PLAIN LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION: STRATEGIES FOR ACCURATE AND EFFECTIVE TRANSLATION

Sheila Gill, Project Manager at Rosario Traducciones, examines plain writing style and its importance for localization professionals.
 
Plain language is a writing style in which composition, structure, and design are so precise that they can be easily understood by its target audience. It involves a type of communication that provides readers with the information they just need. In our chat with Sheila Gill, Project Manager at Rosario Traducciones, she explains why this writing style is so crucial for the localization industry.
 

Plain Language: Comprehension as a Goal


The objective of plain language is to simplify text writing to make reading comprehension easier. In this respect, Sheila emphasized it with the official definition from the Plain Language Association International (PLAIN) organization, which states: “Writing that is clear, concise, well-organized, and follows other best practices appropriate to the subject or field and intended audience." 
“Our challenge, as translators, is to transfer in one language what is expressed by another language, in plain language. Otherwise, we run the risk of confusing and potentially frustrating the reader”, points out Sheila, highlighting the role of the audience in this type of text. "In a way, when we use plain language, we are empathizing with the readers, we put ourselves in their shoes, and we make ourselves responsible for communicating the message clearly and transparently. Society deserves it, and the benefits are evident”, she affirms. 





 
As for the training that the translators should receive to get a good understanding of plain language, Sheila affirms that the ideal training in this area should include “definition and origins of plain language; characteristics of typical texts; strategies for clear and concise writing; and hands-on writing practice."
 

Plain Language: Strategies and Resources


Sheila acknowledges that there is an “extensive” list of linguistic resources on plain language strategies. To name a few, she suggests short sentences, active over passive voice, appropriate use of gerunds, correct punctuation and connectors, as well as avoiding too many subordinate phrases and unnecessary and foreign words.
Other style-related strategies can add clarity to texts, such as “consistency, the use of bullet, margins, underlining and italics. In summary, grammar, discourse, and design choices, as well as focus on the target audience, are key elements to comply with plain language," Sheila concluded.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Company

Reliability, Continuity, and Efficiency. Rosario Traducciones y Servicios offers you more than 20 years of knowledge and active participation in the localization and translation industry to help you reach your audience.

Services

Rosario City has become a Spanish language hub with a significant number of English, Spanish and Portuguese professional linguists.

News

We invite you to check our portal where you will find the latest language industry news and reports.

Team

We work with a combination of a permanent staff and a network of international professional resources...