Where to Go
to Learn More

Print and Online Resources

• Making it Clear: Clear Language for Union Communications, Canadian Labour Congress, 1999. This handy binder is chock-full of practical suggestions and examples of what you can do to make your communications more accessible. Includes overheads to present a clear language workshop ($16). Order from:

  CLC Literacy Project
  2841 Riverside Drive
  Ottawa, ON K1V 8X7
  Telephone: (613) 521-3400
  Email: clcliteracy@clc-ctc.ca

• Visit the Web site of the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators for a list of clear language resources at: www.camacam.ca/downloads/en/200501-Clear-Language-Literacy-Resources.pdf

Audio-visual Resources

These short audio-visual tools are good icebreakers for a presentation on clear language.

• Invasion of the Space Lobsters. Four minute, animated film produced by the National Film Board of Canada with the Canadian Labour Congress, 2005. Giant extraterrestrial lobsters land in the back yard of a Canadian family attempting to fix their barbeque. In a gesture of friendship, the lobsters start to recite the manufacturer’s manual, resulting in misunderstanding and world chaos.

  Available in French and English, on DVD and VHS, with a discussion guide. Special discount offered for CLC members. To order, contact:

  National Film Board of Canada
  Sales & Customer Services, D-10
  PO Box 6100
  Station Centre-Ville
  Montreal, QC H3C 3H5
  Toll-free: 1-800-267-7710
  In the Montreal area, call (514) 283-9000

• Solutions Proposed by Four Adult Learners. Fourteen minute documentary produced by the Fédération canadienne pour l’alphabétisation en français, 2004. Four Canadians with mild literacy problems describe the difficulties they have to overcome when they read documents in their daily lives and the ways that clear language would help them.

  Available in French and English, on DVD ($15) and VHS ($20) plus shipping and handling. To order, contact:

  Fernan Carrière
  Directeur des communications
  235 Chemin Montréal Bureau 205
  Ottawa, ON K1L 6C7
  Telephone: (613) 749-5333 ext. 226
  Email: fcarriere@fcaf.net

PowerPoint /Slide Presentation

• Use Clear Language to Improve Municipal Communications. This short presentation goes with the Clarity Kit. It summarizes the main issues related to using clear language and can be customized for your municipality. It is available in PowerPoint or slide format from the following Web sites:

  Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators
  www.camacam.ca/downloads/en/2005-01Clear-Language-Literacy-Resources.pdf

  Canadian Union of Public Employees
  www.cupe.ca/clearlanguage