Plain English Campaign
Encyclopedia
The Plain English Campaign (PEC) is a commercial editing and training firm based in the United Kingdom
. Founded in 1979 by Chrissie Maher
, the company positions itself as a leader in plain-language
advocacy, working to persuade organisations in the UK and abroad to communicate with the public in plain language. Maher was awarded the OBE in 1994 for her services to plain communication.
In 1990, the Plain English Campaign created the Crystal Mark, its seal of approval. This is a symbol printed on documents which it considers to be as clear as possible for the intended audience. According to the Plain English Campaign, the symbol appears on over 20,000 documents worldwide. They also give out the annual Foot in Mouth Award
for "a baffling comment by a public figure" and the Golden Bull Award
for "the worst examples of written tripe". Notable winners of the Foot in Mouth Award include George W. Bush
, Gordon Brown
, Richard Gere
, and Donald Rumsfeld
.
The Plain English Campaign has worked all over the world for companies and organisations including British Gas
, British Telecom, Irish Life, Telefónica O2 and the World Bowls association. It has also worked with the majority of UK council and government departments. Many UK forms and bills carry the Crystal Mark, including the British Passport
application form.
The Plain English Campaign is often described in the media as a pressure group, and regularly makes public comment about language-related news stories, particularly jargon
. In 2008 it criticised a consultation document sent to residents living near Heathrow Airport. The year before, it mocked signs put up by police in Hertfordshire that warned the public not to commit crime.
In 2006 its supporters voted Bill Shankly
the author of the greatest footballing quotation of all time. A 2004 survey revealed that ‘At the end of the day’ was considered the most irritating cliché.
Famous supporters of PEC include Margaret Thatcher
and broadcaster John Humphrys
.
The Plain English Campaign has been criticised by writer Oliver Kamm
, who wrote "The joke - not that it's funny - is that a body ostensibly concerned with clarity of language is both incompetent in its own use of English and heedless of the task it sets itself."
A different point of view was given by Tom McArthur, editor of the Oxford Companion to the English Language, who said, “In all the history of the language, there has never been such a powerful grassroots movement to influence it as the Plain English Campaign.”
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Founded in 1979 by Chrissie Maher
Chrissie Maher
Chrissie Maher OBE co-founded Plain English Campaign, an organisation that promotes the clear use of English, particularly by businesses and official bodies. Her campaign began in 1971 when she founded the UK's first community newspaper, the Tuebrook Bugle, which gave her the chance to write...
, the company positions itself as a leader in plain-language
Plain language
Plain language is clear, succinct writing designed to ensure the reader understands as quickly and completely as possible.Plain language strives to be easy to read, understand, and use. It avoids verbose, convoluted language and jargon...
advocacy, working to persuade organisations in the UK and abroad to communicate with the public in plain language. Maher was awarded the OBE in 1994 for her services to plain communication.
In 1990, the Plain English Campaign created the Crystal Mark, its seal of approval. This is a symbol printed on documents which it considers to be as clear as possible for the intended audience. According to the Plain English Campaign, the symbol appears on over 20,000 documents worldwide. They also give out the annual Foot in Mouth Award
Foot in Mouth award
The Foot in Mouth Award is awarded each year by the British Plain English Campaign for "a baffling comment by a public figure".- Winners :*2010: Sports commentator Jamie Redknapp for misuse of the word "literally":*2009: Peter Mandelson Received the award for a particularly baffling sentence about...
for "a baffling comment by a public figure" and the Golden Bull Award
Golden Bull Award
The Golden Bull Award is an award that is given annually by the Plain English Campaign to an organisation who has made what is deemed by the campaign to be a confusing and bad use of English .- Past "Winners" :...
for "the worst examples of written tripe". Notable winners of the Foot in Mouth Award include George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
, Richard Gere
Richard Gere
Richard Tiffany Gere is an American actor. He began acting in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and a starring role in Days of Heaven. He came to prominence in 1980 for his role in the film American Gigolo, which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol...
, and Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Henry Rumsfeld is an American politician and businessman. Rumsfeld served as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and as the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He is both the youngest and the oldest person to...
.
The Plain English Campaign has worked all over the world for companies and organisations including British Gas
British Gas
British Gas is the name of several companies:* British Gas plc, the former gas monopoly in the United Kingdom and its successor companies** Centrica, which has the rights to the British Gas name in the UK...
, British Telecom, Irish Life, Telefónica O2 and the World Bowls association. It has also worked with the majority of UK council and government departments. Many UK forms and bills carry the Crystal Mark, including the British Passport
British passport
British passports may be issued to people holding any of the various forms of British nationality, and are used as evidence of the bearer's nationality and immigration status within the United Kingdom or the issuing state/territory.-Issuing:...
application form.
The Plain English Campaign is often described in the media as a pressure group, and regularly makes public comment about language-related news stories, particularly jargon
Jargon
Jargon is terminology which is especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, group, or event. The philosophe Condillac observed in 1782 that "Every science requires a special language because every science has its own ideas." As a rationalist member of the Enlightenment he...
. In 2008 it criticised a consultation document sent to residents living near Heathrow Airport. The year before, it mocked signs put up by police in Hertfordshire that warned the public not to commit crime.
In 2006 its supporters voted Bill Shankly
Bill Shankly
William "Bill" Shankly, OBE was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Liverpool between 1959 and 1974. One of Britain's most successful and respected football managers, Shankly was also a fine player whose career was interrupted by the Second World War...
the author of the greatest footballing quotation of all time. A 2004 survey revealed that ‘At the end of the day’ was considered the most irritating cliché.
Famous supporters of PEC include Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
and broadcaster John Humphrys
John Humphrys
Desmond John Humphrys , is a Welsh-born British author, journalist and presenter of radio and television, who has won many national broadcasting awards...
.
The Plain English Campaign has been criticised by writer Oliver Kamm
Oliver Kamm
Oliver Kamm is a British writer and journalist. He wrote Anti-Totalitarianism: The Left-wing Case for a Neoconservative Foreign Policy , an advocacy of interventionism in foreign policy....
, who wrote "The joke - not that it's funny - is that a body ostensibly concerned with clarity of language is both incompetent in its own use of English and heedless of the task it sets itself."
A different point of view was given by Tom McArthur, editor of the Oxford Companion to the English Language, who said, “In all the history of the language, there has never been such a powerful grassroots movement to influence it as the Plain English Campaign.”
See also
- Plain EnglishPlain EnglishPlain English is a generic term for communication styles that emphasise clarity, brevity and the avoidance of technical language – particularly in relation to official government communication, including laws.The intention is to write in a manner that is easily understood by the target...
- Simple English WikipediaSimple English WikipediaThe Simple English Wikipedia is an English edition of the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, primarily written in Basic English and Special English. Founded in 2003, the site has the stated aim of providing an encyclopedia for "people with different needs, such as students, children, adults with...
- Simplified EnglishSimplified EnglishSimplified English is the original name of a controlled language historically developed for aerospace industry maintenance manuals. It offers a carefully limited and standardized subset of English. It is now officially known under its trademarked name as Simplified Technical English...
- Foot in Mouth AwardFoot in Mouth awardThe Foot in Mouth Award is awarded each year by the British Plain English Campaign for "a baffling comment by a public figure".- Winners :*2010: Sports commentator Jamie Redknapp for misuse of the word "literally":*2009: Peter Mandelson Received the award for a particularly baffling sentence about...
and Golden Bull AwardGolden Bull AwardThe Golden Bull Award is an award that is given annually by the Plain English Campaign to an organisation who has made what is deemed by the campaign to be a confusing and bad use of English .- Past "Winners" :... - AnglishAnglishAnglo-Saxon linguistic purism is a kind of English linguistic purism, which favors words of native origin over those of foreign origin. In its mild form, it merely means using existing native words instead of foreign ones...
- List of Germanic and Latinate equivalents in English