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The award-winning ​ Plain Language Academies ​


Your plain language
learning destination


Advanced Courses
​ ​​Strategy and Planning
  • Implementing Plain Language as a Strategic Priority: Fall 2025
  • The ISO Plain Language Standard: how it works in organizations: Fall 2025 
  •  The Plain Language ISO Standard: how it makes your communication easier:  June 2025​
  • Plain Language Project Leadership
  • Focus on Feedback


​​​
Professional
  • Connecting with Citizens and other Stakeholders
  • Plain Language 2.0 and Health Literacy
  • Editing for Plainer Technical Writing​​
Legal 
  • Editing for Plainer Legal Writing
​
Online Content and Digital Design
  • Creating Clear E-content
  • Designing for Digital Accessibility​ (Fall 2025)

Strategy and Planning

New: PLA Live Virtual ISO Plain Language Standard Courses
 The ISO Plain Language Standard: How it makes your communication easier (Register)
PLA Live: Plain Language ISO Standard: how it makes your communications easier registration
Weekly live virtual sessions: June 4, 11, 18, 25 
Times to be decided
Fee: $340.00 CAD Pay via PayPal at plainlanguageacademy.moodlecloud.com
Register using your plainlanguageacademy.moodlecloud.com account.
Choose your course, select the PayPal P link and when payment is complete, you'll have access to your course. 



The ISO Plain Language Standard: how it works in organizations: Fall 2025 (Email if you are interested)
​In 2023, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published the first international standard for Plain Language. The standard provides nearly universal Plain Language guidelines and techniques. In an organisational context, these guidelines and techniques can be translated into a content development process that delivers relevant, findable, understandable, and usable communication.This course will help you translate the principles and guidelines of the ISO Plain Language standard into a content development process tailored for your organisation.

Implementing Plain Language as a Strategic Priority (12-weeks) (A5)
March 10, 2025  $360.00 CAD Register now.
Email your interest to [email protected].

​
​Goals
The focus of Plain Language actions is often on specific documents or pieces of communication. Implementing Plain Language in a systematic manner in an organization is, however, a different challenge for executives, compliance officers, communication managers or customer relations. 
This course will empower you to make your organization truly customer- or citizen-centred.


Outline
​Module 1: A framework for implementing Plain Language as a strategic priority
Module 2: Getting leadership buy-in for Plain Language
Module 3: Developing a business plan for Plain Language
Module 4: Establishing a Plain Language process 
Module 5: Creating sustainable excitement for Plain Language
Module 6: Monitoring process and demonstrating return on investment ​

Facilitators
Sarah Slabbert and Nadja Green, Plain Language Institute, South Africa Note: Course is 12 weeks long. If you have any questions, email us at [email protected] or [email protected]
Plain Language Project Leadership (A8)
 
Register anytime.  $299.00 CAD 
​
GOALS

Plain Language Project Leadership encompasses the whole plain language process, focusing on a project client document. This course lets you to practice leading a complete a project with guidance, feedback, and support.  You will develop a project plan, content, and a report.

​Benefits 
  • opportunity to put together all your knowledge and skills on one project 
  • enhance your experience in audience awareness and document testing 
  • create a working template for future plain language projects.  ​​

Facilitator
 Kate Harrison Whiteside, Key Advice and PlainLanguageAcademy.com
Focus on Feedback (A6)

Register anytime.  $299.00 CAD  

​Goals
After completing this course, you will:
  • understand the testing options available
  • develop a list of resources
  • be able to make informed decisions about which method you can manage, that best suits your project and resources. ​​
Facilitator
Kate Harrison Whiteside,  PlainLanguageAcademy.com
[email protected]

Professional

Plain Language 2.0 and ​Health Literacy ​(A3)
Register now on Academy Educlaro in English and Spanish.
$275.00 USD Email 
[email protected] for details.

​Successful completion means a Certificate and credit towards the five course Letter of Achievement from the Plain Language Academy.
​Goals
In this course, we will explore the intersection between health literacy and plain language to promote successful health communication. Health literacy is defined as the ability to find, understand, and process information to make healthcare decisions. Plain language has a vital role to play in fostering access, understanding, and usability of health information.
Outline
1. Health Literacy as a Complex Construct
2. Plain Language for Health Communication
3. Writing Strategies for Clarity
4. Live Recap and Final Project

Self-study supported by group discussions, live video session and  instructor feedback on submissions.


Facilitator
Romina Marazzato Sparano, Language Compass, USA

Online Content and Design

Designing for Digital Accessibility (A7) 
Fall 2025   $395 CAD /€260 Euros

Goals
Accessibility of digital documents and content ensures inclusive design for all. In today's digital age, accessibility is not just a legal requirement, it is a moral obligation. This course is aimed at helping you learn how to create digital content that is accessible to everyone, regardless of ability or disability.
​
Facilitator
dr Izabela Mrochen, Poland, EU

 
Email your interest in registering or questions to​ us at 
[email protected].

Legal

Editing for Plainer Legal Writing (A2) 
For writers with no legal training
Register now. Next course Oct 7, 2024  $299.00.CAD

Goals
This six-week course is for anyone who prepare technical information for non-technical readers.

​You might write: 
  • correspondence to citizens about their water quality 
  • reports to elected officials about development projects 
  • user manuals for customers with new electronics
You will learn to assess your audience and their information needs and to edit a technical document so that they can find the information they need, understand what they find and use that information quickly.
This course gives a certificate of achievement after your assignments are completed and marked. 
​

Facilitator
Nicole Watkins Campbell, Watkins Campbell Communications.
Connecting with Citizens and other Stakeholders  (A 4)

For people who prepare government information for others - internal and external

Open registration  $299.00.CAD 


Citizens’ trust in their governments is disappearing. It’s happening around the world for many different reasons. This course will help municipal, provincial, and federal workers improve their writing or editing for the public and other stakeholders. 

Learning goals
·      identify their purpose in writing 
·      understand their audiences’ motivations and needs
·      use 10 writing tactics to make their writing more engaging
·      test whether their documents are working for readers

Topics
  1. Good communication is good public service
  2. Know your readers and your purpose
  3. Organize for clarity and ease
  4. Motivate with style and language
  5. Check your work

Facilitator
Nicole Watkins Campbell, Watkins Campbell Communications







​

Editing for Plainer Technical Writing (A9) 
For people who prepare technical information for non-technical readers 
 $299.00.CAD 

Goals
This six-week course is for anyone who prepare technical information for non-technical readers.

​You might write: 
  • correspondence to citizens about their water quality 
  • reports to elected officials about development projects 
  • user manuals for customers with new electronics
You will learn to assess your audience and their information needs and to edit a technical document so that they can find the information they need, understand what they find and use that information quickly.
This course gives a certificate of achievement after your assignments are completed and marked. 
​

Facilitator
Nicole Watkins Campbell, Watkins Campbell Communications.




​

​

Creating Clear E-content (A1) 
Register anytime .  $299.00.CAD

​
Goals
Online content, whether for websites, social media or electronic communications (emails, texts) is now part of our daily communications. We need to adapt our style of writing to these platforms. Integrating plain language practices, including new ISO standard, into your online content development is important to succeed.

Outline
1. Why we need clear e-content.
2. Planning online content
3. Building audience awareness
4. Writing online conversations
5. Content and visual design
6. Testing and evaluating
Assignment


Facilitator
​
Kate Harrison Whiteside, Key Advice and PlainLanguageAcademy.com.
[email protected]
Core Courses

Course Policy, Registration Cancellation or Withdrawal 
We know circumstances change. If you register and pay for a course, you can withdraw prior to the start of course for an 90% rebate.
If you withdraw in the first 5 days of the course, you receive an 80% refund.
After one week, we will credit your fees to the same course in the future or another course of equal fees.
f you wait two weeks or more, no refund is available.
​Courses are generally available for 8 weeks. After that, unless special permission has been granted, you will be removed from the course. If you wish to complete it at a future date, you will have to pay again. 
​

Choose your Academy. Choose your courses. We are here to work with you.

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  • Home
  • Courses
    • Plain Language Standard (ISO) Courses
    • Core Courses
    • PLA Advanced Courses
  • Connect
  • Students
  • About Us
  • News, blogs, vids
    • PLAIN 2023 Conference
    • Videos