Discover the Plain Language Academy
practical, professional learning
What do you offer?Core Courses
We offer six Core plain language courses covering the process from start to finish: what is plain language, audience awareness, writing and editing, assessing, and project management. Courses are designed to enhance your skills, knowledge and confidence in applying plain language practices to your communications—in print, online and in person. Advanced Courses Advanced courses are designed to broaden your experience on specialized topics. We offer legal editing, clear online content, health literacy and science of plain language courses. New ones are coming online all the time. You will find it helpful to have an understanding of plain language practices before taking an Advanced course. Multi-lingual Courses Plain language works for every language. Our new Academies will expand your options beyond the English language. We will have offerings in Español, Français, and in South Africa in 2021. How do I benefit?If you create any of the following information, plain language skills will help you:
When you successfully complete the course, we will send you a Certificate. If you complete the six-course option, C1–C3 and any three others, you will also get a Letter of Achievement. Courses include content, discussions, assignments, self-study and helpful links. Your instructor will be available to answer questions, discuss topics and give you feedback on assignments. Advanced courses include a virtual lesson. |
Who is in your courses?
Plain Language Academy courses attract writers and editors wanting to enhance their existing skills or learn new ones. Professionals and new practitioners alike are drawn to the scope of the courses, the fees and the time lines.
We've had students from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Portugal, Canada, USA, and Japan. Plain language knows no boundaries and we don't either. Our instructors are from Canada, the USA and South Africa. We welcome you to join us. Sign up for our newsletter to find out more. 
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How do I register?You can sign up for the courses in any order. But, if you are new to plain language, we recommend starting with courses 1: Basics, 2. Audience and 3. Writing and Editing. Your decision may be based on the need at the time, like writing online content or learning about clear design. Course fees and currency are posted with the registration link.
Here's how to get registered. 1. Review our course list and select the ones that interest you. 2. Check the start dates. Courses generally take 4 - 6 weeks. 3. Use the registration link to access the page where you can sign in, pay and get started. Once you pay you will receive a confirmation email, log in details and access to the course. Contact us about package deals for groups, Letter of Achievement courses and more. Fees Pay by PayPal or Stripe. Visa can be used on both. Most courses are in Canadian or US dollars. If you need an invoice or receipt, request it at getintouch@plainlanguageacademy.com Deadlines Extensions are granted upon our assessment of your request. If the course completion deadline passes, without approval for an extension, re-registration is required. 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 a 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. Courses are generally available for 4-6 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. |