The other day I came across a letter of acceptance of the UNED. After a two-paragraph report of registration deadlines and procedures, concluded with the following paragraph:
against this resolution, which exhausts administrative action may be brought may optionally reset to the Chancellor within one month, or administrative appeal before the Central Court of Administrative Disputes within two months (...).What? Raise your hand if you have understood a word. I am sure that at least nine of every ten people who read this text does not have any idea what you mean. I'm talking about an issue that I mentioned in passing in one of my recent entries : the incomprehensible language usually employed by public agencies to communicate with the public. Very often, the information available to the public in brochures or on the Internet often copiapega simple legislation. There is no effort to express in a manner accessible to all audiences, and I'm sure this is particularly harmful to those with lower educational level or just come out and have not yet mastered our language.
In the United Kingdom is rarely the case. Of course, there are many places where English is used as far-fetched, but usually when a public or private organization speaks to you like that is reasonably understandable. In fact, in this country there is even an organization with very hearth which aims to promote plain language in communication with the public. It Plain is the Inglés Campaign, and a diamond logo appears in many forms and brochures public entities and private . On their website you can find a very interesting document that gives guidelines on how to write plain English. Many recommendations refer to the grammar or the peculiarities of this language, but most are extensible to other languages \u200b\u200blike English, write in short sentences, avoid passive voice, use the first and second person, etc.. More information:
Inglés Campaign Plain
