Agreements and disagreements on inclusive language
Abstract
In the debate on whether to accept or discard proposals to use gender-inclusive language, arguments are often drawn from three different domains: language, world and linguistic norm, all of which are linked to the issue in very different ways. This characteristic mixture complicates the discussion and the reaching of agreements on the issue. The debate is reproduced, with this same hybrid nature, in everyday life as well as in political or academic discourse. The most surprising thing is that it has also been transferred to teaching in Spain: this is illustrated by a recent 1st year Baccalaureate textbook (Riquelme, Talamás and Talamás 2022) which, within the framework of the 2020 education law (LOMLOE), deals with the issue in great detail, but also with considerable confusion. This article first reflects on the need to separate the language, world and norm issues related to inclusive language, and then analyses the textbook, pointing out some of the problems commonly observed in the treatment of the subject and suggesting some solutions.
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