Author: Lynne Jones, SCILT
At a time when Scotland continues to work towards the incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into Scots Law, it is worth remembering that every young person has the right to an identity under UNCRC Article 8 and that gender justice is relevant to communication in any signed or spoken language.
‘Using gender-inclusive language means speaking and writing in a way that does not discriminate against a particular sex, social gender or gender identity, and does not perpetuate gender stereotypes. Given the key role of language in shaping cultural and social attitudes, using gender-inclusive language is a powerful way to promote gender equality and eradicate gender bias.’ United Nations: Gender Inclusive Language
As Scotland’s National Centre for Languages, SCILT is keen to support learners, users and teachers of languages with this important aspect of language, which has an impact on the health and wellbeing of people in our families, our communities and beyond.
In the coming months, SCILT intends to undertake a national engagement to gather opinion and experiences from young people and their families, teachers of languages at all levels and from teacher educators.
Based on the evidence we gather, our aim is to share findings and recommendations with a wide range of audiences, including the new national curriculum and assessment agency.
We aim to:
- establish the needs of language learners and language teachers across Scotland
- make research-informed recommendations
- collect and share examples of current classroom practice
We will keep you updated of our progress through all our usual channels.
In the meantime, you are encouraged to explore this Padlet, a collection of materials that is carefully curated and regularly updated. The Padlet board includes resources for teachers’ own professional learning and for use with learners in all sectors.
Please email SCILT to express your interest in being involved in this work.
