(; LS, literally: easy language) is a specific (usually written) version of the
German language
German (, ) is a West Germanic language in the Indo-European language family, mainly spoken in Western Europe, Western and Central Europe. It is the majority and Official language, official (or co-official) language in Germany, Austria, Switze ...
. It is directed to people who have low competences in German or in reading in general. The rules are published by the German association , which was established in 2006. The rules deal with the creation of sentences and the choice of words and makes recommendations about typography and the use of media. The content is often simplified as well, for example, LS encourages to write ''a long time ago'' instead of ''1871''. However, the language as such is not altered. LS is supposed to serve
accessibility.
A similar concept is , which is less regulated and closer to standard German.
Its target group are people with cognitive challenges and people with a different first language than German.
Several intellectuals and journalists have criticised texts in LS, for example after it was used additionally by the Bremen authorities for the regional elections of 2015. According to them, LS does not take readers seriously and simplifies the content too much. In 2017, journalist
Alfred Dorfer
Alfred Dorfer (; 11 October 1961) is an Austrian comedian, writer, and actor. He is one of the most well-known cabaret artists and comedians in Austria, not least due to his commitment to numerous Austrian film productions. After initial success ...
mocked LS on Austrian teletext and apologized later after having spoken to people who benefit from LS texts.
Some of the rules of LS:
* Write short sentences.
* Use one sentence per line.
* Use one sentence for one statement.
* Use active voice.
* Do not use conditional mood.
* A sentence should be formed with the elements subject + predicate + object.
* Do not use synonyms.
* Split compound words: Write , not .
* LS is not directed to children and should address the readers as adults, using the normal (formal) pronouns.
German law
In Germany, a law (§ 11, ) requires the authorities to provide information more and more in LS. The federal government enforces the use of LS by the authorities and their competences to write texts in LS.
Wortlaut des § 11 BGG
online beim Bundesministerium der Justiz und für Verbraucherschutz, retrieved 6 June 2014.
See also
* Easy read
Easy read is a method of presenting written information to make it easier to understand for people with difficulty reading.
Easy read advocates sentences of no more than ten to fifteen words, with each sentence having just one idea and one verb. A ...
* Special English
Learning English (previously known as Special English) is a controlled version of the English language first used on October 19, 1959, and still presented daily by the United States broadcasting service Voice of America (VOA). World news and oth ...
References
{{Reflist
German language
Accessibility
Special education in Germany
Simplified languages
2006 establishments in Germany
External links
Information for all
European standards for making information easy to read and understand
Hurraki
dictionary for Leichte Sprache, in English
Hurraki
dictionary for Plain Language