".| Fifth International PLAIN Conference - 2005 | |||||||||||
January 2007
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Enjoy plain English translations of some seasonal favorites! -From our friends down under at the Plain English Foundation.
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On Thursday, February 2nd at 2:00 p.m., Annetta Cheek, Susan Kleimann, Joe Kimble, Ginny Redish, and Melodee Mercer were interviewed on a radio show about plain language. If you'd like to hear what they had to say, go to www.mytechnologylawyer.com (use "more information" link below). Even though the program was broadcast on the 2nd, the link to the media file is located under 1/29/06.
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More information
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Coaching Experts to Transform their Knowledge
Our February meeting featured Karen Schriver, a leader in information design and author of Dynamics in Document Design: Creating Texts for Readers. Karen described her experience in redesigning lengthy technical reports written for subject-matter experts into short newsletters aimed at a general audience. Get ideas for working with people who may believe that plain visual and verbal language waters down their thinking.
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STORY TELLING: A POWERFUL PLAIN LANGUAGE TOOL
Political consultants James Carville and Paul Begala say:
"Facts tell, but stories sell...If you're not communicating in stories, you're not communicating. You may be presenting a series of facts, many of them perhaps important, but the chances of your audience remembering or being moved by your facts enough to do what you want are nil."
In this session, you will:
* Learn why storytelling is such a powerful communication tool.
* Review the ingredients of compelling stories.
* Review examples of stories that swayed public opinion, and government documents that tell stories.
* Learn about new storytelling techniques currently being used by federal professionals to impress bosses and hiring managers.
Lily Whiteman is a career coach, writer and trainer at the US Mint, where she has taught story-telling techniques to hundreds of professionals. She is also the author of Get Hired! How to Land the Ideal Federal Job and Negotiate a Top Salary, and the careers columnist of Federal Times. Lily's website is (http://www.Get-Hired.biz
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No meeting for April - it's the annual NIH Plain Language awards!
NOTE ROOM CHANGE: Ignore the usual directions above. For the May meeting only, we will be in Conference Room 2, Level A (1 level down from the ground floor) in FAA's other building, 700 Independence Ave, SW. It's just across the street from the usual building. Enter from the Metro side of the building, there's no door on the Independence Ave. side.
Dr. Deborah Bosley
The Center for Writing, Language, and Literacy,
UNC Charlotte.
Dr. Bosley will focus on the language research of the faculty at the Center for Writing, Language, and Literacy at UNC Charlotte. The Center has expertise in applied linguistics, technical/professional communication, and second-language acquisition. The Center identifies and supports research in writing, language, and literacy. Current projects include 1) language protocols for Certified Nurses Assistants who care for Alzheimer's patients; 2) cross-cultural training modules developed healthcare workers at The Family Planning Clinic; 3) politeness theory and its impact on written and spoken communication; and 4) redesigning a state form for North Carolina's HealthCheck/Health Choice program, which provides health insurance for children.
We heard from from M. Douglass Bellis. He has served as an Assistant Counsel in the United States House of Representatives, Office of Legislative Counsel for over 25 years. His responsibilities have included redrafting the federal rules of evidence for the House Judiciary Committee and drafting the articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon. Mr. Bellis has worked with nearly every standing committee of the House, but he has worked most closely with the Judiciary Committee. He is particularly interested in developing independent, professional drafting capabilities for parliamentary bodies. Mr. Bellis received his Juris Doctor Degree from Duke Law School. He will talk to us about drafting legislation in the House.
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There is no presentation at the July meeting. We are having a special meeting to plan for next year. Please come if you are willing to play a role in ensuring that the group continues and that it provides the help you need in your agencies.
We are also having the meeting in a special place. Remember we don't have a meeting in August. The September meeting will be in the "usual " place at FAA.
In July, Avi is hosting us at Voice of America. It's just a couple blocks from FAA, but the Federal Center SW metro is a bit closer, and is also less complex that the station you use for FAA (L'Enfant Plaza). From the metro, go up the escalator, turn left and walk one block along 3rd Street. When you cross at the light at C Street you are in the parking lot of the Cohen Building, 330 Independence Avenue SW. Enter the Cohen building at the doors at the middle of the C Street side, not the 3rd Street side.
The room is called the VNC conference room. Avi will have to escort people as they go through security, unlike at FAA, where anyone with a Federal ID can wander around without an escort. Please be a bit early to accommodate this. Just in case you have a problem, Avi's cell is 703-300-2650.
Remember — we don't have a meeting in August. The September meeting will be in the "usual" place at FAA.
Dr. Diana Zuckerman, President, National Research Center for Women & Families
Health and Safety Information for Families:
Informing and Educating the Public
Dr. Zuckerman will discuss the kinds of health and safety information that families would benefit from, coming from a range of agencies, and the extent to which they are aware of how to find it, or can understand it when they do. Examples will be from various HHS agencies, including CMS, FDA, NIH, IOSH, CDC, etc, as well as EPA, DHS, and other agencies.
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Our speaker will be Robert Agnello, who works for the Military Health System at the Department of Defense. He will share his experience in starting a Plain Language program - its successes and challenges.
Annetta Cheek and Joanne Locke spoke to Rob's organization, TRICARE, last summer about plain language and health literacy. The TRICARE communicators and customer service reps were very enthused about be able to use plain language and eager to learn how.
Join us to find out how it's going, to get ideas from Rob, and to offer him some ideas that have worked for us.
Our speaker will be Thom Haller, Executive Director, Center for Plain Language. We expect this will be the first annual update on the status and activities of the Center. Since the Center is our private sector sister group, I hope you will all come to support this non-profit effort.
Special Time: 3:30-4:45
Join us to celebrate Annetta's 12 years of service as chair of PLAIN and welcome Joanne Locke as our new chair.
John Strylowski will also give a brief presentation on new plain language training procedures.
April 1, 2008
GSA Auditorium, Washington, DC
Congressman Braley
On April 1, 2008, the Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN) and the Council of Federal Executive Secretariats co-sponsored a Workshop on Clear Communication. The opening plenary session featured Congressman Braley (D-IA) who gave us an update on H.R. 3548, the Plain Language in Government Communication Act of 2007, which he introduced last fall.
Speakers at the breakout sessions covered writing clear correspondence, writing for the Web and legal writing. The closing plenary featured the Plain Talk coordinator from Washington State.
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November 7, 2008
National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20045
Over the past several years, plain language has been gaining
recognition as a tool for effective communication. We have seen a
significant increase in the number of plain language projects. Data
shows us that plain language saves both the reader and the organization
responsible for the communication time and money. Join the Center of
Plain Language in recognizing just a few examples of the progress made
in recent years and the bottom-line benefits they’ve produced. We hope
these examples will encourage others to commit themselves to bringing
clear communications to customers.
We will also hold a briefing on the current federal legislation requiring certain government documents to be in plain language.
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More information
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