Clear communication

This is a handbook written in clear language about clear language.

Communications Canada has designed this practical tool kit, entitled Successful Communication: Literacy and You, to assist Government of Canada communicators and managers to better communicate to Canadians information about the policies, programs and services that have been designed for them.

The acronym CLAD stands for Clear Language and Design. This clear-language thesaurus suggests simpler, plainer alternatives for a variety of relatively complex yet common English words. The more complex words are listed alphabetically on one side of a page and the plain-language suggestions are listed opposite them.

This is a handbook about plain language and how to communicate clearly in writing. In the introductory chapter, the author defines what is meant by "plain language" and discusses the importance of using plain language. Chapter 2 begins with facts about literacy in Canada and includes a short history of the plain language movement. Chapter 3 talks about jargon and how not to write, while Chapter 4 goes over some basic grammar.

Plain language and clear design is a way of organizing information that makes sense. This style of writing or speaking uses straightforward, concrete and familiar words. The PEI Literacy Alliance created this manual to use with its workshop on plain language. It is part of the Alliance's Fostering Plain Language in Public Communicationsproject funded by the National Literacy Secretariat.

Clear language and design can help create a usable and attractive document that users understand the first time they read it. This short guide, prepared by the Canadian Labour Congress, offers simple advice about how to prepare a clear and understandable document. It offers suggestions about such key items as line length, justification, font, text density and illustrations.

We've all been at events where we've felt confused or left out when we don't understand what's going on. Sometimes, this happens because of the way people talk or how information is presented. Over the last few years, the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) and other labour groups have taken steps to integrate a literacy and clear language approach into their communications, courses and conferences to avoid that confusion and sense of exclusion.

"The Clarity Audit" is the third part of the three-part "Clarity Kit," which was developed to assist municipal workplaces to improve their communication by encouraging the use of clear language. A clarity audit is a tool for gathering information about how an organization communicates, from the perspective of both management and unionized employees.

"Promoting Clear Communications in Your Municipality" is the second part of the three-part "Clarity Kit," which was developed to assist municipal workplaces to improve communication in the workplace by encouraging the use of clear language. In this part, the authors explain what is meant by "clear language," why it is of growing importance for the municipal workplace, and the problems caused by unclear language in the workplace.

"Developing a Strategy for Clear Language in Municipal Communications" is the first part of the three-part "Clarity Kit," which was created to assist municipal workplaces to improve communication in the workplace by encouraging the use of clear language.