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Author: Sunitha Anupkumar
Plain English and Its Applicability in Various Fields
Ever been terrified of watching the television? Let me clarify – have you watched the union budget on TV and wondered what GDP, HRA, fiscal deficit and deductions mean? Or maybe it was the total solar eclipse with an expert talking about solar flares? At times like these, do you wish to break your head, the expert’s head or the TV set?
You are not alone!
In the examples mentioned above, the personalities involved are eminent in their area of work but they fail to communicate. The famous poet W.B. Yeats said “Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people”. Any rule or concept, be it from the business sector or science or law or medicine, when spelt out in simple, plain and crisp language, reaches out to a wide audience. The Plain English Movement strives to achieve this objective.
Plain English in Science
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“Most of the fundamental ideas of science are essentially simple, and may, as a rule, be expressed in a language comprehensible to everyone”. These words from one of the greatest physicists of our time, Albert Einstein, say it all. Use of plain English is one of the best ways to spread scientific literacy among the general public.
Today, if a pill is prescribed, we would like to know about its side effects. An earthquake occurs in Japan, we don’t stop with just sympathizing with the victims, we would like to know about its epicenter, its severity on the Richter scale, possibility of a tsunami, so and so forth. So, the onus is on the scientific community to not only take science to new heights but also to lend a helping hand in presenting information to the world in words which are accurate, concise and easily understandable. Here is an insightful to an article that explains why scientists should use plain English to reach out to a wider audience. A research project undertaken in 2008 shows that students taught with everyday language (plain language without the use of jargons) showed significant improvement in understanding scientific concepts. This project was guided by the assumption that students can get a good grasp of new concepts when explained in everyday terms. Use of plain English does seem to be the key for Science to stand the test of times!
Plain English in Law
Law for most people is literally Greek and Latin. Legal terms such as suo moto, habeas corpus and modus operandi overwhelm the general public rather than providing information. Legal documents need to be plain and easily comprehensible to a person. No, we do not need a “Legal Terms for Dummies” kind of book because the audience is definitely not dummy! Just that legalese leaves most of us puzzled and hunting for simpler terms. Peter Tiersma of LanguageandLaw.org traces the history of the Plain English Movement in legal writing in this interesting article. This article also stresses the importance of using of plain English in certain branches of law related to everyday life. Laws on consumer rights, road safety rules or the Motor Vehicles Act (in the Indian context), income tax, just to name a few. After all, awareness of one’s legal rights is the key to being a more responsible citizen.
Plain English in Medicine
Today, we have easy access to information on any medical term or condition. With technology bringing almost every medical research article to us with just the click of a button, it is very easy for a layperson to get carried away by the medical jargons used and make unwise conclusions. As in the case of law, even in the medical field medical terminology can confuse the audience. Keeping with its principle of providing information on the selection and use of medicines, BNF(British National Formulary) has announced a revised set of cautionary labels in plain English which is easily understood by the patients. For eg., “Drowsiness” is replaced with “this medicine may make you sleepy” and “Avoid alcoholic drinks” is replaced with “Do not drink alcohol while taking this medicine”.
The use of plain English is thus being advocated in every walk of life. Journalists, doctors, lawyers, and business heads have a collective responsibility of reaching out to the common man with clear and crisp information from their respective areas of expertise. Plain English is not rocket science after all because rocket science itself is going to be served plain to us!
About the Author
Sunitha Anupkumar, a voracious reader herself, is an aspiring writer currently working with a leading multinational software company in Chennai. Armed with a post graduate degree in Physics from IIT-Madras, years of corporate experience and a passion for writing, she aims at working on projects that would involve technical writing, content writing and editing. She also has a keen interest in writing for children, book reviews and blogging.
Related posts:
- Origin of the Plain English Movement
- Writing Science in Plain English: The Danger of Becoming Simplistic
- Plain English – Its Impact on Various Business Verticals
- Does Plain English Kill Creativity?
- The Importance of Plain English in Corporate Communication
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