The possibilities of plain language: how jargon costs non-profits time and money

What does “developer velocity” have in common with “platformication” and “systemic cadence?” They’re all terms that have received a dubious honour — the Financial Review’s Eye-roll Award for worst possible jargon.

“Jargon always comes up when I’m training people,” says Barbra Kingsley, president of the Centre for Plain Language. “But I tell people that jargon itself isn’t bad — and it’s a kind of shorthand that often works with people who share our same level of knowledge.”

It makes sense for nuclear scientists or doctors to develop verbal shortcuts to efficiently communicate complex concepts or procedures — if they’re speaking to other nuclear scientists or doctors, she says.

“The 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,” Kingsley explains. “Because now what’s happening is that you’re trying to use shortcuts and complex words that are not meaningful to this other audience that doesn’t share your level of expertise.”

Cheryl Stephens founded Plain Language Association International in 2008 and says people often associate plain language with the use of short — or even boring — words to convey meaning. But the most important thing is that words are common and familiar, she says.

“Sentence structure is also very important,” Stephens adds. “The brain deconstructs sentence structure according to what it thinks is the default pattern for that language is.” In English, that often means starting with the subject, moving onto the verb and ending with the object. 

Short sentences are also helpful, she says.

“It should be short enough to be worked on in your short-term memory or the working memory, which might hold 35 words, but then wouldn’t have any space left to process and encode those words,” Stephens explains, adding the human brain “automatically seeks short-cuts.”

Information should also be stated, not implied, she adds, noting 48 per cent of Canadian adults are considered to have inadequate literacy levels.

In recent years, plain language experts from around the world have worked together to establish a clear definition of the concept: “A communication is in plain language if its wording, structure, and design are so clear that the intended readers can easily find what they need, understand what they find, and use that information.”

And organizations will soon have a new tool to help them move towards clear communication; the International Standards Organization will release a plain language guide later this year. Representatives from 16 countries, including Canada, Germany, Japan, South Africa and Mexico have been involved in the multi-year effort.

“Having international standards for plain language is incredibly important,” says Neil James, chair of the International Plain Language Federation and noted author. Speaking from his home in Australia, James says plain language has evolved over the last two decades, expanding in scope to include the design and structure of information.

“The key thing about that definition is that it’s about your intended audience,” he says. “So, it’s not about a one size fits all model, it’s about being adaptable in applying techniques of language and design to get the job done.”

James points to a recent example from the agricultural sector; labour contracts for migrant workers in the form of comic strips. While some people reacted with “shock and horror,” the graphic format was able to effectively break down language barriers.

Using plain language in the non-profit and community service sector is especially important, he says.

“Very commonly in the non-profit sector you are communicating with people who have some level of disadvantage or difficulty,” says James, adding that might include low literacy levels, language barriers or disabilities. “And yet support for people in disadvantaged systems is often delivered, inevitably, through bureaucracy.”

Ineffective communication also costs organizations time, money and resources, Kingsley adds. For non-profits working with finite budgets, costs associated with not using plain language can quickly add up.

“Let’s say an organization or a government agency is sending out letters that people can’t understand,” she says. “What happens next is that the people who can’t understand the letter pick up the phone and call. Now, something that could have been one customer touchpoint is now two customer touchpoints. And if that call doesn’t resolve the issue, they call again and you’ve now got three customer touchpoints.”

Social service providers should view plain language in the context of their organization’s ultimate goal, keeping the end user of any service front and centre, she says.

“In the non-profit sector, it’s imperative,” Kingsley says. “I really think organizations sometimes undermine their own work … plain language is not just about helping individuals, it’s about helping organizations meet their core mission.”

For many working in the plain language field, the issue is one of civil rights and accessibility. Stephens, a lawyer by training, was introduced to plain language while helping people navigate the legal system; a field where plain language has made fewer inroads.

But overall, Canada is a global leader in the plain language movement across sectors, she says. The Accessible Canada Act, which came into effect in 2019, aims to eliminate government barriers to accessibility by 2040 and includes a commitment to clear language.

Pierre Poilievre, leader of the federal Conservative Party and the official opposition, has also proposed a “Plain Language Law.” In a social media post, he says he intends to “ban bureaucratese in government” if his party forms the next government.

Stephens says the federal government has supported the plain language movement for more than three decades, excluding the period when Stephen Harper was Prime Minister. A 1978 federal study was the first to call on government to implement plain language in all its communications.

“Plain language became a priority, at least in part, because the government was dealing with two official languages,” she says. “Canada also welcomes many immigrants and some provinces, like British Columbia, provide communication in as many as seven languages.”

Clear translations require concise and straight forward source material, Stephens adds.

In recent months, some have suggested that new technologies such as ChatGPT — an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI — might hold the key to the widespread adoption of plain language. James disagrees.

“We’re going to see a wave of enthusiasm for these tools and indeed they can be very good at producing some first draft text,” he says. “But if you don’t have a human in the loop, problems will emerge.”

That said, James believes plain language adoption will continue to grow in the coming years. 

“At an international level, we certainly have more work to do, but in 10 or 20 years, plain language will be much more of a status quo in places like Canada and Australia,” he says. “And I don’t think it’s too strong a claim to talk about its importance for democracy. When citizens understand and have clear communication with institutions, they’re able to hold institutions more clearly to account.”

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