umbc.edu
UMBC
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250

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