Aotearoa, New Zealand, has a new Plain Language Act. But what is Plain Language? And how will it affect you?
What is the Plain Language Act?
The Act defines Plain Language as:
Language that is:
appropriate to the intended audience, and
clear, concise, and well organised
I prefer the U.S. Government’s definition below because it focuses on meeting the needs of readers. And, if you’ve been to one of my courses, you’ll know I’m all about the reader!
Language that is plain to one set of readers may not be plain to others. Material is in plain language if your audience can:
Find what they need
Understand what they find the first time they read or hear it
Use what they find to meet their needs
Will the Plain Language Act affect me?
The law requires all government departments and all crown agencies to use Plain Language in official documents and websites.
If your workplace is: a County or City Council; a utility company; any Health Board; an educational institution; or a Government agency such as Waka Kotahi, Sport NZ, ACC, or Fire and Emergency NZ, to name just a few, then the new law affects you.
You’ll be required to write in Plain Language if you write:
Reports that the general public may read
Web pages that outline how a member of the public can use your agency’s services
Documents that explain how to comply with a law or an Act
Documents designed to educate or inform members of the public
Information explaining how to file, lodge, or report something with your agency
Don’t panic – Plain Language will make your life easier
A core tenet of Plain Language is accessibility. Once your organisation starts to write consistently in Plain Language, you’ll notice increased compliance and understanding – both inside your organisation and with customers and clients. You’ll see inquiries seeking clarification reduced and your organisation’s efficiency increased. Customers and clients will show more trust in your organisation and view its work as more credible. Here in Aotearoa, New Zealand, we’re actually very late to the Plain Language party. Plain Language laws and practices are in use in most of the world’s democracies, and for good reason. Numerous studies have shown that Plain Language works.
What does Plain Language look like?
Not like this | Like this |
Imprecise Resource Consent is sought for the construction of a dwelling extension and a double garage at the property. | Plain The applicant seeks Resource Consent to extend a dwelling and construct a double garage at the property. |
Boring The purpose of this memo is to seek approval from the Project Steering Committee (PSC) for completion of the Developed Design. | PlainThis memo seeks approval from the Project Steering Committee (PSC) to complete the Developed Design. |
Complicated There were some stakeholder groups that were not able to provide feedback or responses within the allotted timeframes. | Plain 30% of stakeholders failed to provide feedback within the allotted timeframe. |
Vague If payment is not made for some of these overdue invoices by the end of the month the lease will not renew. | Plain You must pay your June and July invoices by September 30. We will not renew your lease if you have not paid by this date. |
Wordy Efficiencies can be gained with enhanced compliance monitoring and issue resolution using the prescribed methods outlined in the Local Government Act | PlainIf we follow the methods in the Local Government Act, we can monitor those who have not complied and resolve issues more efficiently. |
Plain Language sustains democracy
Plain Language makes it easier for all citizens to participate in the democratic process. By design, Plain Language builds trust, makes information accessible and improves efficiency. Nelson MP Rachel Boyack, who sponsored the bill, explains:
“If you’re required to pay taxes, you need a clear message about what taxes are, how and when you pay them. We all have the right to participate in our democracy, and the language that government departments use is a very important part of that participation. It’s not about dumbing down the language, but making it easier for people to understand.”
“Much of the information we receive as members of the public from government departments uses complicated language, jargon, and unnecessary acronyms. This is a common-sense change that will make engaging with the public sector simpler for New Zealanders.”
If you want your democracy to be functional, everyone has to play their part. People will participate in the democratic process when they broadly trust and accept the legitimacy of their country’s institutions and laws. For democracy to flourish, all citizens need to hold a shared belief in the validity of their country’s electoral, education, health, and judicial systems. Democracy falters when we disengage or lose trust in our institutions.
We all need Plain Language
Our news feeds are flooded with reports of increased political polarisation, ever more bizarre conspiracy theories, and intimidation at the ballot box. Social Scientist Johnathon Haidt lays the blame squarely at the feet of social media: “It’s not just the waste of time and scarce attention that matters; it’s the continual chipping away of trust.” Social scientists Philipp Lorenz-Spreen and Lisa Oswald’s review of social media’s impact reveals: “Consistently reported associations, such as declining political trust, advantages for populists, and growing polarisation; are likely to be detrimental to democracy and were more pronounced in established democracies.” Ultimately, Plain Language is about the right of access for all.
Plain Language has been around forever
There’s nothing new about Plain Language. Roman statesman Cicero (106 – 43 BC) argued, “When you wish to instruct, be brief; that men’s minds take in quickly what you say, learn its lesson, and retain it faithfully. Every word that is unnecessary only pours over the side of a brimming mind.”
In the 20th century, George Orwell’s famous 1946 essay Politics and the English Language decried the pretentious and vague idioms of political jargon. In the United States, the movement towards Plain Language legal writing began with the 1963 book Language of the Law by David Mellinkoff. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed Executive Order 12044, which said that federal officials must see that each regulation is, ‘Written in plain English and understandable to those who must comply with it.’
How to get Plain?
It’s not hard to write in Plain Language. All of our training, from online coaching to bespoke workshops, is grounded in Plain Language writing techniques. Here are six Get It Write ‘to-dos’ to get you started.
Know your reader. Ask yourself: Why are they reading my text? How much do they already know about my topic? What are they expecting?
Use reader-centric design to make your document easy to navigate
Use pronouns to engage your readers
Write mostly active voice sentences
Use words your audience knows
Explain all technical terms
The bottom line is if you provide your readers with plain, logical text, they will view you as someone who is easy to work with, competent, and trustworthy. That’s good work – and good business!
For Plain Language training, coaching, and writing services, get in touch.