© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press; all rights reserved.
Teaching new tendencies in gender usage in modern English
Julia Sudo has been an English instructor at Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia, since 2000, teaching English through video, academic writing, general English, and ESP. Her doctoral dissertation includes discussion of the influence of liberation movements on the English language and related translation problems
Email: jsudo{at}academ.org
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Abstract |
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Many fluent EFL speakers experience psychological problems after discovering gender-inclusive English during their first stay abroad, due to the unforeseen nature of this discovery. For example, most EFL students in Russia seem to be unaware of this linguistic phenomenon, even at upper-intermediate and advanced levels. They use and expect others to use exclusive language because they do not know other options. However, they have a right to know about gender-related changes in English and in Western society, and to make an informed decision as to what type of language to use. A case study and a mini-survey are presented here which show that major obstacles to teaching, learning, and using inclusive language seem to be the nature of the Russian language and the traditionalism of Russian society. Based on these results, a set of suggestions related to the teaching of inclusive language is proposed.