Have you ever received an email or a letter from an organisation that left you confused? Maybe you’ve tried to cancel your mobile phone, TV or broadband contract but simply couldn’t understand the terms and conditions? Or perhaps you were out for a hike and read a sign about occupiers’ liability that left you asking, or maybe even shouting: ‘Why doesn’t anybody just say what they mean?’
The good news is that it’s not your fault. The blame lies squarely with jargon and gobbledygook. These are the main enemies of clear communication and the Plain English Awards are now taking aim at both of them.
The National Adult Literacy Agency has teamed up with leading law firm Mason Hayes & Curran to launch the second Irish Plain English Awards. The aims of the awards are to reward organisations that communicate clearly and to promote the use of plain English in all public information.
Building on the success of the first awards in 2016, this year’s awards programme has five new categories, including one for the public called ‘Best letter or email rewritten in plain English’.
This category will be open to members of the public to rewrite in plain English a confusing letter or email they received from an organisation. Entries for this category will be in with a chance to win €500.
Anyone can enter the competition online at www.nala.ie/plain-english-awards. So, if you’ve got a document you’re proud of, or an awful piece of text that you’ve transformed, you’ve got an entry.
The closing date is 5pm on Friday, October 19, 2018.
Before and after plain English examples:
Here’s an extract from the terms and conditions of that mobile phone, TV or broadband contract BEFORE plain English has been used:
“If a Customer terminates an account within an Initial Period, the service provider shall without prejudice to its rights to treat the termination as a breach or repudiation of the Agreement for Service, agree to accept such termination provided notice of this termination is addressed to the service provider. In such circumstances, the Customer shall be liable and agrees to pay the service provider the sum amounting to the balance of the rental due for the Initial Period. A Customer may terminate an account outside the Initial Period by giving the service provider one month’s notice in writing.”
Here’s the same thing AFTER plain English has been used:
Can I cancel my account before the minimum time is up?
If you cancel your account before the end of the time you have signed up for, you must tell us you are doing so. We can treat this action as a breach of contract and you must pay the amount due for the time left in the minimum period of your contract.
How do I cancel my account after I have completed the minimum time?
Once you have had your account for the minimum period, you may cancel it by giving us one month’s notice in writing.”
Here’s that Occupiers’ Liability sign BEFORE plain English has been used:
“If you pass beyond this point, you are on a premises. Take notice that the occupier of this premises, given the nature, character and activities of these premises hereby, in accordance with section 5(2) of the Occupiers Liability Act 1995, excludes the duty of care towards visitors under section 3 of the Act. WARNING Unauthorised Entry is PROHIBITED”
Here’s the same thing after plain English has been used:
“If you pass this sign, you will be on a premises. You are not allowed to enter this premises without permission. Due to the nature of these premises and the type of activities carried out here, we cannot guarantee your safety. The person in charge of these premises takes no responsibility for you or your safety if you pass this sign. (This is in line with section 5(2) of the Occupiers Liability Act 1995.)”
Speaking about the awards, Inez Bailey, CEO, NALA, said: “By communicating in plain English, organisations and businesses can provide a better service and also save time and money because there are fewer misunderstandings with the public. The public category in this year’s awards is a fun way for people to get involved and show what plain English means to them. The other categories will enable us to publicly acknowledge businesses and organisations that communicate in plain English.”
Commenting on the sponsorship, Declan Black, Managing Partner at Mason Hayes & Curran said: “Our job as lawyers often involves explaining complex information. We seek to do that clearly by using simple but accurate language. This approach applies particularly to the advice we give clients but also when we present a client’s position to another party or to a court. In our view, a good lawyer is always clear, accurate and, where possible, brief. So, we strongly support the use of plain English and are very pleased to sponsor these awards.”
An independent panel of plain English experts will judge the entries and decide on the winners in each category. The winners will be announced at a Plain English Awards ceremony in February 2019.
