Gender stereotypes and inclusion in language teaching

Abstract

Example sentences are a major source of data in both linguistics and language teaching. We use examples in our teaching to support students’ learning, both in textbooks and in more informal contexts such as classroom instruction and small-group work. This paper is concerned with the representation of gender in such examples. We introduce our prior work on the use of examples in Linguistics research articles, showing that they exhibit pervasive biases and stereotypes. Among other findings, men outnumber women in examples at a 2:1 rate. Men are portrayed more often as grammatical subjects with jobs, while women are family-oriented passive actors in a male world. We offer recommendations to avoid such bias, to encourage student participation and send a message of inclusion in the classroom.