Gender-neutral language aims to avoid bias by not differentiating or excluding people based on gender. It involves replacing gender-specific words like "mankind" or gendered titles with gender-inclusive alternatives. Examples include using "humankind" instead of "mankind", or using gender-neutral pronouns like "they" instead of gender-specific ones. The document discusses debates around prescriptive vs. descriptive approaches and examines ways to make writing more inclusive through word choices and constructs.

1. Gender-neutral language

2. • Let’s take a look to understand what it means
to use gender-neutral language.
• Then, look at your own writing-
Are you using gender-neutral language?

3. Definition
• Gender-specific language, or sexist language,
is words, phrases, and expressions that
unnecessarily differentiate between women
and men or exclude, trivialize, or diminish
either.
• Gender-neutral language is...
Parks & Roberton (1998), cited in Edwards (2008)

4. Gender Neutral Language
• Nonsexist language, according to Marilyn
Schwartz in Guidelines for Bias-Free
Publishing, “refers to language that avoids
gender stereotyping.”
• Journalistic writing should treat males and
females equally by not only providing equal
coverage of males and females but also in
using gender-neutral language.

6. Examples
• men/guys
• he/him/his
• Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms
• he or she
• manmade
• chairman/layman
• lady doctor/male nurse
• office girls/family man

7. Past
St Hildegarde of Bingen, 11th
century
attempted to construct non-sexist alternative
The Revolution, 1868-1871
paid attention to sexist language
Simone de Beauviour, 1952
challenged of generic use of man
Penelope (1990); Rakow & Kramarae (1990), cited in Weatherall (2002)

8. Language equality
• Prescriptivism (prescribed by society)
Linguistic practices and preferences are based on
society elites, rather than any natural or objective
notion of correctness.
• Descriptivism
Different language varieties are equal in linguistic
terms, and it is wrong to label some varieties as
inferior.
Cameron (1995); Mesthrie, Swann, Deumert, & Leap (2000)

9. Mackay (1979); Crawford & English (1984); Mackay & Fulkerson (1979), Mouton, Robinson &
Elias (1978), Cole, Hill & Dayley (1983); Schneider & Haker (1973), Briere & Lanktree (1983),
Murdock & Forsyth (1985); Falk & Mills (1996), cited in Weatherall (2002); Bem & Bem (1973);
Johnson & Dowling-Guyer (1996); Cameron (1994); Fergusson (2004)

10. Coats (1993); Crawford (1995); Graddol & Swann (1989); Holmes (1994); Tannen (1990)
Communication styles

11. Tannen (1990)
Management styles

12. Gender-specific Gender-neutral
What other words can you think of to replace the list on the
left?
• poet/poetess
• hero/heroine
• manager/manageress
• governor/governess
• chairman
• freshman
• layman
• salesman
• poet
•
• manager
•
•
•
•
•

13. • poet/poetess
• hero/heroine
• manager/manageress
• governor/governess
• chairman
• freshman
• layman
• salesman
• poet
• hero
• manager
• governor
• chair
• first-year student
• layperson
• salesperson
Gender-specific Gender-neutral

14. Titles
Questionable
• Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms
• Dear Sir/Madam
Acceptable
• Mr, Ms
• To whom it may
concern
• Dear householder
• Dear customer

15. Women
Questionable
• girl
• lady
• man and wife
Acceptable
• women
• women
• husband and wife

16. What words can you think of to
replace the list on the left?
• man
• mankind
• guys
• he
• him
• his
•
•
•
•
•
•

17. • man
• mankind
• guys
• he
• him
• his
• people, human
• humanity
• y’all, yous
• they
• them
• their

18. Word order
• he or she, he/she, s/he
• his or her, him or her
• men and women
• sons and daughters
• ladies and gentlemen

19. Irrelevant differences
The student needs to submit his materials by…
The student needs to submit his or her materials by…
The lecturer needs to submit all materials by…
Students need to submit their materials by…

20. Someone phoned, but he didn’t leave his number.
Someone phoned, but he or she didn’t leave his or her
number.
Someone phoned, but didn’t leave a number.
Someone phoned, but they didn’t leave their number.
Irrelevant differences

21. Using gender-neutral language means
eliminating any potential bias in writing.
A.True
B.False

22. Using gender-neutral language means
eliminating any potential bias in writing.
A.True
B.False

23. Now, look at your own writing. Do you see any
changes that need to be made to make your
writing gender-neutral?

24. References
Cameron, D. (Ed.). (1994). Non-sexist communication: guidelines for staff and students. Strathclyde:
Public Relations Service, University of Strathclyde.
Cameron, D. (1995). Rethinking language and gender studies: some issues from the 1990’s, in S Mills
(Ed.), Language and gender: interdisciplinary perspectives (pp. 31-44). Harlow: Longman.
Cameron, D. (2005). Language, gender, and sexuality: Current issues and new directions. Applied
Linguistics, 26 (4), 482-502.
Coats, J. (1993). Women, men and language. Harlow: Longman.
Crawford, M. (1995). Talking difference: On gender and language. London: Sage Publications.
Edwards, A. (2008). Non-sexist language reform in ESL institutions. Maastricht: Maastricht University.
Fergusson, C. (2004). Sexist language persists in the ESL classroom. English teaching forum, 42(1), 36-
42.
Gladwell, M. (2005). Blink. London: Penguin.
Graddol, D., & Swann, J. (1989). Gender voices. Oxford: Blackwell.
Hart, J. (2007). BC. Retrieved on May 12, 2009 from http://johnhartstudios.com.
Holmes, J. (1994). Improving the lot of female language learners, in J Sunderland (Ed.), Exploring
gender: Questions and implications for English language education. London: Prentice Hall.
Johnson, M., & Dowling-Guyer, S. (1996). Effects of inclusive vs. Exclusive language on evaluations of
counsellor. Sex Roles, 34(5), 407-418.

25. References
Kennedy, J. (1961, January 20). Inaugural address. Retrieved on May 13, 2009 from
http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres56.html.
King, M. (1963, May 13). I have a dream. Retrieved on May 13, 2009 from
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm.
Levi-Strauss, C. (1974). Structural Anthropology. New York: Basic Books.
Mesthrie, R., Swann, J., Deumert, A., & Leap, W. (2000). Introducing sociolinguistics. Edinburgh:
Edinburgh University Press.
Obama, B. (2009, January 20). Inaugural address. Retrieved on May 13, 2009 from
http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres68.html.
Pinker, S. (1994). The language instinct. New York: Harper Perennial.
Sankoff, G. (1986). Social life of language. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Spender, D. (1990). Man made language. London: Routledge & Kegan.
Tannen, D. (1990). You just don’t understand. New York: Morrow.
VSNU. (2003). Collective labour agreement (CAO). The Hague: Stichting SoFoKleS.
VSNU. (2008). Collective labour agreement (CAO). The Hague: Stichting SoFoKleS.
Weatherall, A. (2002). Gender, language and discourse. London: Routledge.