Plain language work in the Institute for the Languages of Finland

The Institute for the Languages of Finland (ILF) has advocated plain language in administration since the 1970's. The Institute has 10 resident plain language experts, one of them Swedish-speaking. They offer the public officials training and consulting and conduct plain language research.

Back to headlines

New!

Back to headlines

Working group appointed to prepare action plan promoting plain language in administration and legislation

A working group with the task to plan ways to promote plain language has been appointed by the Ministry of Education and Culture on 5 February. An action plan to improve the legal language and the language used by public authorities in communication with the citizens - as promised in the present Government's programme - will be formulated by 31 October this year. The group is chaired by the director of the Institute for the Languages of Finland, and the Institute also provides one member, plain language experts and secretaries for the group.

Back to headlines

Finland chose Plain Language as one of its goals for the Open Government Partnership Initiative

The Open Government Partnership was launched in 2011 in relation to the UN General Assembly. The partipating countries are expected to make conrete commitments to deal with obstacles to the dialogue between public administration and citizens and citizen participation. The initiative has been joined by 47 countries at the moment, including all the Nordic States and Estonia.

The Finnish Ministry of Finance has launched a co-operation project to draft the national action plan and to dialogue and consult with citizens and civil society organizations. Finland is the only country to have chosen plain language as one of the themes of its action plan and commitments.

Back to headlines

International Plain Language Day in Finland

Several Government Offices and the Institute for the Languages of Finland participated in celebrating International Plain Language Day on the 15 October - for the first time in Finland.

Plain Language Day was visible also in the media, as many newspapers and radio stations had included the theme in their news stories of the day. They used the material offered to them by the Institute and the language experts of the ministries, telling for example about Straight to the point, a project that aims to make the local government services more accessible to the residents.

Back to headlines

Campaign to include plain language activities in the new Government Programme

Finland got a new government on 22 June 2011. The government promised in its programme (pages 27 and 88) to promote plain language in legislation, administration and communication with citizens. Over the past year the ILF had coordinated a campaign to have the plain language initiative included in the new Government Programme. This is because, in general, experience has shown that inclusion in the Government Programme improves a project’s likelihood of implementation.

During the campaign, the ILF contacted MPs and party officials. A questionnaire was sent to political parties on their willingness to make plain language measures part of the next Government Programme. They were also asked to give their opinion on a number of proposed plain language measures. This questionnaire was sent to all registered parties, each party being asked to return only one set of answers representing its position. Replies were received from all parliamentary parties.

The main idea behind the survey was to increase information on, and understanding of, work to promote the use of plain language. After the 17th April election, the answers were used to market the plain language principle among MPs representing the winning parties.

Elections as a plain language tool? Plain2011

Back to headlines

Clarifying legislative language

The ILF has provided language specialist services for a number of legislative projects. This has been done to facilitate the drafting of easily understandable legislative texts. ILF language specialists have participated in working groups on legislative drafting and proposed improvements to terminology and overall phrasing.

A representative from ILF has also been represented on an advisory board appointed by the Government for 2007–2011, with the aim of improving the overall quality of legislation and legislative drafting. Together with the unit responsible for legislative revision at the Finnish Ministry of Justice, the ILF is currently working on a webpage providing information and guidance to legislative drafters.

Presentation on this project:
Implementing the Better Regulation Programme, Clarity 2010

Back to headlines

Names in plain language

The ILF is trying to influence the naming practices of public authorities. The idea is that names should be both clear and comprehensible. Naming transparency is important to enabling citizens to understand the matter in question and place it within the correct administrative area.

During administrative reforms, old names are changed to new ones. When coining a new name, public authorities primarily seek a short name that resonates internationally. Clarity takes second place. The result is often a businesslike but unfathomable brand name. ILF is urging the Finnish authorities to draft instructions and regulations clarifying the aspects that Finnish public bodies should take into account when devising names.

Back to headlines

Plain language training for public authorities

The ILF includes a five-member training team providing tailored training to private companies and public bodies. This team also organises plain language courses open to all. Central and local government authorities have been an important client group since the 1970s.

Most courses focus on clear and concise writing, examining how different types of texts and situations set different requirements for such writing. Other frequently addressed topics include finding the right register, tone and viewpoint, plus punctuation and other ways of finalising a text. Demand is increasing for courses on writing for the internet and social media.

Examples of training topics:
– writing a statement on the grounds for a decision
– information on the latest norms and language developments for communications specialists
– introduction to administrative language
– how to write a blog that hooks readers

The ILF training team also
– produces sample texts and plain language reproductions of legislative texts together with the client’s specialists
– draws up customised writing instructions (printed or digital).

Back to headlines

Drafting a legislative text

The ILF and the Finnish Ministry of Justice are carrying out a research and language revision project entitled Drawing up a legislative text. This aims to make the Housing Companies Act easier to understand. Through this project, the ILF has gained valuable insights into how language use is discussed among legislative drafters. It has also witnessed the long process of turning a draft into a legally binding text and gathered information on the kinds of linguistic amendments drafters are more likely to accept. The project will end in 2011.

In conclusion, it seems that although language issues are frequently discussed in working group meetings, the focus is not on linguistic clarity. Formulations and expressions are discussed, but there is no systematic approach to terminology. Furthermore, when the content is noncontroversial, a text may undergo extensive changes during the final drafting phases.

Most commonly accepted linguistic amendments involve the simplification of sentence structures and proposals to replace legal jargon with plain-language expressions. Most commonly opposed linguistic amendments relate to attempts to clarify and explain legislative references and change the order of presentation.

Presentations on this project:
PLAIN 2007, Amsterdam
Curriculum, Language and the Law 2008, Dubrovnik
Clarity 2008, Mexico City

Back to headlines

Plain language projects and research projects

Straight to the Point

Life in the text aquarium: origin, trail and essential aspects of official texts (finished)

Growth of texts within the public administration (ongoing)

Legal language and comprehensibility

Ideal language vs. writing in practice

Language of administrative press releases

Back to headlines