Learn to Write at a Grade Eight Level

At least with a written report you have the luxury of reading it over and over again. If you are presenting your speech or doing an oral presentation at work and you end up stumping your audience with words that no one understands, you have lost them.

The English language is very difficult anyway. Why do we have to make it more difficult than it already is?

You could be an engineer, in love with abbreviations, an urban planner who uses too many acronyms or a public health researcher fond of jargon.

Your speeches or presentations have your audience scratching their heads during meetings, asking endless questions to figure out what you actually said before they vote on it.

There should be a wider use of plain language. I think it would make for a more informed community.

If information is more clearly communicated, one would think we should spend less time trying to interpret, debate and decipher when we're in the middle of a meeting.

Many of us came out of academic settings where lofty language is valued.

People think it's expected to sound important. You're rewarded for talking in very elaborate ways, and writing in very elaborate ways.

Once you enter the workplace or have to deal with the public, you will realize that most people don't talk in an elaborate way, and maybe don't speak English as a first language. In Toronto, you can count on it.

-- Paul

Related tip: Get To The Point: The Do's and Don'ts of Powerpoint Presentations

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