Plain and easy: communicating effectively

‘In consideration of the fact that drinking adequate amounts of water to stave off dehydration is crucial to human existence, it seems appropriate to provide a sufficient number of liquid containers in the immediate vicinity.’

Paradoxically, many texts aimed at a broad range of people are often written in an unnecessarily complicated manner. These include medical reports, general terms and conditions for new mobile-phone contracts, and election manifestos of political parties. The complex wording of these types of texts are often beyond the comprehension of the average person, with the majority giving up quite quickly. So imagine how people with learning disabilities, limited reading skills, minimal knowledge of the language or other problems understanding complex writing must feel?

Language barriers, begone!

To give you an example, let’s say you are restricted in your mobility and want to go up to the first floor of a building. You spot a staircase, but can’t find a ramp or elevator. In other words, it’s impossible for you to get to the floor above. The same goes for information. If it is written in difficult or complex language, people with learning difficulties or limited language comprehension will not be able to understand it. Accessibility and inclusion therefore mean breaking down language barriers and making information accessible in easy-to-understand language.
Public authorities and other institutions in particular should offer texts in plain and easy language to ensure that all people have access to important information. That said, plain language isn’t some sort of fad diet, and easy language isn’t a speech-training exercise; they are both used to communicate more effectively. 

Plain does not equal easy

Easy language refers to text with the lowest level of reading difficulty. It is primarily aimed at people with intellectual or cognitive disabilities. Plain language is the middle ground between easy language and standard language. Here, the target group is larger. It is aimed at people who can read but have problems understanding more complex texts. This could be people with English as a second or foreign language, for instance. Or people who might be unfamiliar with the subject being explained.

What to look out for in easy language

Easy language is characterised by simple sentence structures with clear and understandable words. Special characters, such as %, & or quotation marks, should not be used, and difficult or long words should be avoided.   However, some difficult words may be relevant to the text. Such words should be explained in easy language. This could be as follows: Mr Green has a problem. He believes a court can help him. The name of this court is the Federal Constitutional Court. The Federal Constitutional Court is important. It checks whether rules and laws are in order. If they are not right, it can change them.

The wording used should also be as specific as possible. For example, don’t say ‘Use public transport.’ Instead, say ‘Take the bus or train.’ The use of the genitive or subjunctive forms also makes reading more difficult. In easy English, the neighbours’ cats becomes the cats of the neighbours. And from, ‘They’d like to attend the event, provided they’ve got enough time,’ we get, ‘They will attend the event if they have time.’

It is also important to have a well-structured and clear design. Subheadings, paragraphs and lists give structure to the text. A readable font, such as Verdana in 14 pt, is recommended. In addition, easy-to-understand images and graphics that visually support and clarify the content should be placed in every paragraph.

Making plain language stand out

Unlike easy language, plain language doesn’t differ much visually from conventional language. Here, the same formatting as for standard language can be used. However, a text in plain language is often longer, as technical terms and abstract formulations are explained and adapted. Similar to easy language, special rules at the word, sentence and text level apply, but they do not have to be followed as strictly. Compared to easy language, a larger vocabulary can be used, and sentences can be a little more complex.

Who uses plain and easy language?

1. Public authorities and administrative bodies: It is important for all citizens and residents to be able to understand the information, especially when it comes to official correspondence. Easy language is therefore often used by authorities and public offices to make information more accessible.
   
   
2. Companies: In order to better reach customers with learning difficulties or language barriers, companies are increasingly offering information in plain and easy language. Especially in the insurance and financial sectors, it is important for customers to be able to understand contract terms and other relevant information.
   
   
3. Educational institutions: Schools and other educational institutions often provide teaching materials in plain and easy language.
   
   
4. Media: Plain and easy language is becoming increasingly popular in the media. Complex topics can be better explained through the use of understandable words and short sentences.
   
   
5. Cultural institutions: Likewise, museums, theatres and other cultural institutions are increasingly using plain and easy language to make their offerings accessible to as many people as possible.

We can translate your texts into both plain and easy language

Anything that can be easily read has to be well thought through and understood beforehand. Writing content in plain or easy language requires a certain amount of expertise. As language professionals, we are very familiar with the rules of plain and easy language and are well versed in getting to the heart of messages. We are also happy to translate your content into texts that are appealing and understandable for your various target groups. On that note: make sure you drink enough water!