Happy International Plain Language Day!
You care about plain language. You apply it, but others in your area don’t. You might have the impression of being a lonely island that no one wants to follow. But that is not true! For International Plain Language Day, celebrated on October 13th, we’re sharing some videos and podcasts on plain language to show that this community is flourishing worldwide.
To watch
On broadcasting platforms, you’ll find many videos dedicated to plain language. They’re created by governmental organisations, associations, language specialists, practitioners, etc. The content is as varied as its creators: from introductions to plain language, through the benefits of using it, to specialised lectures and conferences. So whether you are an expert in plain language or a strongly motivated beginner ready to dive into this adventure, you’ll find something for yourself.
Plain language 101 is a video in which Jack Ding from the NYC Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity explains the basics of plain language writing.
Duration: app. 26 minutes.
Published in 2023.
How to Write in Plain Language | Interactive Training & Activity is an instructive video including simple exercises for writing in plain language. Service Design Studio, a team under New York’s Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity, created it.
Duration: app. 9 minutes.
Published in 2025.
Demand to Understand: How Plain Language Makes Life Simpler – her TEDx Charlotte speech, Deborah Bosley begins with a personal story about how she got confused when she had to decide which medical insurance to choose. When she asked a local organisation for help, they gave her a binder of printouts, exactly like the ones she already had at home. This is how her plain language advocacy adventure began.
Duration: app. 19 minutes.
Published in 2016.
Copywriting influencers are a quite strong community on TikTok and Instagram. Although they don’t focus exclusively on plain language, they offer practical advice on making messages clear: avoid jargon and complex sentences, and make them visually attractive. Find several in your country and follow them.
To listen
The podcast universe has content for everyone: true crime, politics, history, and more. Among them, you can find podcasts made in plain language and ones about plain language itself.
Top of their game is a podcast hosted by Bob Milstein, a lawyer and plain language trainer. He talks to experts in different domains (health, politics, law, etc.) on plain language, the communication difficulties they face, and what benefits it brings to the readers/users.
Number of episodes: 11 (so far).
Episode duration: 35 to 75 minutes.
Możemy prościej. Podkast o dobrej komunikacji [We can do it simpler. Podcast about good communication] – this podcast is hosted by the Plain Language Team of the University of Warsaw. It is held in Polish, but we present it here as an interesting example of a University popularising the idea of plain language. Their guests include representatives of different organisations and institutions to discuss how they implement plain language in their daily communication.
Number of episodes: 15 (so far)
Episode duration: 30–40 minutes.
Plain Language with Derek Thompson is an example of a podcast that is in plain language. The author focuses on discussing current events with experts, using words people actually understand.
Number of episodes: over 400 (so far)
Episode duration: 45–75 minutes.
As you can see, the Internet is full of plain language. More people like you are willing to make communication smooth and information truly accessible to all.