Abstract:

Editing and proofreading using plain language techniques implies accepting a range of principles that go beyond correctness. Plain language use is expected both to increase reader engagement, comprehension and recall and to save organizational time and money. Short and active sentences, concise blocks, bulleted lists, and headings to break up content and facts make reading much easier, and this, in turn, can improve online engagement and conversion rates. Most of the quoted language principles are generally accepted as beneficial. However, when it comes to select the best choice to address the readers and come to an international agreement experts’ opinion diverge . On the one hand, there is the belief that addressing the readers directly not only engages them but also makes it easier for them to picture contents and deliverables from their own perspective, enhancing understanding and usability. On the other hand, some will claim that using personal pronouns directly will create inaccuracies and “dangerous” ambiguities. In this study it is our aim to discuss the qualitative results of a class activity in which our students experiment a focus group methodology to discuss the direct use of personal pronouns in multimodal contents and technical documentation. The results obtained reveal interesting perceptions concerning style, readability and rewriting and editing policies.

Keywords:

Plain language, personal pronouns, usability, editing, readability.