In my time spent in professional development sessions, having discussions with colleagues and browsing conversations being had on the internet, I know that gender-inclusive language is a hot topic right now for world language teachers. Over the past few months I have been researching ways to incorporate words and word forms that describe gender non-binary folks. French teachers know this is no easy task, because French is a very gender binary language! Everything, right down to an apple or a pencil, is traditionally either masculine or feminine. Adjective forms have a masculine and feminine form. So what do we do when a student who uses they/them pronouns wants to know what their pronouns would be in French, or wants to state their nationality but isn’t sure what form they are supposed to use? Well, there are ways to accomplish this, but they are newly developed, so in many cases, there is not a consensus. What I have done is simply looked through forums and literature in French that provide suggestions on how to go about this, and I present what is typically the most common word or form to students instead of confusing them with lots of options. Sometimes, adding additional forms creates more confusion for students, but I feel that it is worth it if my non-binary students feel included and if all students see gender-inclusive language as a normal part of everyday language. If you want to make your language more gender-inclusive, you could use my suggestions as a starting point, but know that I am not the pre-eminent expert on gender-inclusive language and I welcome (respectful) discourse in the comments about other ways to incorporate it.
Gender-Neutral and Related Vocabulary I Have Introduced This Year
acteur.ice = non-binary actor
adulte = existing word that can be used to describe a non-binary adult when “man” or “woman” is not appropriate
américain.e = gender-neutral way to say “American” (for all adjectives, I advise students to use the masculine form followed by a dot, then an E to make the gender-neutral form, unless it’s an adjective with only one form such as “timide,” in which case that form can be used)
chanteur.euse = non-binary singer
cousan = non-binary cousin
enfant = existing word that can be used to describe a non-binary child when “boy” or “girl” is not appropriate
frœur = non-binary sibling
lae = gender-neutral way to say “the”
iel = they (singular subject pronoun) – this was recently added to Le Robert dictionary
man = gender-neutral way to say “my”
Mix (Mx) = Mix (gender-neutral title to replace “Ms.” or “Mr.”) – this exists in English as well
non-binaire = non-binary
parent = existing word that can be used to describe a non-binary parent when “mother” or “father” is not appropriate
pronoms = pronouns
tan = gender-neutral way to say “your”
un.e = gender-neutral way to say “a/an”
Changes I Have Made to Existing Activities to Accommodate This Language
- When students introduced themselves in French and then learned how to say what another student’s name is, students provided both their name and their pronoun (il, elle, or iel) so as not to assume gender. Then, when they went to say what a classmate’s name was, they knew which pronoun to start with. This also reinforces the idea of providing one’s pronouns along with their name to avoid gender assumption. I also gave my students the option of sharing their pronouns with me in their getting to know you survey this year.
- When showing celebrities and asking students their names in French, I also included some non-binary celebrities this year, such as Demi Lovato. I will admit Demi is my go-to because there are not a lot of openly non-binary celebrities that the majority of my students would know.
- When teaching students how to state their nationality and that of others, I showed them the non-binary adjective form convention of using the masculine form followed by a dot and an E (e.g. américain.e).
- I have been providing pronouns next to images or clip art of people where I am asking students questions about them where gender would otherwise have to be assumed. For example, when showing a family tree to students and asking them questions about it, I would put pronouns next to their names so students did not have to make assumptions about who was a mom or a dad or a brother or sister, etc. When showing students an image like the one below (featuring my amazing artwork!), the pronouns facilitate questions about who is the boy, man, etc. or how old they are without having to assume gender based on name or appearance. I also had students do the same in activity where they created a family tree and asked their classmates comprehension questions about it.
- When teaching students how to say if someone’s a boy, girl, man, or woman, this year I added child and adult, and I added the title of “Mix” as an alternative to “Ms.” or “Mr.”
- In any activity where masculine and feminine words are being used to describe people, I have incorporated the appropriate non-binary terms. Below is an example of a Nearpod activity incorporating non-binary terms.
- I introduced several terms for non-binary family members that students could refer to when talking about their own families.
- When students did their “Qui est-ce” activity where they had to describe a celebrity or character, I provided them with terminology to describe a non-binary one as well.
- When I color code words that are gender-specific, masculine words are blue, feminine are pink, and non-binary are purple, because purple is one of the colors used in the non-binary pride flag.
- I previously blogged about how when I had students do their positive adjective activity, they provided pronouns with their name and they were given a list of adjectives with masculine, feminine, and non-binary forms. Click here to read more about that activity.
A New Activity I Have Introduced
I created the activity below to promote interpersonal speaking. I color coded the boxes to reinforce the gender of each person. This year I have also made a concerted effort to include more example names that reflect the diversity of names found in the French-speaking world.
In closing, I want to note that I am fortunate to teach in a district that is very progressive when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Last year several students made a video for the school explaining what pronouns are and why they’re important to respect, so my students are fairly familiar with non-binary terms in English and weren’t at all fazed when I introduced them in French. In my department we have had discussions about how to incorporate more gender-inclusive language into our curriculum. Obviously gender-inclusive language can be a hot button topic, but so far, I haven’t had any parents or students question this new vocabulary. I know if they did, however, that my district would support me. Not all districts are this progressive, and it’s worth discussing this within your department or district before implementing this. I have heard that some districts are actually forbidding the incorporation of gender-inclusive language like this, and I’m not advocating insubordination. If you feel as strongly as I do about inclusivity, though, it’s probably worth opening up a dialogue with department heads and administrators about why you feel this is important.
Have you incorporated inclusive language into your teaching? What have you done differently than I have? I welcome respectful discourse in the comments.
Enjoyed this post? Sign up below to receive future posts by email!
