CALD Resource Development: A Tip to Shortening Sentences

When it comes to studying and interpreting written content, CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) communities resource students confront a number of problems. It is critical for writers and educators to address the needs of CALD learners and aim to develop content that is clear, succinct, and easy to understand. Shortening sentences is one approach to accomplish this.

In this blog article, we’ll look at why sentence shortening is crucial for culturally and linguistically diverse people learners, as well as some recommendations and best practices for sentence shortening in CALD communities resource development. We’ll also go over the use of visual aids, common terminology, and cultural awareness while writing for CALD students.

When it comes to acquiring and understanding textual content, CALD students confront a range of obstacles. Many CALD learners may have inadequate English skills, making complicated phrase structures or lengthy sentences difficult to understand. Furthermore, cultural differences may impair their capacity to comprehend specific phrases or idioms.

By making written text easier to understand, shortening sentences can help to overcome these obstacles. CALD learners can better follow the flow of the text and comprehend the major ideas offered by breaking down complex sentence patterns into simpler, shorter sentences. Shorter sentences help lessen CALD learners’ cognitive burden, allowing them to focus on understanding the content rather than struggling to analyze complex sentence forms.

Example 1:

Long sentence: “Despite the fact that many people have differing opinions on the matter, it is generally accepted that climate change is a pressing issue that requires urgent action to mitigate its effects on the environment and humanity.”

Shortened sentence: “Climate change is a pressing issue that requires urgent action.”

As you can see, the condensed sentence delivers the same core idea as the longer sentence, but in a simpler, more concise manner. This makes it easier for CALD learners to absorb and retain the information offered.

Now that we’ve established why shorter sentences is vital for CALD learners, let’s look at some CALD resource building strategies for shortening sentences:

1. Use of active voice

Passive voice sentences are more complex and difficult to understand than active voice sentences. The subject performs the verb’s action in active voice sentences, whereas the subject receives the verb’s action in passive voice sentences. Because active voice phrases are shorter and more concise than passive voice sentences, they are a preferable choice for CALD communities resource development.

Example 2:

Passive voice: “The cake was eaten by John.”

Active voice: “John ate the cake.”

2. Refrain from using complex sentence constructions

Complicated sentence structures, such as subordinate clauses or nested sentences, might be challenging for CALD students to grasp. It is critical to avoid too complicated sentence patterns and keep phrases as plain and straightforward as possible in order to make written information more accessible to CALD learners.

Example 3:

Complex sentence: ” Although I appreciated the film, directed by my favorite director and starring my favorite actor, I found the ending disappointing.”

Simpler sentence: “I enjoyed the movie, but I didn’t like the ending.”

3. Usage of Common Vocabulary

It is critical to use vocabulary that is familiar to CALD learners when writing for them. Avoid using unfamiliar or difficult-to-understand technical jargon or sophisticated words. Instead, utilize basic, ordinary language that a wider range of readers may grasp.

Example 4:

Complex Vocabulary: “The bioaccumulation of pollutants in the food chain can have detrimental effects on the ecosystem.”

Simpler Vocabulary: “Pollution can build up in the food chain and harm the environment.”

4. Include Visual Aids

Visual aids, such as photographs, diagrams, or charts, can be extremely beneficial in making written content more accessible to CALD students. Graphic aids give another layer of context and understanding to assist simplify complex concepts or ideas.

Including diagrams or visuals, for example, can help to demonstrate essential concepts and make them easier to understand if you’re producing a resource on a scientific issue.

5. Be Culturally Aware

While writing for CALD students, it is critical to be culturally sensitive and avoid inappropriate or insensitive language or content. Be careful of cultural differences and avoid employing slang or colloquialisms that readers from diverse cultural backgrounds may not understand.

It’s also critical not to make assumptions about cultural conventions or beliefs. Instead, attempt to present a balanced and inclusive viewpoint that takes into account your readers’ different backgrounds and experiences.

Sentence shortening is an excellent method for making written content more accessible and understood for CALD learners while designing CALD resources. By utilizing shorter and simpler phrases, authors can assist CALD children reduce their cognitive load and increase their capacity to grasp and retain information.

Some best practices to consider when designing CALD resources include utilizing active voice, avoiding complex phrase constructs, using common terminology, providing visual aids, and being culturally aware. These approaches can assist in making written content more inclusive and accessible to a broader range of readers, especially individuals from varied cultural and language backgrounds.

Finally, by implementing these best practices, we can assist CALD students achieve in their academic endeavors and beyond, as well as create a more fair and inclusive society in which everyone has access to great education and resources. Hence, let us continue to strive for excellence in CALD resource development and guarantee that we address the requirements of all learners.