This is Unit 2, Easy to Understand language.
Element 2. Legislation, standards and guidelines:
Introduction to the situation in Spain:
overview, recommendations, guidelines (part 1).
My name is Piero Cavallo and I have prepared this video lecture
in collaboration with Rocío Bernabé on behalf of the Internationale Hochschule
SDI München in Germany.
This video lecture introduces the situation of Easy-to-Understand language in Spain.
After a brief introduction about the linguistic situation in Spain,
we will discuss about the process that led to
Easy-to-Understand language in Spain,
from the early stage to the current period.
Then, we will give an overview on the international legislation,
also valid in Spain,
that regulates the equal rights for persons with disabilities.
In Spain, easy-to-understand language incorporates two main concepts,
or simplification approaches.
The first one is “Lenguaje Claro, o Lenguaje Llano”, in short “L.C.”.
That is “clear, or Plain Language” in English.
The second concept is referred to as “Lectura Fácil”, in short “L.F.”.
That is “Easy-to-Read” in English.
Both concepts represent a way to adapt a text in a clear, simple
and efficient way, in order to make it more comprehensible for everyone.
Both concepts take into consideration linguistic, paratextual features,
as well as visual aspects of a text.
As in other European countries, such as Germany,
Easy-to-Read or “Lectura Fácil” follows a well-defined set of rules
for implementation while Plain Language is less regulated.
So, it’s up to the creator of the text,
to adapt it to the target group and the situation.
Since there is not an official distinction in Spain’s legislation between
“Lenguaje Claro” and “Lectura Fácil”, as we will see,
we will refer to both as "Easy-to-Understand",
or E2U, in short, in this video lecture.
It is useful to analyse the historical, political and social situation of Spain
in the last centuries.
As you know, in Spain, Spanish (or Castilian) is the most widely spoken language
in the country.
Yet, it is not the only one.
In fact, although the Spanish Constitution states
that Castilian is the official language of the State,
and that all Spanish people have the obligation to know it
and the right to use it, Spain recognises four other languages.
These languages have a co-official status, in their respective autonomous communities.
The languages are, in order of number of speakers:
Catalan (known in the Valencian Community as Valencian
and in the Balearic Islands as Balearic);
Galician;
Basque;
and Aranese/Occitan.
Considered that, I will talk about the situation in Spain, in general,
and in Castilian (or Spanish) language, in particular.
That means I will focus on the efforts made by Spain,
seen as a single political entity, on the E2U language.
In other words, I will not focus
on some certain Autonomous Communities that make up Spain.
The pompous old-fashioned style of the language in Spain
have legal and socio-cultural roots.
In fact, from 1881 to 1985 it was required by the law
that every legal or judicial fact was introduced by the gerund form.
The gerund is a nonfinite verb form, equivalent to the -ing form, in English.
This resulted in long sentences, full of subordinated clauses.
This style influenced all administrative and legal writing,
as well as writing in general.
During the dictatorship of Francisco Franco,
from 1939 to 1975,
the writing style of the Public Administration was obscure
and not comprehensible at all.
During the Francoist dictatorship, all languages,
except Spanish, had been banned.
Also, when interfacing with the Public Administration,
expressions like “muy señor mío” (“my very Lord”) were largely used,
even if they did not reflect the spoken language.
With the end of the dictatorship and the Spanish transition to democracy,
it also arose the need to renew the language.
Spanish institutions began to adapt their language
to the needs of a modern democratic society,
in order to present the rights and duties of citizens more clearly.
All the languages spoken in Spain had to deal with a writing tradition
consolidated over decades and the stagnation of people’s attitude
toward a more complex written form.
The first works in a more democratic and clear language were published
during this period,
especially by autonomous governments and local administrations.
Starting from the last 30 years or so,
awareness of the need for a linguistic renewal in all aspects
has become ever greater, in particular from the normalization
of the co-official languages spoken in Spain.
Recommendations initially made especially for English were remodelled
to be more suitable for the languages of Spain.
Even if there is no specific legislation for Easy-to-Understand language in Spain,
there are some national and international laws
which aim to make language and culture
more accessible and democratic for everyone.
In Spain, laws promulgated by international bodies
such as the UN are valid.
For example, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
where in article 22 is stated that:
“Everyone […] has the right to […] realization”,
and in article 27 that:
“Everyone has the right to participate in the cultural life of the community,
to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits”.
Other laws also valid in Spain are those issued after
the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
and the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities
for Persons with Disabilities.
This video lecture has been prepared by Piero Cavallo
and Rocío Bernabé Caro
from the Internationale Hochschule SDI München in Germany.
You can reach Rocío Bernabé at
rocio.bernabe@sdi-muenchen.de