Simple language

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Simple language is a linguistically simplified version of standard or technical language . The language style is simpler, clearer and easier to understand.

features

Texts in simple language have shorter sentences, simple sentence structures. Foreign words , difficult to understand stylistic figures , such as idioms or metaphors , are just as little used in simple language as unusual pictorial expressions and allusions .

Texts in plain language enable a larger part of the population to have access to information or literature and are therefore part of accessibility . Simple language is not about writing texts for educationally disadvantaged groups, but rather adapting difficult texts to the reading skills of broad sections of the population.

The tabloid media usually have the level of plain language. If one compares simple language with the acquisition of a foreign language, then in the common European framework of reference for languages ​​it is at about level A2-B1. In contrast to easy language, simple language does not have a set of rules. The term simple language is not used systematically. Approaches to a definition can be found in the study Easy Language - Easy Language by Andreas Baumert and the publisher Ralf Beekveldt, who sees a need for literature on a linguistic level between easy language and normal language.

background

Illiteracy

In addition to around 7.5 million functionally illiterate people in Germany - including people with severe reading and spelling difficulties , people with intellectual disabilities and people who speak German as a foreign language - there are around 13 million citizens with poor reading skills in numerous levels. As detailed in the basic education study 2010, the reading competence of around 25% of the population in Germany is not sufficient for a literarily demanding text without them belonging to the group of people with functional illiteracy. This group of people is the target group for simple language. Some of these people did not get past a low reading level in school. Others have to learn to read from scratch after a serious illness. Poor reading skills make access to many areas of life difficult or impossible - gainful employment , media use , public life. Simple language should make it easier for these people to get started with the written language. "According to the 'Aktion Mensch', 95 percent of the population can read and understand simple language", says Lynn Osselmann in the article The Art of Simplicity. Six authors write literature in simple language .

Relevant studies

According to the results of the PISA studies 2010 for Germany, 18.5% of 15-year-olds do not have sufficient reading skills and only 7.6% of pupils can read very well.

In the case of adults, the 2011 Level One study came to the result: "Incorrect writing despite common vocabulary is evident in [...] twenty-five percent of the working population, this mainly affects the spelling (Alpha level 4, 18–64 years of age ). That corresponds to over 13 million people in Germany. "

In the relevant study Light Language - Simple Language , Andreas Baumert advocates developing the Standardized Simple Language German (SESD) as a standard language with scientists.

Guidelines

In contrast to easy language , for example , simple language does not provide any mandatory rules. Guidelines are to be understood as recommendations and allow the authors to deviate. Among other things, the following recommendations are made:

  • The sentence structure is simple and logical; Jumps in thought are avoided
  • The sentence length of simple sentences is usually limited to around ten to eleven words, if subordinate clauses are used to fifteen words
  • One thought per sentence
  • Using the active
  • The choice of words often resembles that of the spoken language
  • The words should be common knowledge and as clear as possible. For example money instead of means of payment or church instead of church
  • Foreign words , words complex in their meaning or long compound words should be replaced by simple and unambiguous words. But if these words are at the heart of the statement, they should be explained and illustrated by examples
  • Metaphors , irony and idioms are replaced by alternatives
  • Abstract terms are replaced by concrete ones

Differences between simple language and easy language

Easy language was developed in the United States in the 1970s for and with people with intellectual disabilities. About 20 years later the concept also came to Germany. Until then there was almost no information available for people with intellectual disabilities. Access to information is an important part of inclusion . Easy language has fixed rules that are discussed and established for Germany by the network easy language. For example, the texts must be checked for comprehensibility by people with intellectual disabilities and then corrected. Texts in easy language are easier to recognize than simple language, as they are visually different from everyday language: The sentences are very short, there are line breaks after each sentence, the genitive is not used, compound words are written with hyphens, many Images and photos are used to illustrate the text.

Example text

“The tumult grew bigger and bigger. People held up posters saying “No violence”. Police beat her with batons. Some tried to break out of the crowd. The police immediately came after them and pulled them to the ground. People screamed. Sirens howled. Police cars drove up. It was a terrible mess. Two police officers grabbed me and tried to drag me away. That's when I saw her. In a fine red evening dress, the handbag over his arm. My mother."

use

media

Since 2016, Deutschlandfunk has broadcast news in simple language once a week. On the website of kurier.at there are selected news and stories in simple language that are written by the inclusive teaching team. Since July 2017, ORF has been offering easy-to-understand messages in teletext . The Aktion Mensch published on its website selected texts both in everyday language and in Simple Language. The Federal Agency for Civic Education gives the website “Politics. Simply for everyone ”: There are booklets, audio books and news in simple language (with a tendency towards easy language) available. The Hanseatic City of Herford published a city guide in plain language in 2019. Health guides in simple language have been available on the Apotheken Umschau website since September 23, 2019 . These translations have been double-checked, both by the medical editorial team and linguistically by the Light Language Research Center at the University of Hildesheim.

literature

Some publishers publish literature in plain language. In 2016, the Frankfurter Literaturhaus started the project "Frankfurt, your story - literature in simple language". The writers Henning Ahrens , Mirko Bonné , Nora Bossong , Olga Grjasnowa , Kristof Magnusson and Alissa Walser wrote texts according to a set of rules. The Inclusion Office of the City of Frankfurt initiated the project. In 2020 the book Lies was published with texts by Judith Hermann , Alissa Walser and Arno Geiger, among others . The fun at reading publishing house publishes classics of literature in simple language, including The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka .

literature

  • Andreas Baumert: Easy Language - Simple Language. Status: January 11, 2016, 293 pages, free of charge, PDF file (12.4 MB) SerWisS | Easy language - easy language
  • Federal Agency for Civic Education: Easy and Simple Language. Status: February 21, 2014, 40 pages, free of charge, PDF file (789 kB) Easy and simple language | bpb
  • Andreas Baumert: Simple language: write understandable texts. Fun at Reading Verlag, Münster 2018, ISBN 978-3-944668-87-1 .
  • Martina Ziegler, Karl-Heinz Eser, Sonja Abend, Peter Piasecki, Mechthild Ziegler: Simple language in education and training . LERNEN FÖRDERN - Federal Association for the Promotion of People with Learning Disabilities eV, Stuttgart 2015, ISBN 978-3-943373-06-6 .

Web links

Wiktionary: Simple language  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Andreas Baumert: Leichte Sprache - Simple Language , January 11, 2016, 293 p., Freely accessible.
  2. ↑ a b c LEO - Level-One Study 2010 In: epb.uni-hamburg.de , accessed on May 28, 2017.
  3. ↑ The Art of Simplicity. Six authors write literature in “simple language” In: migazin.de , April 18, 2017, accessed on May 28, 2017.
  4. ↑ leo. - Level-one study . Adult literacy at the lower proficiency levels.
  5. ↑ Rules for Simple Language - Simple Language Bonn .
  6. ↑ The Story - Easy Language .
  7. ↑ https://www.leichte-sprache.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Regeln_Leichte_Ssprache.pdf
  8. ↑ Eva Dix: Goodbye, Lenin! Text in plain language. , Fun am Reading Verlag, Münster 2015, p. 25, ISBN 978-3-944668-22-2 ( excerpt )
  9. ↑ New news offer on Deutschlandfunk - "Don't exclude anyone from information". Retrieved on May 3, 2020 (German).
  10. ^ Kurier.at in simple language. Retrieved December 6, 2018 .
  11. ↑ "News easy to understand" new in ORF Teletext orf.at, July 4, 2017, accessed July 4, 2017. Teletext ORF.at , accessed December 6, 2018
  12. ↑ We do that .
  13. ↑ Federal Agency for Civic Education: Politics. Easy for everyone. Retrieved December 6, 2018 .
  14. ↑ https://www.herford.de/PDF/StadtHF_Stadtf%C3%BChrer_einfache_Ssprach.PDF?ObjSvrID=2593&ObjID=12135&ObjLa=1&Ext=PDF&WTR=1&_ts=1575368108
  15. ↑ Apotheken-Umschau.de in simple language. September 23, 2019, accessed November 12, 2019 .
  16. ↑ Literaturhaus Frankfurt - Date-Detail-View. Retrieved May 3, 2020 .
  17. ↑ Literature in easy language - Even simple language can be art. Retrieved on May 3, 2020 (German).
  18. ↑ SWR2, SWR2: Hauke ​​Hückstädt (ed.) - "Read! The book. Literature in simple language". Retrieved May 3, 2020 .
  19. ↑ Literature in simple language: Is that still Kafka? Violinist? Haushofer? - derStandard.de. Retrieved on May 3, 2020 (Austrian German).