First session of the last day of @The_CIEP's 2nd annual conference. Easy English: principles of writing for people with low literacy and what editorial professionals can learn from them w/ @accesseasyengli. #CIEP2021
Access Easy English came about to help those who don't talk (ie, use other means of communication). Intellectual or acquired disabilities and illiteracy prevent people from managing day to day reading tasks. All over the world. 1/ #CIEP2021
Think about your own literacy.
What language do you use to describe it? (eg, reading for pleasure, enjoyment? Learning?)
How much time do you spend reading in the day?
What do you read? 2/ #CIEP2021
We are forced to read things everyday, all the time. Most often, it is *not* optional, but a vital part of everyday life. Instructions, directions, info as consumers - the list is endless, digital or otherwise. 3/ #CIEP2021
'Access to written information is *not* a reading test'. Such a critical reminder by @accesseasyengli. 4/ #CIEP2021
(Aside: I digress cos I didn't expect this session to make me emotional. I realise I'm privileged in being a third generation learner in India. Having had access to learning that is easy to take for granted. 5/ #CIEP2021
But people in my life - family and friends - are first generation learners or illiterate. And given that they're 'tested' every day, not just in their own languages but in English and are *expected* by the world to succeed in a failed system, is hard to face. 6/ #CIEP2021
Gaining literacy in your own language to function daily is hard enough. Demanding that in an unequal world is exclusive and plain wrong.)
Sorry I'm not going to be able to live-tweet this session any more, as I'm trying to process the avalanche of thoughts. 7/ #CIEP2021
Last session of Day 3 of @The_CIEP's 2nd annual conference. Conscious and inclusive language: understanding conscious language and the editorial role w/ Crystal Shelley of @redpenrabbit. No end to the learning from this. #CIEP2021
Words have power, positive and negative. What is conscious language? 'Language rooted in critical thinking and compassion, used skillfully in a specific context'.--Conscious Style Guide 1/ #CIEP2021
Conscious language is *not*
🙅🏾♀️ Political correctness
🙅🏾♀️ Censorship
🙅🏾♀️ Bias free
🙅🏾♀️ Static
🙅🏾♀️ A single guide 2/ #CIEP2021
@ljedit: informal, confessional, community-building, reassuring, positive, personal. Blogging can be exposing: find your voice, don't compare w/ what others do, be honest, focus on connections. Helps keep the balance and build a sustainable career. #blogging#CIEP2021
@BaconEditing: how-to blogs, to help multilingual research scientists express complicated ideas clearly. Approach engages w/ clients and editing colleagues. Focus on language and use in formal research writing is very useful content for writers and editors. #blogging#CIEP2021
Post-lunch session w/ LinkedIn star @espirian: 'How to be a LinkedIn leader'. John got me started on Twitter and was among the first to make me feel welcome at my very first then SfEP conference. For that I'll be eternally grateful. Excited about this session. #CIEP2021
LinkedIn tactics.
🙅🏾♀️ Don't connect w/ too many too quickly (slow and steady...)
🙅🏾♀️ Don't *not* get to know people (have conversations w/ connections)
🙅🏾♀️ Don't follow engagement pods (groups promising to boost engagement) 1/ #CIEP2021
Profile dos.
✅ Get a profile pic and a banner
✅ Beware of long headlines (220 characters = wall of text on mobile screen) 2/ #CIEP2021
@IMcMillan talking to a bunch of googly-eyed language enthusiasts at @The_CIEP's annual conference. Apologies - not possible to live tweet while ROFL-ing. #CIEP2021
'Funny poet here'. Brilliant marketing! 😂
'Do not trip over the feet'. (Making note to pay attention to school straplines before the child is set for reception.)
Fourth and last session of the day: 'Lightning Talks' hosted by Robin Black and @LucyRidout. If it's anything like ones in bygone years, we'll be ROFL-ing on or off Twitter. #CIEP2021
First up Ema Naito, talking on 'The Most Powerful People in the World'. On the power of the English language and how experiences as outsiders can help wield that power *with compassion*. (Emphasis mine; as an English-language editor I use my power sensitively daily.) 1/ #CIEP2021
Second up Joely Taylor, talking on 'Bothersome Backsides and Other Photo Failures: A Brief Intro into Editing Photography'. Consider relevance, appropriateness, accidentally illegal no-photo zones, professional vs happy, captions, copyright, manipulation and more. 2/ #CIEP2021
Third session of the day: 'Authenticity reading: helping writers craft accurate and respectful representation' w/ Crystal Shelley of @redpenrabbit. Am sure there'll be plenty to learn for everyone here. #CIEP2021
I need to give my wrist a rest, so apologies for not tweeting this live. If anyone else is attending and willing to, do wave here. #CIEP2021
The power of representation: empowering or affirming when done well; harmful when poor or nonexistent. Authenticity readers ensure representation of identities (esp. marginalised ones) is done well. #CIEP2021