Plain language as a deliberate practice is a topic I’ve wanted to explore since 2014, but I couldn’t work up the nerve to blog about it until 2023. Plainlanguage.gov, the site that introduced me to the practice, defines it as “communication your audience can understand the first time they read or hear it.” Combatting a tendency towards jargon in writing and other communication has been a concern since before the 20th century, and the push for plain language was widely referred to as a “movement” back when I first heard about it. The authors of the plainlanguage.gov site insist that plain language has come as far enough as to not be a movement anymore. I don’t think I’ll say that just yet. I’ll say I’ve seen the progress made since I started paying attention in the 2010s.
This blog site is meant to promote the use of plain language in government, legal, financial, and other writing and to promote open access education. I’ll try to advocate and agitate on behalf of these things in the ways that I know how. If the first few posts of the blog seem like they don’t have too much to do with plain language, just know that there’s a tapestry I’m attempting to weave here.
I’m slowly working towards improving the accessibility of the site. Feel free to contact me with suggestions for improvement.