Clear Language

Put Readers First in your Communications

Icebreaker

Literacy Newfoundland and Labrador

Purpose: To advance literacy and lifelong learning.

How we work: Build cross sector partnerships.

Share information and resources.Raise public awareness.Connect individuals to programs

and resources.

Function of Clear Language Workshop:

• Assess your organizations current

communications.• Improve layout and readability to suit

particular audiences.• Learn to write in a style appropriate for your

audience and purpose.

Am I writing for artistic expression?

• If the answer is “no”, you should focus your efforts on clear and efficient communication

What is Clear Language?

• The focus is on the reader’s point of view.• Clear language prevents errors and

misunderstandings.• It promotes inclusion.• Clear language is not “dumbing down”.• It is a courtesy as it shows respect for the

reader’s time.

Clear language benefits people :

• With time constraints

• With low levels of literacy

• Learning English as a second language

• With visual and learning disabilities

The Price of Not Writing Clearly

• Readers are not impressed by writing that is overly complex.

• They may reject the message and the source.

• Writing is a waste of time if the message is not understood.

Audience

• Who will be reading what you write?

• Why will they be reading it?

Content

• Will the reader be able to relate to the content?

• Does the document contain all of the necessary information?

Organization

• The most important information should come first.

• The introduction should provide a context for what follows.

• Information should flow in a logical order.

• Use headings and subheadings.

• Can readers quickly find what they need?

Sentences

• Keep sentences short and simple.

• Consider using bullets rather than long, rambling paragraphs.

Wording

• Use concrete wording.

• Explain words that people may not be familiar with.

• Avoid using jargon, acronyms and abbreviations.

Justification

• Ragged right justification helps readers follow text.

• Full justification creates uneven spaces between words.

Highlighting

• Use larger fonts and bolding to highlight headings.

• Use boxes to highlight important text.

Fonts

• Use a 12 point font or larger.

• Use serif fonts for content.

• Use sans serif fonts for headings and captions.

• Avoid decorative fonts. Avoid writing in all upper case letters.

• Use bolding, rather than italics.

Contrast

• Print is most readable in black and white.

• Restrict coloured text to titles, headings and highlighted items.

• Be sure that text colour contrasts with the background.

- Black text on white background- White text on a black background

Paper Finish

• Do not use glossy paper.

• Avoid using watermarks or other background designs.

White Space

• Leave space between paragraphs.

• Increase line spacing.

• Increase the size of your margins.

Pictures and Illustrations

• Pictures make the document more attractive.

• Pictures/illustrations support the writers message and provide context to the reader.

ActivityA tale of two paragraphs

Readability Tools Gunning fog index

1. Take a passage of about 100 words. Do not omit any sentences.

2. Find the average sentence length (divide the number of words by the number of sentences).

3. Count words with three or more syllables (complex words). Do not count proper nouns, compound words, or common suffixes such as -es, -ed, or -ing.

4. Add the average sentence length and the percentage of complex words.

5. Multiply the result by 0.4.

Problems with Readability Formulas

• Tend to result in short, choppy sentences.

• Not all multisyllabic words are difficult.

• A writer should pay attention to content and clarity of message, rather than writing to satisfy the constraints of a mathematical formula.

ActivityWriting Analysis

Conclusion