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Before
writing
On the starting page are instructions, of course, but also four
questions that every writer should consider before writing a text. The point of
these questions is to make the writer aware of the reader's perspective.
- Who is the
expected reader of the text?
- What might the
reader expect from the text he or she is about to receive?
- What previous
knowledge of the subject does the reader have?
- Why would the
intended reader want to read your text?
The Plain
Language Test asks - you answer
When you are using the test on a text,
you answer the questions one by one, for example Is the content relevant to
the readers? Answer "yes", "uncertain" or "no" and you will find that the
answers are given as markings on scales. The idea is that these markings form
the base of an overall measurement of comprehensibility. After each level you
check the markings, and the test informs you that your text is "very
comprehensible", "less comprehensible" or simply "comprehensible". To help you,
there are linked key words that lead to explanations and examples.
When should you
test your text?
You may use the Plain Language Test at different stages
of your writing. Before you write you may skim through the questions. Or you
may test a rough draft. Of course, you may test a completed text. The best
thing is to read through the questions before you write and then check the
first draft. Then you still have plenty of time to revise your
text.
Welcome to our
web site
You are welcome to visit our web site Klarspråk at
www.justitie.regeringen.se/klarsprak.
Click on the picture of the hand at the top right. Unfortunately, the test is
only available in Swedish.
Challenges
Now for the final
question: What are the challenges that lie ahead, if any? Of course, there are
challenges. One question mark that needs to be straightened out is the future
of the Plain Swedish Group. In the action programme, it is suggested that the
Plain Swedish Group should be moved from the Government Offices to the new
language authority. If so, there is a risk that the group will lose some of its
high status. But on the other hand, the new authority may prove to be a better
platform, not least because it is suggested that their resources should be
increased. Instead of one person in the Secretariat, there should be
four.
The biggest
challenge no doubt concerns our aim to change the writing patterns in the
European Union. Here, we can expect quite a lot of resistance, and it is not
clear what methods will work most effectively. But even here we see positive
signs. Organized work has begun, and we believe that the awareness about the
need for clarity is growing all over Europe. |
