I keep telling my business language learners not to worry about using simple words and short sentences.

According to the Nielsen Norman Group, “No one has ever complained that a text was too easy to understand” and “even highly educated online readers crave succinct information that is easy to scan, just like everyone else.“

So what are the benefits of using Plain English?

1. It shares information quickly without confusing sentences or words.
2. It helps everyone, from experts to international users and those who aren’t native English speakers.
3. It’s easy to find on search engines because it uses common words.
4. Readers like it, and it makes writers seem smarter.
5. Good communication is good for business. Clear writing makes organisations look honest and trustworthy.
6. It works well online, where people read quickly and might miss important points if the writing is difficult to understand.

If you’d like to know how plain English can improve your writing and communication, look out for a future post of mine.

 

Many of my clients are over 40. A significant portion of them are wonderful, strong middle-aged women.

Psy-copy® strategist Sue Moore discusses ‘midlife women’ in her captivating piece on copywriting psychology, aptly named the Ink Tank.

Sue has curated a great list of names for this extraordinary group.

Some of her notable mentions include:

• Midlifers or Midlife women
• Gen X or Boomers
• GenM
• The Menoposse
• Grown Gals
• Granfluencers
• Elders
• Second-halfers
• Middlescents
• Queenagers
• Empty Nesters
• Returners
• Silver Splitters

I’d like to add the following:

• Mature Women
• Women of a Certain Age
• Women of the World
• Women with Stories to Tell
• Women in Their Prime
• Women at the Height of Their Powers
• Women with Wisdom and Experience
• Women Who Are Coming Into Their Own
• Women Who Are Finding Their Voice
• Women Who Are Living Their Best Lives
• Women in Their Forties and Fifties/Sixties
• Women at Midlife

And these more creative and playful terms:

• Midlife Mavens
• Midlife Marvels
• Midlife Mavericks
• Midlife Bloomers
• Primte Time Ladies
• Silver Sirens
• Seasoned Sisters
• Wise Women
• Golden Goddesses
• Silver Foxes
• Radiant Renewers
• The Second Act Sisters

Of course, the best term to use is the one that resonates most with the individual and is expressed with the utmost respect.

Which term speaks to you or your experience best?

Let’s dive into the phonetic wonderland of General British and American accents.

Everyone knows it: you turn on the TV, your favourite Hollywood actor is speaking–and you swear that he sounds different to your friends from London.

So how exactly do the accents differ?

Pronunciation Studio explains them very nicely—with audio files added.

But how can you practise these different pronunciations?

Well, fortunately there are plenty of ways to do that.

Listen to English-language radio shows or podcasts. Copy the pronunciation of the hosts or interviewees. Try to pay particular attention to typical phrases and peculiarities. This way, you’ll not only get a sense of the rhythm of the different accent variants but also a more authentic sound.

Another tip is to practise with songs. Music combines emotions with language, which can help you understand and imitate the melodic differences between the two accents.

Just remember that an accent is nothing negative. It makes us unique, adds a touch of originality to our personality–and opens doors to cultural exchange.

So which accent do you prefer?

Face pareidolia is the phenomenon where we see faces in ordinary objects.

Our brains enjoy spotting patterns, particularly faces, in random shapes or items.

For example, when we look at a fluffy cloud and see what appears to be eyes, a nose and a mouth, it might resemble a smiley face to us.

Our brains are wired to find familiar shapes, even in everyday things!

Want to learn more?

Watch TedEd’s Seeing things that aren’t there? It’s pareidolia

See what author Dan Pink does to calm down.

It’s amazing how small changes in words can deliver huge improvements in results, isn’t it?