Inclusive Language Education and Digital Games

Digital technologies play a significant role in language education. One of the most well-received technologies by language learners is digital games. These games facilitate connections between diverse language learners regardless of age, gender, sociocultural and educational background, and diversity. Since the concept of inclusive education is gaining momentum, the popularity of digital games presents new possibilities for inclusive practices in language learning. In research for this chapter, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 EFL students who had extensive experience playing video games. The objective was to discover whether digital games had the potential to drive inclusive language education forward and how this could be done. Student insights into the value of playing video games are presented based on interview data that were analyzed thematically. Finally, the implications and suggestions to use digital games for inclusive language education are discussed.

The dynamics of political correctness, inclusive language and freedom of speech

The study aims to research the historical dynamics of the notions political correctness, inclusive language and freedom of speech, as well as to reveal the mechanisms and new tendencies of their realization in public discourse. The sources of practical material are represented by: a) 126 journal and Internet articles; b) 12 speeches of famous US and British politicians, scholars and celebrities reflecting the notions under study. The leading methods include critical discourse analysis, definition and contextual analyses. The research indicates that during its long and contradictory history, the term political correctness had both positive and negative connotations. When the negative attitude started to prevail, it was replaced by the notions inclusion and inclusive language based on similar mechanisms: ban on the use of offensive terms denoting different aspects of peoples identity; avoidance of stereotypes and false semantic associations; abundant use of euphemisms, etc. The paper reveals the new trends in the English language (non-binary expression of gender; changes in the conceptualization of race, age and disability) and social practices meeting the requirements of inclusive communication. Whereas political correctness and inclusive language aim to protect vulnerable social groups and improve the social climate, they produce certain undesirable tendencies: breach between social groups caused by inefficient communication; reverse racism; complex relationship of political correctness with science, literature and education; its speculative use; and restrictions on freedom of speech. The study also sheds light on the problems of politically correct intercultural communication caused by the non-stop language change, differences in social norms, values, grammatical structures, semantics, and cultural associations.

FEMINISM AND BIBLE TRANSLATION

The article considers the development of translation ideas as viewed from a gender-studies perspective. The author elucidates three lines of feminist approach towards the Bible, namely: its rejection as the book refl ecting the masculine bias; the application of gender critique in order to make manifest and subsequently deconstruct its patriarchal nature; the use of “depatriarchalizing principle” which lies in the close reading of the Bible in order to reveal its true meaning of equality. The last approach entails signifi cant implications and possibilities for translators who can make the Bible “inclusive” and its women visible. Key words: feminism, gender studies, Bible translation, inclusive language, depatriarchalizing principle, gender-neutral translation.

Contextualism and the Semantics of "Woman"

Contextualist accounts of “woman,” including Saul (2012), Diaz-Leon (2016), and Ichikawa (2020), aim to capture the variability of the meaning of the term, and do justice to the rights of trans women. I argue that (i) there is an internal tension between a contextualist stance and the commitment to trans-inclusive language, and that (ii) we should recognize and tackle the broader and deeper theoretical and practical difficulties implicit in the semantic debates, rather than collapsing them all into semantics. Moving on, I sketch three strategies to help us advance feminist philosophical endeavors, including how attending to contextual matters can lead us to further reflect on the meta-contextual, such as our role in shaping contexts and whether the working of language is indicative of a larger oppressive social structure.

How do we talk about race…and mental health?

This paper reports research undertaken with Access students at the UK Open University which sought to address the Black awarding gap through an intersectional approach. Noting Black students were less likely than White students to declare a mental health disability (for which institutional support would be triggered), the authors explored Black students' reasons for non-disclosure using an ethically sensitive methodology. A self-selecting sample of Black students were interviewed by Black tutors, resulting in deep insights into the lived experiences of Black students. Due to the challenging personal stories elicited, these were presented as five composite personas. Institutional recommendations around the need for enhanced cultural competence amongst staff, and more inclusive language in policy implementation may also address issues across the sector.

Drivers of menstrual material disposal and washing practices: A systematic review

Background Disposal and washing facilities and services for menstrual materials are often designed based upon technical specifications rather than an in-depth understanding of what drives peoples’ choices of practices. Objectives and data sources This systematic review identified and summarised the main behavioural drivers pertaining to the choice of disposal and washing practices of menstrual materials through the thematic content analysis and study appraisal of 82 publications (80 studies) on menstrual health and hygiene published since 1999, reporting the outcomes of primary research across 26 countries. Results Disposal and washing behaviours are primarily driven by the physical state of sanitation facilities; however, this is intrinsically linked to taboos surrounding and knowledge of menstruation. Implications Using reasons given for disposal and washing practices by menstruators or those who know them well, or inferred by authors of the reviewed studies, we identify the key considerations needed to design facilities and services which best suit the desired behaviours of both planners and those who menstruate. Inclusivity The term menstruators is used throughout to encompass all those mentioned in the studies reviewed (girls and women); although no studies explicitly stated including non-binary or transgender participants, this review uses inclusive language that represents the spectrum of genders that may experience menstruation. Registration The review protocol is registered on PROSPERO: 42019140029.

A Little Word That Means A Lot: A Reassessment of Singular They in a New Era of Gender Politics

Singular they has emerged as a key term in contemporary gender politics, reflecting growing usage of they/them as nonbinary personal pronouns. Drawing on interviews with 54 progressive gender activists, we consider how singular they can be used to resist and redo aspects of the prevailing gender structure. We identify three distinct usages of singular they: (1) as a nonbinary personal pronoun, (2) as a universal gender-neutral pronoun, and (3) as an indefinite pronoun when a person’s self-identified gender is unknown. While previous research on singular they as a gender-inclusive language practice has focused primarily on its usage as a nonbinary personal pronoun, our findings point to the relevance for gender politics of all three usages. Our analysis offers new insight into how nonbinary they challenges dominant gender norms and practices beyond incorporating additional gender categories. Given our findings, we propose further investigation of how using gender-neutral pronouns for everyone in specific contexts can advance progressive activists’ goals. Finally, we argue that the longstanding usage of singular they as an indefinite pronoun has new importance today in affirming gender as a self-determined identity.

Intergenerational leisure and family reconciliation

Scientific literature suggests the contribution to family reconciliation as a motivation for leisure shared by grandparents and grandchildren. However, there are some discrepant results. The study aimed to examine the need for family reconciliation as a practical motivation for grandparents’ and grandchildren’s shared leisure, and its linkage with its frequency, the geographical residential area, and the cohabitation of both generations in the same home. A questionnaire was administered to 357 grandparents of children aged 6 to 12 years residing in northern Spain, and a descriptive study and inferential analysis of the data were performed. The results placed the need for family reconciliation in an intermediate position, below the motivations of entertainment and emotional motivations, but above those related to co-learning and the absence of other people to perform such activities. The need for family reconciliation is associated with the frequency of shared practice, but not with the geographical residential area or the fact that both generations cohabitate at the same address. The possible exceptionality of the current situation, within the framework of COVID-19, which may have produced significant alterations in the grandparent-grandchildren relationship, is discussed, with the consequent need to continue this line of inquiry. [1] Throughout the document, an attempt will be made to use inclusive language, although "under Law 3/2007 of 22 March, for the effective equality of women and men, any reference to positions, persons, or groups included in this document in the masculine, are to be understood as including both women and men.”