23 Apr May is Plain English Month in Tassie
Tasmania is bringing a much-needed focus to the use of Plain English and Easy English during May. 26TEN will be offering a range of free public Plain English courses, and hosting some Easy English courses for a broad range of providers including government, as well as a live webinar on writing emails in plain English. You can also find out more through the 26TEN website. Here you can find free plain English tools to help you write more clearly, including the 26TEN guide to communicating clearly and plain English checklists. And there is also a free online course, Writing in plain English to parents and carers, which offers the basics of writing in plain English. If you would like hard copies of any of the 26TEN tools, or would like more information about 26TEN’s courses, please email Christina email@26ten.tas.gov.au
TasTAFE is also offering an online course for service providers on communicating with parents and carers. The program has been used successfully in the Tasmanian school system and it is hoped to extend it to other sectors.
Whilst much of the attention in the adult literacy field is focussed on employment and job seeking, it’s terrific to see recognition of the crucial role of clear and straightforward public communication in building and supporting a literate society. Well done Tasmania!
