EASIT
Easy Access for Social Inclusion Training
Textual aspects of Easy-to-understand.
This is unit 2: Easy-to-understand language,
in short E2U. Element 4: The language of E2U.
Video lecture: Textual aspects of E2U.
My name is Christiane Maaß from the University of Hildesheim.
In this short video lecture,
I will talk about the textual aspects
of easy-to-understand language,
focusing once again on Easy and Plain Language.
In this unit, we already had a presentation
about the basic rules of easy-to-understand in Element 1.
There we covered some rules on the textual level.
In this presentation, we will go more into detail.
First of all, rules related to the textual level
may apply across languages.
Unlike some aspects on the lexical and syntactic level,
textual aspects of easy-to-understand language
are not language specific.
The first aspect we list on the textual level
is that the content should be adjusted to the target groups.
Information should not only be perceptible and comprehensible,
but also useful for the target groups.
In our presentation about the process of translating
into easy-to-understand language,
we talked about the addition and reduction processes
that occur when translating.
Information that is not explicitly mentioned in the source text
has to be made explicit.
This is an example of adapting the content to the target groups.
The text should also take into consideration
for which target situation it is intended.
Textual content is always part of a communicative situation.
The texts have to be adjusted to their function
in the target situation.
This function is linked to the text type of the source text.
It is a challenge to keep the Easy Language target texts
related to the text type they belong to.
We will give more information on text types in the video lecture
about the discourse of easy-to-understand language
within this element.
The information structure has to be appropriate for the target groups
and the target situation.
Usually it is a good strategy
to place the most relevant bits of information
at the beginning of a text.
This strategy depends on the media realisation
of the Easy or Plain Language text.
For instance, we have more freedom to follow this rule
in written communication.
But this strategy does not always work.
This may be the case if the Easy or Plain Language texts
become part of the source text.
This applies to formats of audio-visual translation,
where the order of the information delivered
cannot be changed in the subtitles
and the subtitles complement the source text.
The chosen media realisation
should be useful to the target groups
in the target situation.
The first question is whether it is retrievable for target groups.
This may seem trivial,
but it is the first step for accessible communication.
For instance, the information is not accessible
if the target groups have limited access to the internet
and the text is only offered online.
This is an aspect
that is rarely taken into consideration as of now.
In texts written in easy-to-understand language,
the target groups are addressed directly, if possible.
This contributes to comprehensibility,
as they understand more easily
how the content relates to them.
It is also beneficial for the action-enabling potential
of a text offer.
If a certain action is expected from the target groups,
it is helpful
the target groups are addressed directly
and instructed on their possibilities of action.
You can find more information about this topic
in the presentation about pragmatic aspects
of easy-to-understand language in this unit.
Texts are more comprehensible for the target groups
if these texts use advance organisers,
subheadings and marginal notes.
Therefore, these tools are widely used in texts
written in easy-to-understand language.
Advanced organisers are introductions into the text
that give a short summary on the main content
and the text function.
Advance organisers help the target groups understand
what to expect from a text.
They help them grasp the macro-proposition of a text.
Subheadings are helpful to organise information
and make it more retrievable.
Marginal notes may offer additional information
or highlight information.
When listing items in a text, a list with numbers or bullet points
is more comprehensible than using commas in a sentence.
This textual feature makes the list more perceptible
for the target groups.
The single item of the enumeration
can be more easily distinguished and recalled.
Another textual feature of easy-to-understand language
is that important information is highlighted.
Normally, through the use of bold type.
Texts in easy-to-understand language also use images
and visual guidance systems according to the target groups.
More information
about the visual components of Easy and Plain Language
can be found in Element 5 of this unit.
To summarize,
these are the textual features of easy-to-understand language:
Adjust the content to the target groups.
Adjust the texts to the target situation.
Adjust the information structure
according to the target groups and target situation.
Choose a medial realization that is functional
and useful for the target groups and the target situation.
Address the target groups directly.
Use advance organisers, introduction with the main ideas,
subheadings and marginal notes.
Use lists and not commas
and indentations for additional information.
Highlight important information.
Use images and visual guidance systems
according to the target groups.
This video lecture has been prepared
by Sergio Hernandez and Christiane Maaß
from the University of Hildesheim.
You can reach us at easit@uni-hildesheim.de.
The project EASIT has received funding
from the European Commission
under the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships
for Higher Education programme,
grant agreement 2018-1-ES01-KA203-05275.
The European Commission support
for the production of this publication
does not constitute an endorsement of the contents,
which reflect the views only of the authors,
and the Commission cannot be held responsible
for any use which may be made
of the information contained therein.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Partners of the EASIT project:
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona,
Università degli Studi di Trieste,
Universidade de Vigo,
Stiftung Universität Hildesheim,
SDI München,
Dyslexiförbundet,
Radiotelevisija Slovenija,
Zavod Risa.
EASIT
Easy Access for Social Inclusion Training
Untertitelt von: Andrijana Gottschalk