{"id":5362,"date":"2024-09-17T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-17T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lesapprimeurs.com\/?p=5362"},"modified":"2024-09-13T16:12:21","modified_gmt":"2024-09-13T14:12:21","slug":"plain-language-a-lever-for-accessibility-to-the-written-word","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesapprimeurs.com\/en\/blog\/plain-language-a-lever-for-accessibility-to-the-written-word\/","title":{"rendered":"Plain language, a lever for accessibility to the written word"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In Europe, many official documents are often written at level C1, an advanced language level. However, the majority of European citizens only reach <strong>B1 level<\/strong>, which corresponds to an intermediate level. This creates <strong>a gap between the complexity of texts and the comprehension skills<\/strong> of readers, limiting access to information. To overcome this, the use of new tools such as <strong>the Easy-to-read method<\/strong> or <strong>plain language<\/strong> is becoming essential to make documents accessible to a wider audience.   <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The importance of plain language <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>Plain language is based on simple principles: <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Avoid jargon;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Identify your audience<\/strong> and write in a way that meets their needs;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Using the active voice <\/strong>;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Break down complex information<\/strong> into smaller, more manageable sections;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Present complex information in the form of lists or tables<\/strong> to make it easier to assimilate;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Formulate sentences in a positive way ;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pay attention to pronouns<\/strong>;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Instructions must <strong>be precise and direct<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>This style of writing enables everyone, whatever their level of education, to understand a text on first reading. For example, instead of using complex technical or legal terms, it is advisable to <strong>use everyday words and direct formulations<\/strong>. This avoids misunderstandings and ensures that information is conveyed more effectively. The use of <strong>short, precise sentences<\/strong> <strong>captures the reader&#8217;s attention<\/strong> and <strong>saves time<\/strong>, a valuable asset in a professional context, for example, where efficiency is important.   <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Example of adapted sentences in plain language<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Here is a first example of a \u2018complex\u2019 sentence:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\"><em>\u2018Employees are encouraged to consult the intranet regularly to keep abreast of updates to internal policies.<\/em><\/p>\n\n<p><strong>In plain language, this sentence would become :<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\"><em>\u2018We recommend that you check the intranet often to see new information about our policies.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Here is a second example of a \u2018complex\u2019 sentence:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\"><em>\u2018The deadlines for submitting holiday requests must be strictly adhered to.<\/em><\/p>\n\n<p><strong>In plain language, this sentence would become :<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\"><em>\u2018You must respect the deadlines for sending in your holiday requests.<\/em><\/p>\n\n<p>In the examples above, we have : <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>used \u2018we\u2019 and \u2018you\u2019 rather than the impersonal form;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>used common, accessible words;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>remove descriptive adjectives ;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>reduces the number of words in sentences. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>The two adapted and simplified sentences are therefore more concise and easier to digest. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A tool for equal opportunities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>Accessibility of the written word is also a question of equal opportunities. A text that is difficult to understand <strong>can exclude certain learners or workers<\/strong>, particularly those with reading difficulties, cognitive difficulties or whose mother tongue is not French. By making documents accessible to all, we enable everyone to understand the information without outside help, thereby <strong>encouraging their independence and inclusion.<\/strong>  <\/p>\n\n<p>The use of plain language is not limited to administrative documents, but can also apply to training manuals, safety instructions or internal communications. Making these documents accessible to all employees in an organisation not only reduces errors, but also ensures better integration and <strong>more active participation<\/strong> by employees.  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Text it easy project to encourage plain language in the workplace<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p><strong>The European project Text it Easy<\/strong>, funded by the Erasmus+ programme, aims to promote the use of plain language in all professional sectors. To achieve this, it is using <strong>tools based on artificial intelligence.<\/strong> The aim of these tools is to help, for example, to assess the readability of a text, identify complex passages more quickly or help to rewrite a text. The main aim is <strong>to improve access to information and communication for all citizens<\/strong>, thereby promoting their inclusion in society.    <\/p>\n\n<p>The vocational education and training sector is very important because it helps people to learn throughout their lives. By integrating practices to make information accessible to all, the project meets <strong>two objectives:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Better integration of students with reading or writing difficulties <\/strong>into vocational training courses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>To raise awareness among future professionals <\/strong>of the importance of making their writing practices and communications more accessible and inclusive.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<p>To find out more, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/text-it-easy.eu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the Text it easy project website<\/a> <\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Sources :<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201c\u00c9crire pour \u00eatre lu\u201d &#8211; F\u00e9d\u00e9ration Wallonie-Bruxelles Culture (2009)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201c\u00c9crire pour \u00eatre lu\u201d &#8211; Association Jet d\u2019encre (2018)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cL\u2019information pour tous &#8211; R\u00e8gles europ\u00e9ennes pour une information facile \u00e0 lire et \u00e0 comprendre\u201d &#8211; UNAPEI  Association Nous aussi (2015)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cComprehensive User Guide for ERASMUS+ Inter-institutional Agreements\u201d by European Commision<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cLangage clair pour la construction\u201d &#8211; ConstruForce Canada<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The use of plain language to make communication and information accessible to as many people as possible<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5358,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-non-classifiee"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lesapprimeurs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5362","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lesapprimeurs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lesapprimeurs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lesapprimeurs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lesapprimeurs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5362"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lesapprimeurs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5362\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5363,"href":"https:\/\/lesapprimeurs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5362\/revisions\/5363"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lesapprimeurs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lesapprimeurs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5362"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lesapprimeurs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5362"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lesapprimeurs.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}