The possibilities of plain language: how jargon costs non-profits time and money
Why It Matters
Forty-eight per cent of Canadian adults are considered to have low literacy. Plain language removes barriers, like jargon, that can prevent people from understanding and accessing community and government services.
What does โdeveloper velocityโ have in common with โplatformicationโ and โsystemic cadence?โ Theyโre all terms that have received a dubious honour โ the Financial Reviewโs Eye-roll Award for worst possible jargon.
โJargon always comes up when Iโm training people,โ says Barbra Kingsley, president of the Centre for Plain Language. โBut I tell people that jargon itself isnโt bad โ and it’s a kind of shorthand that often works with people who share our same level of knowledge.โ
It makes sense for nuclear scientists or doctors to develop verbal shortcuts to efficiently communicate complex concepts or procedures โ if theyโre speaking to other nuclear scientists or doctors, she says.
โThe problem is when you start trying to communicate to people outside of your immediate level of expertise and you try to use that same language
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