"Plain language starts with the reader" is an article, which details some of the problems of objectivity due to new South African legislation. These new laws require companies to use language that someone with "minimal experience as a consumer of the relevant goods and services" will be able to understand. This law is very important considering the diversity of languages that thrive in the country (11 official languages). Although English is generally understood throughout South Africa, it is ranked fifth out of 11 as a language spoken at home (http://www.southafrica.info/ess_info/sa_glance/demographics/language.htm).
I found this article applicable to the study of language and society because it effectively highlights several recurring problems with language.
Language can be a tool of manipulation. I know I have experienced times when language was used to confused and confound me into signing my way into vulnerable positions. I opened my first bank account this summer and with it I received a little booklet of fine print, filled with banking jargon. It was intimidating as a person of "minimal experience as a consumer of the relevant goods and services", even though all of the information was presented to me in my mother tongue.
The article also emphasizes the role of presentation of written language. Small text, poor design, and even certain fonts can obfuscate the meaning of text, while the opposite can facilitate reading. A key example that comes directly from my experience is how much easier it is to read a book with slightly bigger text. There are numerous studies that support these conclusions.
Finally, even the most rigid language can still portray a flexible message. Although the laws detailed in the article explicitly call for plain language in company documents, there are so many subtleties in definitions that make it nearly impossible to make a subjective regulation, totally free of loop holes. User-testing to ensure that the intended readers can "reasonably be expected to understand it" is one possible remedy to this problem.
Oh so relevant to this course.
Plain language starts with the reader:
http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/82/18680.html
More information on the languages spoken in South Africa:
http://www.southafrica.info/ess_info/sa_glance/demographics/language.htm
The Effects of Font Type and Size on the Legibility and Reading Time of Online Text by Older Adults:
http://psychology.wichita.edu/hci/projects/elderly.pdf
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2 comments:
Very interesting! I agree that despite efforts to try to use "plain language" in an attempt for the reader to gain a clear understanding, it will be interesting to see how closely this is regulated. This is a completely random connection, but I know that "free range" meat is not regulated very closely and "free range" animals can have so much as a huge open pasture, or simply be inside a small space with the door cracked open. It would be wonderful to try to make language clearer, but this will only be successful if it is enforced efficiently.
You bring up some great points that we have not yet had the chance to discuss in class, namely that "knowing a language" does not give you the ultimate power of understanding the language in all contexts. There are many ways of USING a language that makes it harder or easier to understand. This adds to what we have discussed somewhat, which is the idea that the MEANING of language is not intrinsically built into the words of a language, but rather is created by the listener in his or her mind. In essence, we have to take the raw ingredients of a language (words, grammar, tone of voice, etc.) and CONSTRUCT meaning and understanding based on our experience and knowledge. In this way, it makes sense that banking booklets would be tough for any non-banker to truly understand, as non-bankers lack the proper recipe for building meaning out the relevant terms!
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