1st Edition

Plain Language for Translators

By Lynne Bowker Copyright 2026
202 Pages 33 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

202 Pages 33 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

202 Pages 33 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

Readers shouldn’t need to struggle to understand documents. Whether they are reading a form to request government services, a contract for a mobile phone plan, or a patient information leaflet for prescription medication, people deserve to understand the documents that they read. Social justice, risk management, and a desire to extend the reach of the message are driving the fast-growing demand... Read more

List of Figures

List of Tables

Acknowledgements

Series editor forward

Abbreviations

 

Introduction

Chapter 1. Basic concepts and terms in plain language

Chapter 2. Brief history and key motivations for plain language

Chapter 3. Principles and techniques for plain language

Chapter 4. Inclusive language

Chapter 5. Plain language writing and document design

Chapter 6. Evaluating plain language

Chapter 7. Plain language in different communicative settings

Chapter 8. Easy language

Chapter 9. Controlled language

Conclusion

 

Glossary

Bibliography

Index

Biography

Lynne Bowker is Full Professor and Canada Research Chair in Translation, Technologies, and Society in the Department of Languages, Linguistics, and Translation at Université Laval in Quebec, Canada. She is a certified translator and editor of the journal Digital Translation. Her most recent book is De-mystifying Translation: Introducing Translation to Non-translators (Routledge 2023).

“Exemplifying what Plain Language should strive to be, Lynne Bowker’s Plain Language for Translators is easy to understand and put in practice. Even better, it’s a severely needed how-to guide for translators and writers in all fields. A must-read!”

Valérie FlorentinYork University (Glendon Campus), Canada 

Plain Language for Translators is a comprehensive yet practical look at the why, when, and how of producing information in plain language, which is increasingly requested in a variety of fields. The book is a valuable resource for all types of communication professionals.“

Mary Nurminen, Tampere University, Finland