Plain language in administration

The texts that our tool generates in plain language are not checked – if they were, it would no longer be possible to provide them at the touch of a button. However, we work with tested texts in the development of our tool and also have the development monitored: By certified plain language translators with a wealth of experience from working with the target group and by reviewers from the target group itself. We use the latter to carry out regular checks of our tool and the texts generated with it. In this way, we include the target group as an integral part of our product development. You can find a report on such a review from the perspective of a tester here, for example: https://www.instagram.com/p/CpP8-BsNNh6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

For particularly important information, we recommend checking the translated text to ensure that the target group understands it as well as possible. We are happy to put you in touch with our trusted testing groups, for example the KJF Werkstätten St. Josef in Straubing – please contact us, preferably by e-mail at prüfung@summ-ai.com! Soon it will also be possible to send us a test request directly on the relevant text.

Leichte Sprache is a highly simplified form of German (competence level A1-A2) and a firmly defined language style from the field of accessibility. The most important features are short, concrete sentences, the absence of subordinate clauses and foreign words as well as additional explanations. At first glance, a text in plain language may seem a little unfamiliar and “bumpy” – but the main aim is to understand the text, so the style of expression is noticeably subordinate to this goal. There are also fixed rules for texts in plain language and legal requirements to provide information in plain language. Traditionally, the target group is primarily people with learning difficulties, educational disadvantages or a migration background and little knowledge of German. This target group is estimated to be more than 10 million people in Germany alone. In addition to providing barrier-free access to information, plain language can help everyone to understand complicated contexts, making it increasingly popular.

You can find more information on plain language here.

Simple language is often confused with easy language – and that can happen, because the terms are not always clearly defined.

The most important distinguishing feature first: plain language is “harder” than easy language! This means that it allows for more complexity, for example subordinate clauses. It also does not follow a fixed set of rules, but its principles are based on the language competence level. For plain language, this is A2-B1. Easy Language, on the other hand, is based on the A1-A2 range.

The advantage of plain language, for example for companies: It is very easy to understand and at the same time less “wooden” or “bumpy” than plain language. So if you want to communicate with customers in a fluent and appealing way and do something to improve comprehensibility, plain language is the right choice.

Disadvantage: It is not as barrier-free as possible because, unlike plain language, it allows for more complexity. This means that some people from the plain language target group, who are dependent on a great deal of simplification, are excluded from plain language.

We also offer AI-based solutions for plain language on request – contact us, preferably by email at vanessa@summ-ai.com!

You can find more information on plain language here.