Estonia’s first plain-language standard puts readers first

Estonia’s first plain-language standard came into force at the start of October, setting out guidance for writing public-facing texts with readers in mind, ERR reports. Its launch coincides with International Plain Language Day on Tuesday.

The standard aims to make written communication with the public simpler and the exchange of information smoother. Kristel Ress, who chairs the technical committee that prepared it, said writers should consider who will read a text and in what circumstances.

Instructions for fishers, for example, might be read by a coastal fisher on a boat in cold weather, using a phone with wet fingers, or by someone at home or at a bus stop. Those situations call for different approaches, Ress said.

She described the standard as a practical tool whose advice is now collected in one concise place. It focuses on broad principles rather than choices such as which word or grammatical form to use, and could help office workers, editors, students, teachers and researchers.

ERR language editor and adviser Ester Põldma said the guidance would be especially useful to people writing online, where brevity, clarity and comprehensibility matter. A reader should understand on the first reading what a sentence is meant to say, she said.

Under the international definition, a text is in plain language when readers in its intended audience can find the information they need, understand it and act on it. Põldma said the reader should guide decisions about the words, sentences and overall form of a text.