“I’ve always enjoyed conferences the most when I participated as apresenter in the program,” says Kate Harrison Whiteside, Key  Advice,conference committee member. “PLAIN 2013 has a strong selection ofoptions and I will be taking advantage of them, both  as a presenter and aparticipant.”

PLAIN2013 Conference Chair Cheryl Stephens, Community Plain Language Services, says attendees will be seeking advice of  coaches, marketeers, and business advisers. Presentations highlighting skills, knowledge, research, best practices, business and  personal development are top of the topic list.

You can participate in these ways:

1. Set up a Registrant’s Table displaying your goods and services.

2. Facilitate a workshop or information-sharing event during the concurrent sessions

3. Lead a Round Robin table group on a hot topic, conversation about an area of interest or explore a plain language issue.

4. Show off a project at Registrants Poster Sessions.

Other options to be part of PLAIN 2013:

1. Sponsor

2. Exhibitor

3. Volunteer

“We wanted flexible options to encourage broad participation,” says Cheryl Stephens. “As we only get together every two years, it’s important to maximize our time and sharing.”

Details and form: www.plain2013.org/call-for-participation.html

Deadline: February 28, 2013 at 5:00 pm PST
Send to: PLAIN2013@gmail.com with the subject heading PLAIN 2013 Proposal.

Website: plain2013.org
Facebook: PageTwitter: #plain2013

I just finished reading your book “Plain Language in Plain English”.  Here’s my take:

This is not another short-sentences, easy-to-understand-words, active-voice Plain-Language book (although you cover this too). Rather, it’s more of an all-in-one Plain-Language style guide. It not only gives an overview but also the minute details to help you get through to your readers. Clearly.

The book makes you realize that Plain English is not such a plain simple matter. It takes a lot of thought to make your message easy-to-understand. Much more than just the writing.

In her Canadian-Amazon review, Gael Spivak summed it up nicely:

“This book gives readers a very good overview of plain language techniques, including contributions from plain language experts from around the world. These experts are useful to quote when people want more than your opinion on what techniques to use or how to proceed on plain language training or planning.

The book shows you that plain language isn’t just about words. It’s also about how the text is organized, and how a publication is designed and laid out. And it follows its own advice: it’s easy to use because it is well designed.“

There’s a ton of information here. Not something to read in one sitting. So, I recommend reading this book while doing a project. That way, you can apply the many many tips – Cheryl pulled together – as you work.

-Plain Language Legal Writing

-Plain Language in Plain English

So take a look.

IPLDay.org/blog.html

http://plainlanguage.com/Bafflegab%20rap.pdf

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=158634

Then you can join a subgroup:

• Writing about Law for the Public
Plain language applied to writing about law for the public
• Research Reports and Discussions
Research on subjects of interest to plain language supporters.

• Health Literacy
Health literacy is the ability to access, understand and act on information for health.

• Plain Language Training
Specifically for people who design or deliver training in how to communicate in plain language.

• International Plain Language Day

ClearMark Awards honor the best clear communication in government, academia, and the private sector. Let your clear communication be a model for other organizations!

Learn how to submit for a ClearMark Award from the Center for Plain Language at http://centerforplainlanguage.org/awards/award-nominations/

This year local event organizers will have another resource: pre-recorded, online presentations of interest to the public, clients, other plain language writers and editors or consultants. After IPLDay, the presentations will be available to the public on YouTube or Slideshare.

Get more detail at the new blog: http://iplday.wordpress.com/2012-online-program/online-program/

Let me tell you what my wishes are for the future and why. This is my call:
1. Plain language guidelines taught in high school
2. Plain language included all college and university writing courses
3. Cognitive psychology and neuroscience discoveries incorporated in plain language
4. Standards of plain language set by plain language professionals not legislators

Plain language guidelines taught in high school
In Canada, some provinces are turning the focus of high school English courses from literature to writing. Students learn to write business reports and correspondence, executive summaries, and other documents typical of the modern workplace. And from the start, the basic plain language guidelines have been incorporated. Those are the sort of writing suggestions you see published as 10 Tips to Write Plain English. At minimum, these are guidelines to modern writing and should be taught in high schools alongside advice on considering the audience and using appropriate formats and structures.

Plain language included in all college and university writing courses
Plain language writing processes and style guidelines need to be included in the teaching of all business and professional writing. Think of it as “Plain Language Across the Curriculum”. Professional development programs at the graduate level and in continuing professional education need to teach plain language in all communication modes, including writing and speech-making. Plain language is the most persuasive language.

I gathered 18 international contributors to write Plain Language in Plain English with this in mind.

Cognitive psychology and neuroscience discoveries applied
Plain language process and guidelines have developed in stages from what the then-current level of knowledge provided:
1. Advancing classical rhetoric
2. Promoting modern writing style
3. Incorporating the tools of user-testing
4. Scientific research into subjects like typology or brain functions

But scientific research has expanded so much in the last 20 years that plain language practitioners could not keep up. Money for research is needed to ensure that plain language procedures take advantage of current scientific discoveries. The most significant of these seem to be in the new area of study: cognitive fluency.

Standards of plain language set by professionals based on science
Early U.S. legislation in the consumer field set specific guidelines for readability and typography in consumer contracts. More recent legislation, even internationally, has set more general guidelines, such as saying that documents must be understandable to the intended readers.

With the newly discovered information about how the brain processes information through reading, we can be more specific in the guidelines that are set. I am hoping that academics and scientists can produce practical guidelines for communicating effectively with the person with average abilities.

Legal requirements should be based on provable facts.

Personally, I can’t wait for International Plain Language Day October 13, 2012