PLAIN eJournal

With members coming from 52 countries around the world and speaking 21 languages, it is no wonder that the Plain Language Association International (PLAIN) needs an ambassador program. In fact, more than half of the members come from non-English–speaking countries, so we need ambassadors who speak our members’ languages.

The Brussels Plain Language Experience 2025 in November by all accounts was an amazing experience for people who attended. Sharing knowledge from around the globe generated energy and inspiration to expand plain language understanding and usage. While this issue of the PLAIN eJournal cannot re-create that energy, I hope sharing some of the knowledge that was presented in Brussels can inspire you, our readers, in your work.

Read all the news about the 5 plain language standards with the International Organization for Standardization. So much has happened in the global plain language community since the ISO - International Organization for Standardization published ISO 24495-1:2023 Plain language Part 1: Governing principles and guidelines. The (Plain Language Association International) PLAIN eJournal has published some quick updates since then — mainly in the form of closing articles from the president of the International Plain Language Federation.

The latest issue of the PLAIN eJournal focuses on structure and design — how the visual appearance of a communication is just as important as the words.

Published during Plain Language Week, this issue explores the culture of plain language — how culture shapes our work and how plain language practitioners, in turn, help shift culture in their organisations and communities.

This edition reflects on four themes that emerged during PLAIN's 2023 conference in Buenos Aires: developments in Argentina, artificial intelligence, legal design, and organisational change.