ABSTRACT
Easy and Plain Language have come a long way over the past decade: They are now part of both international and national legislation, and a myriad of texts have been produced, ranging from political, legal, and medical communication to cultural offers and literature as well as offers in different forms of media realization. The main goal of Easy Language has been to enhance the perceptibility and especially the comprehensibility of content. But as this chapter shows, this is not enough: To maximally optimize comprehensibility comes at a price – - reduced acceptability and even the risk of stigmatizing the target groups with communication offers that are visibly different from the standard. One solution is to opt for Plain Language, which is less perceptibility and comprehensibility enhanced and addresses average non-expert users in technical contexts. Plain Language has heightened its profile in recent years, with increased international co-operation and research and the development of an ISO standard. The chapter introduces the main characteristics of Easy and Plain Language and investigates their commonalities and differences. It looks at how Easy and Plain Language texts emerge: Either through direct text production or through translation.
