The ISO plain language standard: in the final stages
With the long-awaited plain language ISO standard in the final stages of approval, it seems like a good time to reflect on the years of work that has gone into making it a reality. This issue focuses on the ISO standard and includes articles by the people who have developed it.
1. International Plain Language Federation: An Overview — Vera Gergely sets us up with an overview of the Federation, including the why, how, and what of it all.
2. A language-neutral plain language standard: A tool for us all — Christopher Balmford explains the mechanics of how international standards are developed.
3. Localizing the ISO standard — Gael Spivak discusses how this standard can be implemented at the national level, and how it might look different around the world.
4. First steps toward certification — Neil James outlines the research the Certification Committee has done to find the most effective and sustainable way toward certification.
5. Plain language training — David Lipscomb reviews a few methods for reaching certification and resources that the Training Committee has examined so far.
6. The international definition of plain language — Annetta Cheek gives an overview of the detailed work that went into sculpting the definition of plain language.
7. The neuroscience behind writing for fluency — Cheryl Stephens, co-founder of PLAIN, shares fascinating neuroscience behind reading and processing information.
8. Crystal clear insurance contracts: Mission possible — Lorenzo Carpanè tells us about the challenges of simplifying the language of insurance contracts in Italy.
9. Plain language in Russia — Natalia Nechaeva and Emma Kairova update us on literacy rates in Russia and the efforts to introduce plain language initiatives.
10. Plain language has few chances without standards — Uwe Roth analyses communication from the German federal government and why most of it is too difficult to understand.
