Laura Murto-Linden, Language Specialist Finnish Defence Language Centre Plain language: a way of...

Laura Murto-Linden, Language SpecialistFinnish Defence Language Centre

Plain language: a way of improving interoperability


Interoperability shortfalls in current NATO-led operations between 06/2009 and 04/20101. Whilst all NATO posts specify the minimum requirements for

English fluency, many people filling these posts were perceived to have insufficient English language skills to meet the mission needs.

2. The necessity for English language has increased dramatically, extending even to the tactical patrol level.

3. The documents used for the daily conduct of operations were considered to be too lengthy and the writing styles too complex for many non-native English speakers to comprehend (indeed, even for native English speakers to comprehend!).

4. The content and intensity of language training courses vary significantly, possibly falling short of STANAG 6001 requirements.

5. Many native speakers with no previous experience of working in a multi-national environment were not proficient in communicating in such circumstances.



Readability = an interplay between text and reader

Those features of the reader that make reading easy are:• Prior knowledge• Reading skill• Interest• Motivation

Those features of the text that make reading easy are:• Content• Style• Design• Organization

Source: Smart Language, Readers, Readability, and the Grading of Text

© 2007 William H. DuBay ([email protected])




Score Notes

90 – 100 Easily understood by an average 11-year-old student

60 - 70 Easily understood by 13- to 15-year-old students

0.0 – 30 Best understood by university graduates

Flesch Reading Ease


Source: http://www.nald.ca/library/research/readab/readab.pdf


What is plain English?

The writing and setting out of essential information in a way that gives a co-operative, motivated person a good chance of understanding it at first reading, and in the same sense that the writer meant it to be understood.

- Martin Cutts, Oxford Guide to Plain English

NATIONAL DEFENCE UNIVERSITYFINNISH DEFENCE LANGUAGE CENTRE

Analyzing Cockpit Communication: the Link Between Language,

Performance, Error, and Workload

J. Bryan Sexton & Robert L. HelmreichThe University of Texas Team Research Project

Department of PsychologyThe University of Texas at Austin

Austin, Texas USA


Why communication enhances outcome

NASA researchers analyzed the causes of jet transport accidents and incidents between 1968 and 1976 (Cooper, White & Lauber, 1980;Murphy, 1980) and concluded that pilot error was more likely to reflectfailures in team communication and coordination than

deficiencies in technical proficiency.

No differences were found [Ruffell Smith, 1979] between the severity of theerrors made by effective and ineffective crews, rather, it was the ability of theeffective crews to communicate that kept their errors from snowballing into undesirable outcomes.


HOW something is said affects outcome- Flight engineers who used a high number of words to communicate

(…) performed better and made fewer errors.

- Flight engineers who used relatively low rates of large words [more than six letters long] tended to perform better.

- Establishing predictable patterns of behavior during initial interactions affects outcomes later on.

- The ability to communicate concisely could include the ability to apply a short and succinct vocabulary. Conceivably, those individuals who use their cognitive resources to speak more elaborately (using bigger words) do so at the expense of situational awareness.


When language proficiency is a problem: an example from the Federal Aviation Administration

Language Errors in Aviation Maintenance, Final ReportC. G. Drury, J. Ma & C. V. MarinUniversity at Buffalo, the State University of New YorkAugust 2005Prepared for: Federal Aviation Administration

The study was based on the Secretary of Transportation’s recommendation:

“The FAA should establish a method for determiningwhether language barriers result in maintenancedeficiencies.”




Plain in action

– Standard English and NATO English are two separate things.

– Purpose: What do you want your reader to do after they have read the document?

– When it is essential to convey information, it is more important to be clear than sound impressive. Waffle does not bring authority.

– Avoid turning verbs into nouns (esp. those who have a Romance language as their mother tongue!).

– When you write in passive, people have to guess who is doing what. And it doesn’t make you sound any more objective.

– Tell your reader the relevant things first. So not necessarily the legal or historical background.

– The longer a document is, the less people will read it.


Some other useful plain language references


Plain language worldwide

Sweden: www.sprakkonsulterna.se/, www.sprakradet.se/klarspråk

Norway: www.sprakrad.noNetherlands: www.texamen.nlUK: www.clearest.co.uk/USA: www.plainlanguage.gov/index.cfmAustralia: www.plainenglishfoundation.com/New Zealand: www.plainenglish.org.nz/South Africa: www.simplified.co.zaCanada: www.plainlanguagenetwork.org/


http://www.em.gov.au/Emergency-Warnings/Documents/EmergencyWarningsChoosingYourWordsEdition2.pdf





The (U.S.) Army’s “corporate standard” for writing

http://www.mc.edu/rotc/files/5413/1471/9566/MSL_202_L06b_Effective_Writing.pdf


NATIONAL DEFENCE UNIVERSITYFINNISH DEFENCE LANGUAGE CENTRE

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

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