Plain English (also called Plain Language) is a style of writing that puts the priority on the audience's understanding of the material. As stated in a previous module, technical communication is usually written with an objective in mind. Anything that interferes with the message is counterproductive to the objective.
Often, technical or academic documents tend to be filled with jargon or overly-complex sentences. However, Plain English doesn't mean " dumbing down" the style, nor does it mean oversimplification. Rather, Plain English avoids gratuitous jargon or complexity designed only to impress the reader. Technical terms and compound sentences are fine, as long as they are included for the right reasons.
Before the end of the week, go to the Plain English Discussion and share your thoughts about the advantages and disadvantages of using "Plain English." Be sure to return to the forum and reply to at least one classmate's post.