Moving to a New Country Made Me Appreciate Plain Language in a Whole New Way

It’s humbling to be the one who doesn’t understand. It’s also the reason I care so deeply about plain language.

As someone who works with complex health and research information, I rely on plain language guidelines and dictionaries to ensure that what I’m saying is clear, useful, and easy to act on. I’ve also come to deeply appreciate when my health care providers use plain language—whether it’s explaining blood test results or walking me through a dental procedure. And I definitely notice when they don’t.

But over the past year, plain language has taken on new meaning for me—far beyond my work in communications.

Last year, I moved to Luxembourg, a beautiful and multilingual country with three official languages: French, German, and Luxembourgish. None of them are my native language. For the first time in my life, I’m navigating everyday situations—grocery shopping, banking, making doctor’s appointments—in languages I don’t yet speak fluently. I'm working on my French, but my vocabulary is still basic. So when someone slows down, uses simpler words, or avoids idioms, I breathe a little easier. I understand more. I feel included.

Luxembourg loves a hard copy (which is much harder to translate!). When forms, letters, or emails are well-structured and prioritize the reader’s experience, it shows. Plain language structure, like putting the main message at the top, using bullet points where appropriate, and repeating key messages, have helped me feel less overwhelmed navigating the complex bureaucracy that comes with moving to a new country.

My experience has changed the way I speak English, too.

I’ve met amazing people here who are also adapting to new places and learning new languages. For some of them, English isn’t their first language. I've started noticing when I use complex words or sayings that don't translate well. And over time, I’ve adjusted. I use simpler words. I pause to make sure they understand. I correct myself if I’ve said something confusing.

And something surprising has happened: our conversations have gotten better. More meaningful. More connected. It turns out, you don’t need fancy words to have deep conversations. In fact, sometimes plain language is what unlocks real connection.

Whether you’re explaining a research finding, giving instructions, or making a new friend—plain language isn’t about dumbing things down. It’s about opening things up.