Conference program

Please click here to register for the PLAIN 2009 conference

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PLAIN2009Industryseminarprogram:Thursday15October

ThursdayPLAIN2009Industryseminars9am–12.30pm

Corporate and finance

Government

KeynoteBillLutz(USA)PromotingplainlanguagedisclosuredocumentsCasestudy1ChristineMowat(Canada)ExploringplainlanguagebestpracticesinCanadiansecuritiescommissionsCasestudy2BobSendt(Australia)TheAuditor‐GeneralinplainEnglishWorkshopFrancesGordon(SouthAfrica)MakingplainlanguageworkChairChristopherBalmford(Australia)

KeynoteDrAnnettaCheek(USA)Plainlanguageandpolitics:workingwithyourlegislatorsCasestudy1AnneMarieHasselrot(Sweden)TheSwedishmodelforplainlanguageCasestudy2CarlosValdovinos(Mexico)Mexico’sCitizenLanguageInitiativeWorkshopDrSusanKleimann(USA)Mitigateturfbattles,improvepolicyanddevelopcleardisclosureChairLyndaHarris(NewZealand)

1.30pm–5pm

Legal

Health and community services

KeynoteRobertEagleson(Australia)TheunderlyingobstaclestolawyerswritingplainlyCasestudy1ProfessorJoeKimble(USA)Redraftinghallowedtext:theUSfederalcourtrulesCasestudy2WesselVisser(Netherlands)RewritingtheDutchConstitutionWorkshopMartinCutts(UK)Teneasytacticsforclearlegalwriting ChairProfessorPeterButt(Australia)

KeynoteLisaDieter(USA)Integratingplainlanguageinhealthcareorganisations:bestpracticesandlessonslearnedCasestudy1SandraFisher‐Martins(Portugal)PortugueseSocialSecuritygetsthebenefitsofplainlanguageCasestudy2AudreyRiffenburgh(USA)Anationalorganizationofphysiciansembracesplainlanguage:acasestudyandwhatwelearnedWorkshopSallyMcBeth(Canada)Toronto’saward‐winningclearlanguageinitiativeChairDrNeilJames(Australia)

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FridayPLAIN2009Conference–Day19–9.30am Conference opening

Introduction: DrNeilJames(Australia),PlainEnglishFoundation

Openingwelcome: ProfessorBillLutz(USA),PresidentofPLAIN BedeSunter(Australia),PresidentofASTCOpeningaddress: PremierofNewSouthWales,TheHon.NathanRees,MP

9.30–10.30am

Plenary 1 – Plain language and the global financial crisis

ProfessorBillLutz(USA) Promotingplainlanguagefinancialdisclosuredocuments.

WesselVisser(Netherlands) ThecreditcrisishasitsrootsinMainStreet,notWallStreet.

ChristopherBalmford(Australia) Toxiccommunicationandtheglobalfinancialcrisis.

10.30am Morning tea

10.45–11.45am

Panel 1 Challenging plain language

Panel 2 Making the case for plain language

Panel 3 Identifying opportunity for change

Panel 4 Measuring success

ProfessorDavidSless(Australia)Raisingthestandardofpubliccommunication:fromwhattowhat?FrancienMalecki(Netherlands)Justplainlanguageisnotenough.

LyndaHarris(NZ)Thebusinesscaseforplainlanguage.JohnKlotsche(USA)PlainTaxTalk:theyellowbrickroadtotaxsimplification.LisaDieter(USA)Integratingplainlanguageinhealthcareorganisations.

JulieShannon(Australia)Nowtothefuture:plainlanguageandinstitutionalchange.LyndaJelbert(NZ)Startingsmall,goingglobal.ThecaseofNewZealandTradeandEnterprise.AudreyRiffenburgh(USA)Ahealthpublisher’sjourneytoadoptingandsellingthebenefitsofplainlanguage.

JamesRobertson(Australia)Howcanweprovethevalueofcontent?IreneWong(Australia)Satisfactionasameasureofusability.

11.45am–12.30pm

Conversation 1 Literacy and accessibility

Conversation 2 Mr Doublespeak

Conversation 3 Legal language

Conversation 4 Understanding audience

CherylStephens(Canada)andCathyBasterfield(Australia)Informationasahumanright.

ProfessorBillLutz(USA)andMichèleAsprey(Australia)Lifeonthedoublespeakwatch.

ProfessorRobertEagleson(Australia)andProfessorPeterButt(Australia)Milestonesintwolivesrewritinglegallanguage.

DanaSkopal(Australia)andTriciaJackson(Australia)Sowhoexactlyismyaudience?

12.30pm Lunch

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1.30–2.30pm

Roundtable 1 – Professionalising plain language

MembersoftheInternationalPlainLanguageWorkingGrouppresentanddiscussthejustpublishedIssuespaperforestablishingplainlanguagestandards,aninternationalinstitute,research,accreditationandtrainingforpractitioners.IncludesDrAnnettaCheek(USA),HelenaEnglund(Sweden),FrancesGordon(SouthAfrica),EamonMoran(HongKong),CarlosValdovinos(Mexico),SandraFisher‐Martins(Portugal),LyndaHarris(NZ),DrNeilJames(Australia)andChristineMowat(Canada).

2.30–3.30pm

Workshop 1 Making it lively

Workshop 2 Assessment tools

Workshop 3 Legal drafting

Workshop 4 Software solutions

DrMarciaRiley(USA)Beclear!Beconcise!Beeffective!Instructionaltechniquesthatwork.AndrewPegler(Australia)Thelighterside:usinghumourtospreadtheword.

KristinKleimann(USA)DialectInterfaceSurvey(DIS):anassessmenttoolforinformationdesigners.AngelaColter(USA)Usingmultiplemethodstoassesstheusabilityofcreditcarddisclosuredocuments.

NaseemAli(Malaysia)andAssociateProfessorSuzanneWilkinson(NZ)Plainlanguageconstructioncontracts:'Greenfield'draftingvredrafting.BenPiper(Australia)Rightingthewrongsofrewriting.

DerekCorcoran(Australia)Adobeenterprisesolutions:engagingandefficient.NadRosenberg(USA)UsingplainlanguageinFlashonlinetutorials.

3.30pm Afternoon tea

3.45–5pm Showcase 1 Government standards

Showcase 2 Improving disclosure

Showcase 3 Legal ease

Showcase 4 Graphic communication

CathyBasterfieldandSueLang(Australia)Makingwritteninformationaccessible:votinginVictorianstategovernmentelections.AnnetteCorriganandSusanWorley(Australia)SettingthestandardsattheDepartmentofWaterinWesternAustralia.NerylEast(Australia)TheroleofplainEnglishinrebuildingreputationattheShellharbourCityCouncil.

WillBelfordandRonRinger(Australia)Re‐engineeringthecustomerexperience.AndrewGodwin(Australia)TheLehmanminibondscrisisinAsia:lessonsforplainlanguageriskdisclosure.Anne‐MarieChisnall(NZ)Motivatedvendor!BuildingaplainEnglishpartnershipwiththeRealEstateInstituteofNewZealand.

ProfessorJoeKimble(USA)LessonsfromredraftingtheFederalRulesofCivilProcedure.KathrynO’Brien(Australia)Judicialattitudestoplainlanguageandthelaw.SaraGilbert(NZ)Frontinguptothejudges:thetransformationofclaimsformsfordistrictcourtsinNewZealand.

WarrenLewington(Australia)Graphicsasclearcommunicationstools.SimonCarter(UK)Usingnon‐textexplanationstohelplawyersexplaincomplexinformation.DianeMacgregor(Canada)Wordsanddesignworkingtogethertocreateclearcommunication.

5–7pm Cocktail reception – celebrate three birthdays

Joinustomeetotherconferenceparticipantsandcelebratethreeimportantbirthdays. In1979,theplainEnglishmovementinAustraliawasbornandthisyear,itturns30. Inthesameyear,theco‐foundersoftheUKPlainEnglishCampaignfamouslyandsymbolicallyshredded

governmentformsinParliamentSquare,London. In1989,theAustralianSocietyforTechnicalCommunicationheldthefirstofits21annualconferences.

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PLAIN2009Draftconferencemorningprogram:Saturday17October

SaturdayPLAIN2009Conference–Day29–9.30am Keynote address

ProfessorPamPeters(Australia):Internationaltrendsinstyle

AuthoroftheCambridgeGuidetoEnglishUsage.

9.30–10.30am

Plenary 2 – Plain language laws

CandiceBurt(SouthAfrica) LawssettheframeworkforplainlanguageinSouthAfrica. DrAnnettaCheek(USA) Plainlanguageandpolitics:workingwithyourlegislators. RachelMcAlpine(NZ) MovestogetaplainlanguagelawinNewZealand.

10.30am Morning tea

10.45–11.45am

Panel 5 Plain language and other fields

Panel 6 Plain language and literature

Panel 7 Coherence

Panel 8 Writing for translation

SandraFisher‐Martins(Portugal)Differentvoices:learningfromothercommunicationexperts.DrNeilJames(Australia)Burningthestrawman:movingbeyondthecommunicationsturfwar.FrancesGordon(SouthAfrica)Seducingthereader:plainlanguageandmarketing.

ProfessorMichaelMeehan(Australia)PlainEnglishandpoeticlanguage.MichèleAsprey(Australia)Notesfromaplainlanguagefilmcritic.MoyaSayer‐Jones(Australia)Exploringtheboundariesbetweencreativeandbusinesswriting.

ProfessorChrisCandlin(Australia)Theroleofcoherenceinbusinessdiscourse.AssociateProfessorAlanJones(Australia)Coherencethroughconceptualdevelopment.DanaSkopal(Australia)Therelevanceofcoherence.

ProfessorStuartCampbellandSarahForget(Australia)Newchallengesforthewriter:howtowritefortranslation.

11.45–12.30pm

Conversation 5 Pioneering plain language

Conversation 6 Ernest Gowers

Conversation 7 Redesigning your website

Conversation 8 New technology, old problems

MartinCutts(UK)30yearsofplainEnglishcampaigning.

ProfessorAnnScott(Australia)Plainwordsandforgottendeeds.

JoanneLocke(USA)andAmyBunk(USA)Puttingtipsfromaguruintopractice.

ProfessorJohnGibbons(Australia)Insightsfrompreparingtextformachinetranslation.

12.30pm Lunch

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PLAIN2009Draftconferenceafternoonprogram:Saturday17October 1.30–2.15pm

Roundtable 2 – International Roundtable

Aninternationalpanelexploresthecurrentstateofplainlanguagearoundtheworld.

WewillalsoformallyannouncethehostcountryforthePLAIN2011conference.

2.15–3.15pm

Workshop 5 Forms

Workshop 6 Cutting edge tools

Workshop 7 Document assessment

Workshop 8 Software solutions

DianeMacgregor(Canada)Betterformsforbetterregulation:NovaScotia'snewguidelines.FrancienMalecki(Netherlands)&KristinKleimann(USA)Anyonecancreateforms.

RonDenholm(Australia)SEPADOsoftware:measuringknownfact,analysisandopinionintext.WesselVisser(Netherlands)Texamen:onlinemeasurementofthereadabilityofyourtext.

SallyMcBeth(Canada)Thetoolsofourtrade:awholisticapproachtoassessingreadability.Anne‐MarieChisnall&SaraGilbert(NZ)RaisingthestandardacrosstheTasman:aNewZealandperspectiveondocumentassessment.

AndrewLockton(Australia)MigratingtoWord2007quicklyandefficiently.

3.15pm Afternoon tea

3.45–5pm Showcase 5 Translation

Showcase 6 The Swedish model for plain language

Showcase 7 New frontiers

Showcase 8 The computer says no

JulieMatthews(Canada)Acasestudyindevelopingmultilingualinformationaboutthelaw.AinoPiehl(Finland)PlainFinnishintheEuropeanUnion:missionimpossible?LauraMurto‐Linden(Finland)TranslatingFinnishdefence.

Anne‐MarieHasselrot(Sweden)andEvaOlovsson(Sweden)TheSwedishwayofraisingthestandard:fromstyleguidestolegislation.

DrSusanKleimann(USA)Workinginthenewfrontier:creatingsomethingfromnothing.AnitaRay(Australia)Recontextualisationorjustplainediting:howdoyouinterpretthe'audience'?MartinCutts(UK)Instructionsforconsumerproducts:aseasyas1‐2‐3?

DarylColquhoun(Australia)Whatyouneedtoknowaboutdocumentsecurity.FrankMunday(Australia)World'sworsterrormessages.

5.30–6.30pm

ASTC annual general meeting

AGMopentoallASTCmembers.

7pm Conference dinner

Keynoteaddress: TheHon.MichaelKirby,ACCMG FormerjusticeoftheHighCourtofAustralia LawReformCommissionerandinternationaljuristPLAIN2009Awards: IntroducedbyNeilJamesandBillLutz

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PLAIN2009Draftconferenceprogram:Sunday18October

SundayPLAINannualgeneralmeeting 9am–12pm

AGMopentoallPLAINmembers.

http://www.plainenglishfoundation.com/