I was shopping the other day at a major department store and walked by their kitchen appliance section where I saw the words, “Kitchen Electrics.” The word electrics seem to have replaced the word electronics! Or did it replace the word appliances? I’m confused. Was this new word created for marketing purposes? These made-up words just bug me. Or maybe I just need to take an English grammar class to update my knowledge!

So you may be wondering what my word pet peeves have to do with training. I am not an expert in English grammar but I do know that how well you write makes a difference in teaching others. Think of all of the training materials we write. They include, but are not limited to, participant guides, lesson plans, job aids, power point slides, e-learning lesson text, etc. These made-up words may be acceptable in marketing or when texting (oh, another one!) a friend, but unclear words and confusing text in training materials can confuse our students and hinder the learning process.

Here are some examples to illustrate my point: Have you ever tried to read a legal document of any kind and really understood what it meant? Have you received medical test results in the mail and said, “What does all of this really mean?” When you purchased or re-financed your home and signed the seemingly endless amount of forms, did you ever fear that you were making a big mistake somewhere because you really did not understand all of the mortgage industry jargon in the paperwork?

Different writing styles exist because we write for different purposes and to different audiences. As trainers and designers we need to teach people about new things or how to do new things.

Here are some simple tips to keep our training materials easy and user friendly:

• Keep the words as simple as possible – the fewer syllables, the better. Be conversational!
• Avoid technical jargon or at least define the words when you first use them.
• Use short sentences approximately 15-20 words in length.
• Spell your words correctly and use correct punctuation. If necessary, consult the appropriate reference manual such as a dictionary or a style book.
• Use the FOG index to determine how “readable” your material is. (You will find more information about the FOG index in my colleague Melissa’s blog!)

Remember, our writing ability not only affects our credibility as professional designers and trainers but it affects how well our employees learn from us. Some write to impress but we write to make an impression!

Lynne

As training/learning professionals we are expected to put into writing what learners need to know in order to be successful on the job. Our job is to “simplify the complex, not complicate the simple.” This can be easier said than done. To ensure the success of our writing we should utilize the four Cs of writing: it should be Clear, Concise, Complete and Compliant. Let me explain.

Clear

Our writing needs to be easily understood by the target audience. A clear beginning is a good way to start. Begin by preparing the learners for what is to come by including an objective (purpose), a benefit statement (“What’s in it for me?”), and an overview (summary of key concepts). The material should be structured so the content is easy-to-follow (i.e. there is a clear continuity of thought) and targeted to their needs (i.e. job-specific and written at the appropriate reading level).

Concise

When it comes to writing, less really is more. To keep your writing short and simple, remember the following:

• Don’t use more words than needed to get the point across (e.g. use “soon” rather than “in the near future”).
• Use the active voice. The active voice makes your sentence clear, direct, and forceful (e.g. “The ball was hit by John” [passive] versus “John hit the ball” [active]).
• Avoid the use of jargon. If you must use jargon, explain the meaning the first time it is used (e.g. “Always use NLP [Neuro Linguistic Programming] and PAL [Principles of Adult Learning] when designing training”).
• Avoid redundancy. (e.g. Don’t say “I will use true facts to present my case.” Facts are true, so you only need to say, “I will use facts….”)
• Try to use 15 to 20 words per sentence and four to five sentences per paragraph.

Complete

Whether we’re writing a memo or a task analysis, our learners should have all the information needed to perform the next steps, or the job task, after they’ve finished reading our content. Where appropriate, provide examples, create case studies, role plays, etc. to make the content realistic or to illustrate a point.

Compliant

This means following the rules of good grammar and includes rules for punctuation, spelling, grammar, and word choices. The wrong choices in any of these areas can confuse the learner and/or have an impact on your credibility. Find a good style book and use it. Keep a dictionary and thesaurus close by. Do not rely on spell check when proofing material.

Punctuation

• Remember that using punctuation such as commas, semi colons, colons, and question marks is like providing road signs. They are meant to help guide the journey. If you have a question about which punctuation mark should go where, check the style book.

Spelling

• Witch rite is write? Proofread your own work thoroughly; spell check would accept the previous sentence.

Grammar

• The eight common parts of speech are the following: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. Make sure they are used correctly (e.g. make sure the verb and noun agree, and the pronoun and noun to which it refers agree as well).

Word choices

• Deciding which word to use can be tricky. If you’re not sure which word to use when, consult a style guide to avoid misusing words like “used to” versus “use to” or “then” versus “than.”

Following these four Cs will make your job of “simplifying the complex, not complicating the simple” that much easier.

Martha

For many years, Langevin has been teaching Instructional Designers to consider the reading level of their audience in regard to any written training materials (participant manuals, hand-outs, etc.). In theory, this means avoiding many multi-syllable words, unusual words, or long and awkward sentences. So, as training professionals, what grade level do we write at and how do we use The FOG Index to ensure our learners can read & understand our content?

Use the following calculation to determine the Index on any written work:

1. Take a 100 word extract (ending at a full stop).
2. Count the number of sentences in the selected section.
3. Divide 100 by the number of sentences in the selection. This will show the average sentence length (ASL).
4. Count the number of words (NW) that have 3 syllables or more.
5. Add the ASL and NW and then multiply by 0.4. This will give you the FOG Index.

The FI gives comic books, Mark Twain, and Shakespeare a rating of around 6.

Now – if all this sounds like too much effort, technology makes determining the readability of your written materials effortless. There is another tool, The “Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Formula,” that assigns a U.S. grade-level to your writing as well – and best of all, your computer does all the work! To turn on the readability stats feature in Word:

1. Choose “Tools” from MS Word menu.
2. Select “Spelling & Grammar” from the drop-down tools menu.
3. Click on the “Options” button.
4. At the bottom of the grammar menu, click on “Show Readability Stats” to turn it on (look for the check mark to indicate it is on).
5. NOTE: In some versions of MS Word (including MAC versions), you must select “Options” first, then “Spelling & Grammar.”

And just in case you are wondering, the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level rating on this article is, 7.6.

So remember, less really is more, when it comes to helping learners read and understand our content – and The FOG Index or The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Formula are two tools that can help us do just that.

I’d love to hear about your experience in using either of these techniques. Feel free to share your thoughts!

Melissa