The Comprehensibility of Simplified English in Procedures

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Oct 1995

The Comprehensibility of Simplified English in Procedures

Serena K. Shubert Seattle University ; Jan H. Spyridakis University of Washington ; Heather K. Holmback ; Mary B. Coney Seattle University

Abstract

Anecdotal evidence suggests that using a restricted language called Simplified English (SE) to write procedural documents is the best method to accommodate specific audiences. Providing empirical data to prove or disprove this hypothesis is the point of the experiment reported here. This study examined the effect of document type (SE versus non-SE), passage (Procedure A versus Procedure B), and native language (native versus non-native English speakers) on the comprehensibility, identification of content location, and task completion time of procedure documents for airplane maintenance. This research suggests that using SE significantly improves the comprehensibility of more complex documents. Further, readers of more complex SE documents can more easily locate and identify information within the document. For the documents tested in this experiment, the SE and non-SE documents took essentially the same amount of time for subjects to read and complete the test. Finally, while the difference between native and non-native English speakers could not be tested statistically because of extremely different cell sizes, the comprehensibility and content location scores for the native and non-native speakers appear to be quite different, with the non-native speakers benefiting from SE more than the native speakers.

Journal: Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published: 1995-10-01
DOI: 10.2190/wg69-d74b-4dll-2wbk
Open Access: Closed
Topics: quantitative research multilingual writers

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

Spyridakis et al. (1998)

Nominalizations vs. Denominalizations: Do They Influence What Readers Recall?

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

Cites in this index (2)

Wenger et al. (1993)

Reduced Text Structure at Two Text Levels: Impacts on the Performance of Techni…

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Coney (1992)

<i>Terministic Screens</i>: A Burkean Reading of the Experimental Article

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

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