Plain English


“LOLA” is the acronym for Live Online Learning Activity. It is an interactive exercise that is incorporated in an online training session. Different types of LOLAs work in different contexts to achieve different training purposes.

Job Aid LOLAs provide the participants with a job aid (such as a checklist, decision table, or flowchart) and require them to perform a specific task. In a typical Job Aid LOLA, different participants master different segments of the job aid and share what they learned with other members of a team.

Here is a job-aid LOLA that helps the participants to use a checklist to simplify unnecessarily complex text into plain English.

You are writing in plain English if your readers can understand your document the first time they read it. Your writing is clear, brief, well-organized, and suited to the needs and language levels of your readers.

Synopsis

Distribute a checklist with 10 guidelines for simplifying the language in a document. Demonstrate how to apply the first item to a sample paragraph. Assign different items to different participants and ask them to apply the item to the same paragraph. Pair up the participants and ask them to share the application of their checklist items with each other. Have each participant to individually apply all the checklist items to simplify the same paragraph.Purpose

To write a document in plain English or to simplify a complex document into plain English.

Participants

  • Minimum: 4

  • Maximum: Any number

  • Best: 10 to 20

Time

20 minutes to an hour

Handouts

  • Checklist: How To Write in Plain English

  • Complex Paragraph (to be simplified)

Technical Requirements

  • File Sharing

  • Mic

  • Camera

  • Breakout Rooms

Preparation

Create a checklist. Use the checklist at the end of this LOLA as the basis for developing your own checklist. Depending on your readers, remove some items from your checklist or add more items.

Create a complex paragraph for simplification. Use the sample at the end of this LOLA. Alternatively, borrow sample paragraphs from legal documents or policy manuals in your office. Feel free to edit the selected text to make it more complex and convoluted.

Flow

Distribute the handouts. Distribute copies of the checklist (How To Write in Plain English) and the complex paragraph to each participant through File Sharing. Ask the participants to open the two documents and review them.

Demonstrate the use of the checklist. Read the first item from the checklist. Invite the participants to open their mics and help you in applying this item for simplifying a few sentences from the original paragraph. Limit your activity to the application of the first item.

Assign a different checklist item to each participant. Beginning with 2, give a number to each participant. When you reach 10, count again from 2. Tell the participants to study the checklist item with the number given to them.

Apply the checklist item to simplify the paragraph. Ask each participant to apply the checklist item assigned to them to simplify the complex paragraph. Ask them to work independently and write the changes they would make on a piece of paper.

Pair up the participants in breakout rooms. Send two participants who have different checklist items to a breakout room. Ask these participants to share the checklist items and changes they made to simplify the complex paragraph.

Repeat the paired sharing activity. Send new pairs to breakout rooms to continue their discussion. Rerun this step as time permits.

Assign homework exercise. Invite all the participants to apply all checklist items to simplify the complex paragraph. Encourage the participants to complete this assignment at their own pace and email the simplified paragraph to you.

Follow Up

Showcase the simplified paragraphs. Post the revised paragraphs on a web page. Send an email to all participants inviting them to visit this page and review the different simplifications.

Reuse this LOLA

Plain English is based on a LOLA template called Checklist. You can use this template to create your own LOLAs to teach the participants different types of communication skills. Here are some topics (each with a sample checklist item) that we have used in our recent LOLAs:

Topic: Living Will. Sample Item: Speak to your doctor to make sure that you understand different medical terms.

Topic: Introducing Yourself. Sample Item: Say, “Hi. I am Heather.” Ask, “What’s your name?” Use the other person’s name and say, “Ramon, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Topic: Research Abstract. Sample Item: Decide whether you are going to write an descriptive abstract (an explanation of the goal and method of the research), informative abstract (a condensed version of the research report), or a critical abstract (an evaluation of the research method).

Topic: Long-Term Goal. Sample Item: Make sure you desired goal will require more than a year to achieve. Otherwise, you may be specifying a short-term goal.

Topic: Organizational Chart. Sample Item: Organize your chart according to different departments. Identify the departments by products, functions, or geographic locations. Subdivide each department into appropriate divisions.


Handouts

How To Write in Plain English

1. Use different levels of sub-headings to reflect the outline of your document.

2. Use short sentences.

3. Use simple words that your reader can understand. Use the thesaurus to locate the most suitable word.

4. Avoid jargon. If you have to use technical terms, explain what they mean when you use them for the first time.

5. Use the active voice.

6. Divide long paragraphs of text into lists of short bullet items.

7. Use ‘You’ and ‘We’ instead of abstract specification of different people

8. Be brief. Leave out unnecessary details.

9. Give instructions instead of explaining what should be done.

10. Explain abstract ideas with concrete examples.

Complex Paragraph (to be simplified)

For all intents and purposes of this Agreement, “Confidential Information” shall mean and incorporate any qualitative or quantitative data or information that is assumed proprietary to the Disclosing Party and that which is not generally known to the public, whether in concrete or hypothetical form. Throughout the duration of this agreement, the Disclosing Party may consider it necessary to divulge or exchange specifc proprietary data with the Receiving Party. Accordingly, in consideration of the bilateral assurances and obligations contained within this Agreement, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, both parties hereby agree to abide by this clause.