# Plain Language Writing for Federal Communicators Course

Canonical URL: <https://www.graduateschool.edu/courses/plain-language-writing-for-federal-communicators-course>

## Overview

The Plain Writing Act and decades of guidance have not stopped federal documents from being hard to read. This hands-on course gives federal communicators practical tools and editing habits to produce clear, usable writing that meets plain language standards. Participants learn to plan, draft, and edit federal content — from web pages and letters to internal memos.

## What you'll learn

- Apply plain language principles to federal writing tasks
- Plan documents around the reader's purpose and decisions
- Edit for clarity, brevity, and active voice
- Translate legal, technical, and policy content into usable language
- Use plain language tools in everyday work

## Curriculum

#### **Module 1: Why Plain Language Matters in Federal Work**

- Plain Writing Act and guidance landscape
- What "plain" really means
- Reflection: A document that failed its reader

#### **Module 2: Planning Before Writing**

- Reader, purpose, and the one action you need
- Structuring information for scanning, not reading
- Activity: Reader-and-purpose brief

#### **Module 3: Writing the First Draft**

- Active voice, short sentences, everyday words
- Headings, lists, and tables that earn their space
- Activity: Rewrite a notice paragraph

#### **Module 4: Editing for Clarity and Brevity**

- The plain language editing pass
- Translating legal and technical content
- Activity: Edit a real federal document excerpt

#### **Module 5: Capstone — Your Plain Language Toolkit**

- Capstone Activity: Build a personal editing checklist
- Closing: Habits that keep your writing plain

## Schedule
- Aug 6, 2026 9:00am–4:30pm — Live Online
- Sep 8, 2026 9:00am–4:30pm — Live Online
- Oct 20, 2026 9:00am–4:30pm — Live Online
- Dec 1, 2026 9:00am–4:30pm — Live Online

## Pricing

**Tuition:** $649