An Interview with Plain Language Expert Kate Harrison Whiteside

Plain Language Expert Kate Harrison Whiteside, a light skinned woman with short hair, on polaroid style background.

Every year WordRake celebrates International Plain Language Day by talking to experts and sharing some of their wisdom on our blog. Today we’re interviewing plain language expert and instructor Kate Harrison Whiteside, one of the fantastic founders of the holiday, about her passion for clear communication.

What is your role and how is it connected to plain language?

I currently wear several hats, and as a hat lover I am happy wearing them all. I am Director of and an instructor with the PlainLanguageAcademies.com. It’s been very exciting to grow with our online training platform to include French and Spanish academies, courses by South African plain language specialists and our students from around the globe.

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An Interview with Professor Stephen Horowitz

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Learning any language is hard, and English is no exception. Professor Stephen Horowitz has lived and worked abroad, and brings the lessons he learned from his time teaching in Japan to his instruction of Legal English. For him, clear communication with English as a Second Language (ESL) students is a matter of teaching what they need to know, while eliminating cultural jargon from his own speech. His nuanced view of plain language shed a light on how important it is to tailor communication for your target audience.

What is your role and how is it connected to clear communication?

I’m a Professor of Legal English at Georgetown Law School. I help international masters of laws (LLM) students improve their ability to comprehend and communicate in a US legal environment.

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An Interview with Professor Daniel Edelson

The decision to write in plain language is usually a simple matter, but is it always the best choice? Professor Daniel Edelson of Seton Hall University School of Law is a proponent of plain English, but he cautions that it may be more difficult for professionals who have learned English as a second language to understand. He shares his tips for communicating clearly with non-native English speakers in this interview for International Plain Language Day. 

What is your role and how is it connected to clear communication?

I teach legal writing and academic skills to J.D. and LL.M. students at Seton Hall University School of Law. In addition, I teach legal English and US law online to students around the world. I am responsible for teaching students to communicate in a way that will meet the expectations of the US legal profession.

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An Interview with Information Designer Annie Burger

Plain language isn't all about word choice and sentence structure: it's also about design. Where does information sit on a page or website? Are your graphics adding information and function, or just clutter? Information designers and plain language experts like Annie Burger are constantly thinking about how to make important content accessible and usable. She shares her experience with creating clear content with us  for International Plain Language Day.

What is your role and how is it connected to plain language?

I am an information designer and a plain language practitioner at Hey Plain Jane. Basically, we help create clear communication and use any means to achieve that, including words and visuals. I am also a postdoctoral fellow at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. In my research I focus on plain language and how it is experienced in the real world.

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An Interview with Author Kathy Walsh

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We've all run into technical instructions for a product that flew way over our heads. This is annoying when it's something for fun, but when it comes to things like medication and medical devices, those confusing documents can be life threatening. That's why scientists like Kathy Walsh and her company Quality Systems Now work with the companies producing these products to make their information as clear as possible. Kathy shares the importance of plain writing in the sciences in her Q&A for International Plain Language Day.

What is your role and how is it connected to plain language?

I am the founder and Managing Director of Quality Systems Now (QSN), an Australian consulting company that helps pharmaceutical and medical device companies gain or maintain compliance accreditations or meet the manufacturing quality expectations required to make therapeutic goods.

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An Interview with Writing Coach Leslie O’Flahavan

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If you've never specifically written in plain language before, it can be difficult to know where to start. Most of us were taught that big words and complex sentences would make us sound smart and trustworthy. Once you realize that your work gains more credence when you write for your audience's needs, it can be hard to break the highfalutin habit. Fortunately, professional writing coach Leslie O'Flahavan has some concrete advice for how to communicate clearly.

What is your role and how is it connected to plain language?

For 27 years, I’ve been the owner of E-WRITE, a writing training consultancy. My mission is to help people write well at work, and plain language provides the framework. I help people understand their relationship with their readers and develop writing skills, so they can meet readers’ needs.

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An Interview with Education Director Michael Hughes

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What do you do if you work for the government and need to learn how to communicate clearly and concisely with the public? You go to the annual Communication School, organized by Education Director Michael Hughes of the National Association of Government Communicators! Having dedicated his life's work to honest, direct communication, Michael takes time to share his experiences in this International Plain Language Day interview.

What is your role and how is it connected to plain language?

I am the Education Director with the National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC). In my role, I organize and plan our association’s annual Communication School, where hundreds of professionals in the fields of public affairs, media relations, internal communications and external government affairs come together to network and learn best practices on how to effectively speak, write, and deliver information.

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An Interview with NAGC President-Elect Leslie Gervasio

Leslie Gervasio

Even with 20 years of writing, reporting, and government communications experience under her belt, National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC) President-Elect Leslie Gervasio finds legalese difficult to understand. Since the average American reads at a middle school level, Leslie knows how important it is to produce clear, readable public facing documents, and shared her thoughts with us for International Plain Language Day.

What is your role, and how is it connected to plain language?

I am a senior public engagement specialist who collaborates with state and local government clients in the transportation industry. My primary goal is to educate elected officials and the public about complex transportation projects that affect their communities and explain why they are important. Transportation is sometimes challenging to write about (who understands what an accelerated bridge construction project is, for example?!), so writing in plain language can limit frustrations and boost credibility.

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An Interview with Plain Language Consultant Fraser Buffini

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Everyone needs access to certain information from their governments and service providers. Those tasked with creating those documents have a responsibility to use language that their citizens and customers can understand. Plain language consultant Fraser Buffini points out the importance of clear communication: if you don't know what a set of instructions mean, you're not going to follow them. He shares his strategies for making sure folks can access their rights and fulfill their responsibilities in the interview below.

What is your role and how is it connected to plain language?

I run The Clear Writing Lab, my little online consultancy where I work on commercial plain language projects. I mainly work with international organizations like the EU and the UN, but enjoy working on legal projects too. I also spend a lot of my time as a Plain Language Consultant for Write Ltd. They have done so much to advocate for the plain language movement – and they essentially pioneered plain language as a commercial product. It’s such a joy to work with them. I get to work with a large team of plain language experts on a big mix of projects, and they all have seriously deep knowledge. Because plain language is such a new and evolving industry, it’s hard to find someone experienced to bounce ideas off and to talk with about what works and what doesn’t. Being able to have that sort of exchange at places like Write is crucial for the collective health of the industry.

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An Interview with Diplomat Jeremy Lang

A blackboard and bulletin board combination with a photo of Jeremy Lang, a smiling white man with short hair and a blue shirt

Diplomacy requires clear communication, and empathy for the needs of allies and strangers alike. Jeremy Lang has spent his career cultivating that sense of connection and use of plain language communication as a diplomat, a plain language consultant, and an educator. He shares his insights on the importance of considering others' needs whenever you have information to share.

What is your role and how is it connected to plain language?

I am the lead on non-formal education in the British Council in the Wider Europe region, which spans a number of countries east of the EU. I also still teach a little English and work with a friend in running a clear language consultancy. My British Council role isn’t directly connected to plain language, but I believe that using plain language is critically important in all that I do.

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WordRake founder Gary Kinder has taught over 1,000 writing programs for AMLAW 100 firms, Fortune 500 companies, and government agencies. He’s also a New York Times bestselling author. As a writing expert and coach, Gary was inspired to create WordRake when he noticed a pattern in writing errors that he thought he could address with technology.

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