Plain Language Briefing: NHCFAE

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Plain Language
Briefing NHCFAE

• Bruce Corsino
• FAA Plain Language
• Program Manager

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• This is a short briefing.
• It is NOT the
• FAA Plain Language Course.

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What Is Plain Language?

• Helps Users
• Find what they need
• 
  
• Understand what they find
• the FIRST time they read or hear it
• 
  
• Use what they find to meet their needs
  

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What Is Plain Language?

• Is NOT a solution to every problem
• 
  
• Dont write for everyone --
• Write only for your READER
• 
  
• 
  

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Reader-Focused Writing

• Its not what you write---its what your reader
  UNDERSTANDS!

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• How long has some of the world been asking
• for plain language??

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The Honeymooners and Words Video
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• The most valuable of all talents is that of
  never using two words when one will do
• Thomas Jefferson

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False Assumptions
More words are better

Bigger words are better
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• WWII Air Raid memo from U.S. Govt
• Preparations shall be made as will completely
• obscure all Federal and non Federal buildings
• occupied by the Federal Government during an
• air raid for any period of time from visibility
  by
• reason of internal or external illumination. Such
  
• obscuration may be obtained either by black-
• out construction or by termination of the
• illumination.

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• President Roosevelts revision
• During an air raid, put something over the
  windows in buildings where they have to keep the
  work going.
• In buildings where they can let the work stop
  for a while, turn out the lights.

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Grade Level and Readability Checks

• Readers Digest 65
• Time Magazine 52
• Harvard Law Review 30

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Why use plain language?

• Saves Time, Staff and Money
• Improves Compliance
• Affects Customer Satisfaction
• Prevents Lawsuits
• Saves Lives
• Policy, Law and a Civil Right!

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Saves Customer and Staff Time
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• FAA Broadcast
• Automated Transit Benefits Application
  System
• vs.
• Your transit benefits will stop unless
  you
• 50

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Plain Language Prevents Lawsuits

• 1. Dept. of Health and Human Services
• Federal Aviation Administration
• (Airworthiness Directives)
• 3. Customs and Immigration Service

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Where should an applicant submit his or her
application to re-register, late initial
register, or renew temporary treatment
benefits? If you are re-registering and have
previously filed with the Vermont Service Center,
the Form I-821, Form I-765, fees, and all
supporting documentation should be filed at the
USCIS Chicago Lockbox at U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services, P.O. Box 6943, Chicago, IL
60680-6943. Or, for non-United States Postal
Service (USPS) deliveries U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services, Attn TPS/VSC, 427 S.
LaSalle--3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60605. If you
are re-registering and have previously filed with
either the California Service Center, Texas
Service Center, or Nebraska Service Center or if
you are filing a late initial registration, the
Form I-821, Form I-765, fees, and all supporting
documentation should be filed at the USCIS
Chicago Lockbox at U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services, Attn TPS El Salvador, P.O.
Box 87583, Chicago, IL 60680-0583. Or, for
non-United States Postal Service (USPS)
deliveries U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services, Attn TPS El Salvador, 427 S.
LaSalle--3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60605. Please
note that this is not the location where you have
submitted your forms during previous
re-registration periods. Also, there are two
different P.O. Boxes listed. Failure to use the
appropriate P.O. Box may delay processing your
TPS application. Aliens re-registering or late
initial registering for TPS under the designation
of El Salvador should not send their TPS forms
and fees directly to a USCIS Service Center or
district office. Failure to follow these
instructions may delay processing of your TPS
application. Aliens re-registering for TPS under
the designation of El Salvador during the
re-registration period from January 7, 2005, to
March 8, 2005, may file the Form I-821, I-765 and
fees electronically by using E-filing at the
USCIS Web site, http//www.uscis.gov. In order to
properly re-register using E-filing, aliens must
start the electronic filing with Form I-821, and
the system will then link the alien to Form I-765
once Form I-821 is complete. Aliens
re-registering for TPS after March 8, 2005, or
aliens late initial registering may not file
electronically, and must send their application
materials to the USCIS Chicago Lockbox. Failure
to follow these instructions may result in an
incomplete filing and delay processing of your
TPS application.
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Where should I submit my application for TPS?
Table 3 - Application Mailing Directions
If Then Mail to Or, for Non-United States Postal Service (USPS) deliveries, Mail to
You are applying for re-registration or applying to renew your temporary treatment benefits U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Attn TPS El Salvador P.O. Box 8635 Chicago, IL 60680-8635 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Attn TPS El Salvador 427 S. LaSalle--3rd Floor Chicago, IL 60605-1029
You are applying for re-registration or applying to renew your temporary treatment benefits U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Attn TPS El Salvador P.O. Box 8635 Chicago, IL 60680-8635 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Attn TPS El Salvador 427 S. LaSalle--3rd Floor Chicago, IL 60605-1029
You are applying for TPS for the first time, as a late initial registrant, or you were granted TPS by an Immigration Judge or the Board of Immigration Appeals U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Attn TPS El Salvador P.O. Box 8670 Chicago, IL 60680-8670 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Attn TPS El Salvador EOIR/Additional Documents or Late Initial Registrant 427 S. LaSalle--3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60605-1029
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2010 Federal Plain Writing Act
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Federal Requirements

• train all agency employees
• insure each covered document you issue or revise
  complies with the
• Federal Plain Language Guidelines
• create a plain language website
• appoint a plain language official
• report to Congress

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How do you learn Plain Language?

• Plain Language Course
• 
  
• Plain Language Tool Kit
• 
  
• Practice and vigilence
  

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Plain Language Desktop Toolkit

• Contains
• Word Tools
• Formatting Tools
• General Guidance References

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• Format Tools

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Plain Language Format Tools

• USE
• Headings
• Bullet Lists
• Illustrations
• Q A formats
• Blank Space

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Use Headings and Lists

• Each map must be based on assumptions regarding
  numbers of aircraft, aircraft types and mix,
  nighttime operations, airport layout, runway use,
  flight tracks, operational data, and compatible
  land uses.

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Use Headings and Lists

• Map Instructions
• Your map must include
• number of aircraft
• aircraft types and mix
• nighttime operations
• airport layout

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Use Headings and Lists

• Statement Headings
• Your map must include
• Topic Headings
• Map Instructions
• Question Headings
• What must my map include?

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Use Chunking for Long Lists

• How to make an apple pie
• Dry Ingredients
• --
• --
• Wet Ingredients
• --
• --
• Cooking Instructions

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Why Chunking Matters
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Use Q A or If-Then Formats

• We must receive your completed expense form on
  or before the 15th day of the second month
  following the month you are reporting if send
  your form by mail or fax, or the 25th day of the
  second month following the month you are
  reporting if you submit your form electronically.

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Use Q A or If-Then Formats
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Use Tables

• Ferrier has 11 years of experience, has
• bid 29 million, and estimates completing
• the work in three years. Sokol has 5 years
• of experience, bid 27 million, and
• estimates completing the work in 30
• months. Crane has 8 years experience,
• bid 28 million, and estimates completing
• the work in three years.

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Use Tables
Contractor Comparisons
CONTRACTOR EXPERIENCE BID PRICE COMPLETION
Ferrier 11 years 29 million 36 months
Sokol 5 years 27 million 30 months
Crane 9 years 28 million 36 months
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• Word Tools

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Plain Language Word Tools

• Everyday Words
• Verbs
• Pronouns
• Contractions
• Active Voice Sentences
• Must vs. Shall

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• Most Important
• Word Tools
• --Use Pronouns
• --Use Active Voice
• --Free Your Verbs

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Use Pronouns

• Identify who is acting
• Eliminate words/reduce time
• Makes your writing relevant/personal

We You I
The Agency The Reader The Writer
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No Pronouns

• This form must be completed by anyone requiring a
  badge and submitted to the security office. The
  badge applicant, sponsor (manager), and ACE-700
  must complete it prior to issuance of any badge.
  POC Bldg Mgr x3127.

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With Five Pronouns

• If you need a badge, you must fill out this form.
  Your manager and ACE-700 must also fill it out.
  Submit your form to the security office. If you
  have questions, call the building manager on ext.
  3127.

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Use Pronouns Correctly!!
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Free Your Verbs

• Utilize
• Use
• Promulgate
• Issue
• Implement
• Start

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Free Your Verbs

• give a description of
• describe
• provide assistance with
• assist / help
• do the construction of
• construct / build

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• Use ACTIVE voice

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• Passive Voice
• is NOT
• Past Tense!
• Use past tense!
• Dont use passive voice!

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• What is Passive Voice?
• The person doing the action follows the verb.
• A form of the verb to be is combined with the
  past participle of another verb.
• The fish was swallowed by John.

John swallowed the fish.
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• The Weakness of Passive Voice
• Financial compensation will be provided.
• -Do I get the money??
• -Who gives it to me??
• We will pay you.

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• The Weakness of Passive Voice
• Safety Instructions Must Be Given.

-Does it say who gives the instructions??
-Does it say who gets them??
You must give safety instructions to your
passengers
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• Use ACTIVE voice Pronouns

Rebates are to be mailed to all taxpayers. You
will get a rebate. A day-off will be granted by
the agency. We will give you a day-off.
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Change Passive to Active Voice

• A pieman was met by Simple Simon.
• Simple Simon met a pieman.
• The candlestick was jumped over by Jack.
• Jack jumped over the candlestick.

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Use Active Voice

• Mistakes were made.
• I made mistakes.

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Change Active to Passive Voice

• An old lady lived in a shoe.
• A shoe was lived in by an old lady.
• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled
  peppers
• A peck of pickled peppers was picked by
  Peter Piper.

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• Why Passive Causes Pain

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• Why Passive Causes Pain

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• Should You Ever Use
• Passive Voice?

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• FINAL EXAM

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Use Everyday Words

• interface
• be withtalk to
• clearly necessitates
• needs
• expeditious
• fast

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Free Your Verbs

• I made a choice to
• I chose
• Ill be facilitating the process
• I will facilitate / help
• well conduct an analysis of
• we will analyze / study

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Which is passive?

• shall deliver
• is delivered
• is delivering
• may deliver

--is delivered.
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Which is passive?

• will write
• is writing
• has written
• was written

--was written.
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Whats the Active Voice Version?

• The boy was bitten by the dog.

--The dog bit the boy.
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Whats the Active Voice Version?

• Notification was made to the public by the FAA.

--The FAA notified the public.
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Whats the Active Version?

• The small stuff does not need to be sweat.

--Dont sweat the small stuff
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Whats the Active Version?

• The attendees will be entertained by us.

--We will rock you.
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• Hollywood Plain Language Tactics
• The Schwarzenegger tool
• Ill be back.
• The Clint Eastwood tool
• Make my day.
• The Nicholson-Cruise tool (A Few Good Men)
• You cant handle the truth!

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• True or False?
• Is this Plain Language?

a sudden, unauthorized descent to an altitude
below that of the runway.
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• You be
• the
• Plain Language Expert
• For The FAA

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• Elevators shall not be used in case of fire or
  electrical emergency.
• Use designated exits

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• If theres an emergency in this building, dont
  use these elevators.
• Use the exits.

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• You be
• the
• Plain Language Expert
• For The Bus/Metro System

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• Bus Sign
• These seats must be vacated for seniors and
  disabled persons

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• Bus Sign
• You must give these seats to seniors and
  disabled persons

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• You be
• the
• Plain Language Expert
• For NASA

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NASA O-Ring Memos
O-ring temperature limits have been
achieved.
VS.
If you launch below 32, the O-rings
will fail!
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Bonus Question
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• Plain Language
• in
• Real Documents

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• Aircraft Exit Row Instructions

FAA Advisory Circular
FAA Webpages
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• U.S. Postal Service

Netflix
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PLAIN LANGUAGE GIVES YOU

• Saved time and money for customers and staff
• Better comprehension, safety and compliance
• Improved customer satisfaction
  
• Is a Civil Right! May be the Law!

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• Hispanic Issues
• in
• Plain Language?

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• THANK YOU!