Defining the concept 'plain language' has been hugely problematic since the origins of the socalled Plain Language Movement in the 1970s in the United States and elsewhere in the world. Definitions of 'plain language' abound, yet James (2008: 6) warns, in relation to plain language practitioners, that "we can't yet call ourselves a coherent field, let alone a profession, while we offer such varying definitions of what we do". Contemporary international definitions of 'plain language' are of three types: numerical (or formula-based), elements-focused, or outcomesfocused (Cheek 2010). In South Africa, protective legislation gave rise to a local definition of 'plain language' which was widely acclaimed for its comprehensiveness and practicality. From a textlinguistic angle, this article ruminates on the nature of the definition of 'plain language' in the National Credit Act (2005) and the Consumer Protection Act (2008), and critically appraises the value of the definition as a sharp and reliable conceptual tool for use by plain language practitioners -as applied linguists -in the absence of norms, standards or guidelines for the use of plain language in the consumer industry in contemporary South Africa.

Plain language is a form of intra-lingual translation, a process during which particular interventions are brought to bear on a complex text, such as an act, in order to fit the linguistic competence of a particular target audience (Bhatia, 1983;1993). In this way, complicated content is unlocked and meaning mediated. The aim is to cut down on the cognitive processing difficulties experienced by the reader. Careful consideration must therefore be given to the linguistic features used in this alternative text. In South Africa, plain language received its first exposure during the 1990s, in a particular political context in which a human rights culture took centre stage. It is important, in a democracy, to inform ordinary citizens of their basic rights, and to do so in understandable language. In this study, a lexico-grammatical analysis is undertaken of a booklet, Equality for All, which is based on an act of parliament. Following a text-based approach, the linguistic features are measured against the principles of plain language, specifically focusing on the grammatical constructions and lexical items that have been proven to obscure meaning and impede understanding. The principal aim of this article is to assess whether the language employed in this simplified text is accessible to non-mother tongue speakers with no formal training in, and limited knowledge of, the law.

No abstract

This article explores the nature and scope of legal translation which is an under-researched area in South Africa. In this article the author predicts that the demand for competent legal translators will increase in the future, evidenced by a recent call by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development(DoJ&CD), inviting applications for ten positions for “legislative language practitioners”. However, legal translation differs substantially from general translation in the sense that legal translation is subject to heavy restrictions at all levels and legal considerations are of paramount importance in a country such as South Africa, which provides for eleven official languages. Legal translation involves different legal languages, different legal systems and different cultural systems that require specialised knowledge and skills of the translator. The aim of this article is to investigate the core competencies and skills the legal translator must have; to consider the balance between legal competence and translation or linguistic competence; and to propose a discourse-analytical method of source text analysis, developed by Bhatia as a simplification strategy, as this may be a powerful tool in the training of legal translators in South Africa. Recent developments in South Africa relating to the Department of Arts and Culture’s obligation to translate legislation into all official languages, have important consequences for legal translation in general and the training of legal translators in particular

No abstract