Is fancy corporate English a good idea?
I’ve been reading Shane Littrell’s paper about the unnecessarily complex English used in some corporate environments. This sort of language sounds like it’s wearing an expensive business suit, but it often obscures plain realities.
Littrell uses the word “bullshit” to describe it.
Littrell situates the paper within wider research that suggests uncomplimentary things about fans of fancy language. Being impressed by “bullshit” may be associated with “lower analytic thinking, insight, verbal ability, general knowledge, metacognition, and intelligence.” (Littrell, p.7)
I think using unnecessarily complex corporate English is risky. Some readers will feel comfortable with it. Others will distrust the writer.
Somehow, it’s like wearing an expensive business suit and peacock feathers at the same time.
Plain English for every reader
Rylin Rodgers of Microsoft has written about Plain Language and AI for the University of Minnesota’s website.
Plain Language means writing in a clear and straightforward way that everyone can understand. It makes documents more accessible to readers who struggle with complex texts.
Rodgers points out that people can use AI to turn important texts, such as instructions, into Plain Language. They can also ask the AI questions if they need further help. It looks like AI will make it much easier for people to engage with institutions and essential services.
As Rodgers says, AI has made Plain Language interactive. Previously, it only existed in static texts.
I’ve always been a big fan of Plain English writing. As well as supporting accessibility, it’s good for communication and trust. Plain English is quicker to read and harder to misunderstand.
It also makes the writer look confident about their ideas. When we state something plainly, it shows that we feel no need to hide behind grandiose and intricate wording.
Speaking in your vernacular
Many countries have more than one homegrown language. For example, Scotland has English, Scots, Gaelic, and British Sign Language.
The Scottish parliament has passed various laws to protect Scotland’s languages and support linguistic diversity in education. I’m particularly glad of this for Scots. It’s widely spoken and has a rich vocabulary, but used to be underestimated as a “mere” English dialect.
Being able to use your mother tongue in all situations is a great comfort, whether we know it or not. I’ve often taken it for granted as a speaker of English.
Plain Language is about giving people the comfort of communications that meet their understanding. The same can be said for measures that protect a country’s languages.
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