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Writing in plain English

Writing in plain English
Wednesday 9 September 2020 (9:00am to 4:30pm)

Zoom interactive virtual workshop

Professional & Associate Members $675
Affiliate Members $775
Non Members $875

If you are a NSW public sector employee, then you are eligible for Affiliate membership free of charge. Click here to join.
This course is also available for in-house delivery. For more information please contact the Learning team on 02 8066 1900 or email [email protected] for a quote.

Course Overview


  • Gain confidence in making a document easier to read
  • Apply a step-by-step guide to writing clear and effective documents for work purposes.

This workshop helps participants to write in a reader friendly way so their readers will actually read their documents. Participants learn field tested methods that will help them write complicated ideas in a clear and easy style. They develop a process to use so they can get that document off their desks quickly. The course looks at how to take the clutter out of language and off the page. Participants work through practical examples where they see the difference writing plainly makes. They are given lots of opportunities to practice their new skills and compare them with model versions.

Learning Outcomes


  • Know the characteristics of plain English
  • Have a variety of options for making their sentences shorter
  • Have lots of ordinary words to use in the place of those technical words that people just do not understand
  • Have two ways to avoid using acronyms
  • Use simple modern formatting techniques to make the page look clear and easy to read
  • Know how to avoid passive voice, if they need to
  • Know how to get their key message across quickly.

Benefits to your organisation

  • Documents produced will be more equitable because more people will be able to understand them
  • Greater efficiency as clients will be less likely to ring to have documents explained to them

Benefits to you

  • Greater confidence about how to make any document easier to read without sacrificing rigour and accuracy
  • Sense of satisfaction in writing in a way that is likely to be read and understood

ZOOM Virtual Classroom

Our virtual classroom consists of a facilitator teaching the class to students who are dialled in remotely to the class session. Presentation slides and other digital files can be presented during the training session using the Zoom platform and the student may either focus on these resources or the facilitator. 


To enable connection, you will require the following set-up:

- Sufficient internet connection – Zoom is successful on a 4G network. Any network better than 4G will enhance the student’s experience;
- A PC with a web-camera, microphone and the capacity to run the Zoom application to allow the facilitator to better interact with students in the same manner as a traditional classroom; and
- Sufficient sized monitor or screen to support the number of students in the room.
"The quality of the presenter was FANTASTIC. Her ability to systematically yet briefly explain every single step in the logic of her helpful suggestions was incredibly good. I would have no hesitation in recommending her in the highest possible terms to anyone for a course on the use of plain English."
Recent IPAA learner


4.5 stars
4.52 out of 5 (based on feedback from 19 learners)

Course Facilitator

Dennise Harris




Dennise Harris was a senior administrator and has extensive writing experience in many contexts in the public sector. She worked as a speech writer in a public sector organisation for several years. Dennise has been an Inspector of Schools and has lectured in English at Macquarie University. She has also held teaching and management positions. Dennise delivers IPAA NSW writing courses and has trained many hundreds of NSW public sector employees in how to write letters, briefing notes, reports and a wide range of other documents that public sector employees have to write.

Course Materials


All course materials (including the workbooks) will be made available through our digital learning space, Illuminate. Your Illuminate access details will be provided 7 days prior to the course date.

Other courses you may be interested in


Enquiries: For more information on our learning programs, please contact the IPAA NSW Learning Team on 02 8066 1900 or email [email protected].
When
9/09/2020 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
AUS Eastern Standard Time
Where
Zoom NSW AUSTRALIA
Terms and Conditions
Payments

Payment is required prior to attending the event or course. Please contact an IPAA NSW staff member if an exception is required.

Payments - Online Events

If you have an outstanding invoice for the event, you will not receive a link to the live event. 

Online Events

Only people registered to the event can access the content. Do not share login details with people who have not registered to the event

Cancellation policy - Events
  • Cancellation must be in writing and confirmed by an IPAA NSW staff member
  • Cancellation received more than 10 business days prior to the event – no penalty will be incurred
  • Cancellation received within 6-10 business days of the event – 50% of the fee is payable
  • Cancellation received less than 6 business days prior to the event – 100% of the fee is payable
  • No show – 100% of the fee is payable
  • Registrations received less than 6 business days prior to the event are non-refundable.
Cancellation policy - Scheduled Courses
  • Cancellation must be in writing and confirmed by an IPAA NSW staff member
  • Cancellation received more than 10 business days prior to the start date – no penalty will be incurred
  • Cancellation received within 6-10 business days of the start date – 50% of the fee is payable
  • Cancellation received less than 6 business days prior to the start date – 100% of the fee is payable
  • No show – 100% of the fee is payable
  • Registrations received less than 6 business days prior to the start date are non-refundable.
Cancellation policy - Self-paced Courses
  • Cancellations are not permitted.

Note: If you do not cancel and do not attend and event or course, 100% of the fee must be paid.

Transfer policy - Events
  • All requests for transfers must be in writing
  • Substitute nominees may attend in your place where deemed appropriate; however, if a member wishes to substitute a non-member in their place the full fee will be payable.
Transfer policy - Scheduled Courses
  • All requests for transfers must be in writing
  • Your course registration can be transferred to another course without penalty if requested more than 10 business days prior to the course start date. Otherwise, the above cancellation policy applies. Transfers can only be requested when the course fee has been paid in full.
  • Transferring your registration to another person can be done at any time without penalty if nominee details are provided within a minimum of 2 business days prior to the course start date. Transferring from a member to a non-member will result in a fee increase in line with the non-member course fee.
Transfer policy - Self-paced Courses 
  • Transfers to another course are not allowed for self-paced courses.
We may in our discretion waive cancellation charges in exceptional circumstances, but we will not waive cancellation charges on account of work commitments.

Program Changes

IPAA NSW reserves the right to change programs/speakers/venue, or to cancel programs if the enrolment criteria are not met or when conditions beyond our control prevail. All registrants will be notified in the event of cancellation and their registration fee will be refunded.

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