tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-766105889389938966.post1748890537210762150..comments2024-02-24T14:02:05.068+05:30Comments on Media Scene in India: A Newspaper in Plain and Simple EnglishKiran Thakurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07236055000523884665noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-766105889389938966.post-60497356651698374162012-07-06T18:46:30.357+05:302012-07-06T18:46:30.357+05:30The 30th grade (or, any grade) offered by the Fles...The 30th grade (or, any grade) offered by the Flesh-Kinkaid Grade Level is notional. <br /><br />The test indicates the difficulty level of the text. It is not necessarily technical or scientific stories. Following is one example:<br /><br />Having failed to pressure the state government on scrapping three hydro power projects in West Sikkim, two leading organisations representing the minority indigenous Buddhist Bhutia-Lepcha tribals have urged His Holiness, the Sakya Trizin, to persuade chief minister Pawan Chamling to respect and preserve the cultural heritage of the former kingdom and immediately scrap the power projects located near Tashiding. (The Statesman, October 30, 2011)<br /><br />The intro has one long-winding sentence containing 60 words. There us nothing technical and scientific. Yet, the Flesch-Kinkaid Grade Level test tells us that it could be understood by 30th grader.<br /><br />If one tries to write this in simple and plain English, it can be understood by US 12th grader. <br /><br />Forget about the grades, and say if the following is easier for the reader to understand:<br /><br />Two leading organisations have urged His Holiness, the Sakya Trizin, to persuade the state government to scrap three power projects near Tashiding in West Sikkim. The projects are located close to this place considered the most sacred centre for the Buddhists.<br />The organisations represent the minority Buddhist Bhutia-Lepcha tribals. They requested His Holiness to persuade Chief Minister Pawan Chamling to respect and preserve the cultural heritage and scrap the projects.Kiran Thakurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07236055000523884665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-766105889389938966.post-36252653020861723692012-07-06T18:37:15.425+05:302012-07-06T18:37:15.425+05:30Dear Thirumoy,
If you send me your email address,...Dear Thirumoy,<br /><br />If you send me your email address, I will send you a few stories from my personal collection of stories "carried by Indian newspapers which can be understood only by students of 30th grade in the US".<br /><br />Peace and love,<br />- Joe.Joe Pintohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09816903724816351432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-766105889389938966.post-91957151780848723052012-07-06T15:30:29.622+05:302012-07-06T15:30:29.622+05:30Which kind of stories carried by Indian newspapers...Which kind of stories carried by Indian newspapers can be understood only by students of 30th grade in the US? I'm sure they are technical/scientific stories that only a minor section of readers, irrespective of the country they are from, understand. <br /><br />Thirumoy Banerjee<br />(Sub editor, The Telegraph)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com