¿Alumnos o alumnes? La presencia del lenguaje inclusivo en la clase de ELE y las actitudes que hay sobre el tema

Abstract

As the demand for gender equality and the fight for LGBTQ+ rights have grown stronger over the past decades, people have started to question the structures upholding inequality in our society. In the Spanish speaking world, the grammatical structures of the language have been accused of upholding a patriarchal and sexist ideology that exclude women and nonbinary people. As a response to the traditional grammatical rules, different alternative forms called ‘inclusive language’ have developed. This inclusive language has become the subject of a heated debate with many people celebrating the newer inclusive forms, while others position themselves firmly against changes made to the Spanish language. In this paper, the aim is to look at this inclusive language in the context of the Spanish as a foreign language (SFL) classroom. As such, we are presenting an overview of previous research that has been done on the subject which focuses on SLF teachers and students and their opinions of- and experiences with inclusive language, as well as what challenges and possibilities inclusive language may bring to SFL education. The research shows that SFL teachers’ opinions on inclusive language mimics those of the general debate, with some teachers being sceptic of teaching something that goes against the recommendations made by the Real Academia Española, while others highlight the importance of making sure all students are being included and represented in the classroom. Most students seem to be sympathetic towards inclusive language and express a desire to learn more about the subject.