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• Who is this toolkit for
• Different approaches to听recognition and inclusion
• Doubts and questions
• Further help
• References and further reading听
• Related content

The lack of visibility and inclusion of LGBTQ+ voices in language teaching听is听a very common, or perhaps even universal,听problem. However,听the magnitude of the听issue听differs across teaching contexts and听depends on many听factors. The language you teach and the culture of the country where this听language is spoken, however,听are听of听particular significance.听听

Teachers听coming from听a variety of听backgrounds and听teaching听different听languages听might, therefore,听notice that they听do听not always share the same experiences with regards to the topic of inclusivity.听

While听in some听countries听the discussion on the听topic听of LGBTQ+听recognition听in language teaching听has already听been听initiated, in others this issue听has听barely听been recognised or is actively suppressed.听听

We strongly believe that change is fuelled by awareness, and therefore听the听simple, yet so critical听act听of听identifying听and recognising听the听issues听should听not听be听undervalued.
Therefore,听we听would like to invite you听to听reflect on听your own teaching practice in relation to representation of gender and sexuality.听

Below are some questions that might help you get started

1. Think about materials available for听the听language you teach

• How often do LGBTQ+ characters appear in them?
• How are they portrayed?
• Do they only appear in chapters dedicated to relationships听or听family topics听or do they also appear听in different contexts?
• When they appear, do they reflect听intersecting and overlapping of social identities听(e.g.听race, class, age, etc.)?听

2. Update your teaching activities or design

• Do you already include听LGBTQ+听characters and听related听topics in your teaching resources?
• If yes, what is your approach?
• If no, why is that? Is there anything听in particular that听has听stopped you from doing this?听听

3. Consider your use of personal pronouns听

When听communicating with others, we听constantly听use听personal听pronouns.听In some languages听these听are听non-gender-specific,听but听in others, you will inevitably face a choice between听a very limited number of听options.听听

• Are you aware of the developments听and discussions听regarding听the use of personal pronouns听in the language you teach?
• Do you know before the start of your course what your students鈥� pronouns are?听And do you have a strategy for ensuring that everybody feels included?听

You can continue the list of questions yourself,听identifying which听areas matter particularly to you and your students.Remember that you do not have to address them all at once: write them down and return to your list at a later stage to check your progress and aid your self-reflection.听

Once you have had a chance to think about some of these questions,听you can听determine听which areas听require your focus听in the short term as well as in the longer term.听

Maybe听you had听considered听all these aspects already,听and now you are thinking about ways of听taking听action;听or perhaps this is the first time听some of听these topics听have been brought听to your attention, and you need time to think about how to respond.听听

UCL language graduate:听

Educators might feel that they need to change the way they teach so that it becomes more inclusive and will be prompted to have loads of really explicit conversations with their students. A better way is to put more subtle signposts and try to create a more inclusive space, but without putting anyone into a position where they might feel uncomfortable.

2. Include

Having reflected听on听the materials that you use in your classroom through a critical lens,听you might be thinking about听implementing听changes听(smaller or larger)听that can make a difference听to your language teaching.听

Suggestions to inspire and help you take the first steps:

1. Try to include LGBTQ+ characters, events and spaces in your materials

When you discuss the topic of family and relationships with beginner students, go beyond what we often see in textbooks and include different family models. You can also refer to cultural events and spaces relating to LGBTQ+ people.

• You could show a picture of two mums or dads and children, and ask your students to describe this family. 听
• When presenting a story of a single person, you could mention that they currently have neither a boyfriend, nor a girlfriend.
• A character could be writing a Valentine's card to a partner of the same sex.
• Characters could be talking about events such as the Pride Parade or Pride Month (in the UK and/or听in the target culture). The characters do not all have to be LGBTQ+,听and the term 'ally' could be introduced.
• Locations such as LGBTQ+ societies or clubs could be included.

Education Scotland has published some听interesting听resources that might give you some inspiration:听听

Working with students at higher levels of language proficiency听opens up听many opportunities, as your students are equipped with language tools to discuss more complex topics on the crossroads of cultural, sociolinguistic and pragmatic competencies. There are many ways of embracing these opportunities, for instance by discussing the situation of the LGBTQ+ community in the country where the language you teach is spoken:听听

Is civil partnership legal, and what are the rights of LGBTQ+ people (laws, regulations, customs, main LGBTQ+ organisations and charities)?听 Are there any LGBTQ+ role models within sports or popular culture (maybe an interview or news article could be studied)?听 How do LGBTQ+ organisations promote their viewpoints (exploring online platforms)?听

Think about exercises where听a couple are interacting听in a听common, everyday听situation (e.g.听buying groceries, choosing a birthday gift for a friend, or renting an apartment). These come up in all types of language learning materials, at all levels.听

You could consider adjusting some of those scenarios to become more inclusive by, for instance, switching the names and听pronouns of the characters to indicate听that the couple portrayed in the exercise are听not heterosexual. With this approach, you do not focus on the topic of relationships and family itself, and yet you include LGBTQ+ voices in passing, challenging common assumptions that听couples听in language learning materials听are mostly听heterosexual.听Many of the assumptions that are reproduced and reinforced in coursebooks and other types of materials are so widespread that they have become invisible to us, and the effect is the erasure of everything and everybody that does not fit into the narrow category 鈥榥ormal鈥�, which leads us to the next points we want to make:

While the topic of听鈥榝amily and relationships鈥櫶齭eems听to be the most obvious choice听when including听LGBTQ+ characters听in language teaching, it is听also听important to do so听in听other听contexts.听Moreover,听we do not always have to draw particular attention to gender and sexuality - how often does a heterosexual character have to discuss their sexuality, and how often is that the centre of attention?听

2. Present听a range of genders and sexualities听in activities听

Find a range of social media profiles that include short profiles of people who identify as a range of genders and sexualities (LGBTQ+ as well as hetero, cisgender as well as transgender, etc.). This will provide students with authentic vocabulary to characterise and describe themselves from different individuals - and you might be able to discuss their use of pronouns, too.

If asking students to produce their own profiles, we suggest allowing for fictitious听profiles听so nobody feels obliged to share personal information unless they want to.听

3. Consider your use of grammar听

Grammar examples are sometimes seen as 鈥榥eutral鈥� because they are, some听would argue,听about the grammar and not the content. They represent, however, an area where you can introduce more diverse representation (remember that even little changes can make a big difference).

The听key听question is: why should there听not be听LGBTQ+ people in grammar exercises?听

4. Challenge your assumptions听鈥� and those of your students听

We all have them, and we often听rely on听them to navigate听in a complex reality. Sometimes听our assumptions help us to quickly听make the right decision,听e.g.听when we look outside and听see people wearing thick jackets and carrying umbrellas, we decide that perhaps putting on another layer of clothes is not a bad idea. However, when it comes to听people, our assumptions, when not听constantly听checked and听challenged, can be more harmful than helpful.听听

• Have you ever reflected on your own assumptions in relating to your language teaching or the culture that you teach? Do you normally present gender as binary? Is the family always a mum, dad and some children? When you think about athletes or role models, do they include some who identify as LGBTQ+?听
• Have your students ever reflected on how they have studied languages in the past, how the materials look and why that is the case? Have they, for instance, ever studied materials related听to LGBTQ+? If they have, was it a one-off or something that was integrated into their learning journey? Do they understand why it is important to study a range of voices?听

5. Check the pronouns听

When students have an account in the university database, they sometimes have an option to indicate their听title and pronouns. However, sometimes this field is overlooked.听

• Invite 鈥� but do not require 鈥� your students to fill it in before the first lesson
• Or prepare a basic form including optional fields to indicate a name and听 pronouns and distribute it in class during your first teaching session. Some students might leave it blank because they are undecided or do not want to disclose it, but it demonstrates to students that there is space in your classroom for recognising gender fluidity.听

6.听Help develop your students' cultural competence听

As should be clear from听this section, there are many ways to include a diverse range of people in your language听teaching听materials.听And it is hopefully also clear that it is perfectly fine to take small steps.

However, once you begin听you might also want to听begin听problematising, criticising听or听questioning听some of the topics you explore with your students, so let us turn to that in the next part.听

Work with students not only on their linguistic and communicative competence, but also on their cultural competence.听This means addressing the reality of the countries where the language we teach is听spoken,听and听also听if听this is potentially problematic: in some places, for instance, it will be unsafe or even illegal to be openly LGBTQ+, and our students need to understand that 鈥� 听even听if they do not themselves听identify as LGBTQ+.听听

This becomes even more crucial if students are expected to visit the country as part of their course (summer school, year abroad, field trip, etc.). Make sure your students who plan to travel to the country know where to ask for help and support. 听

When talking about the LGBTQ+ situation within a particular culture, we suggest showing the complexity of the situation to avoid stereotyping. For instance, in some countries the law is oppressive but that does not mean there are no movements to change it. So rather than saying 鈥榯his country is homophobic鈥� we might want to refer to the government policies as well as LGBTQ+ organisations who campaign against them.听

Final-year undergraduate in BA French and Spanish:

What is important is that regardless of what you identify as, there should be opportunities for you to discuss your opinions, without necessarily having to relate to your own personal experience. And that goes for gender and sexuality, too.

3. Problematise and question

Beyond recognising and including LGBTQ+ characters and topics in our teaching, we听can听also begin to problematise听the way society听relates to听gender and sexuality, and, fundamentally,听question why our societies are the way they are.听Coda (2017) talks, for instance, about 鈥榗hallenging students'听implicit bias in classroom conversations, not labelling the students with the dominant heterosexual identity, and creating classroom activities that encourage discussion related to sexual identities can be ways of challenging the heteronormative order of the classroom.鈥� (p. 12)

This might be done in听class听discussions by听critically analysing听news articles or policy documents,听exploring听heteronormative听and sexist听language use in popular media,听analysing gender construction听in music听(e.g.听which words are used about men, women and people who fall outside this binary),听and so on.听
While these are听definitely听easier听to bring into the more advanced language classes, it is worth thinking about how they can听become a natural part of language classes听right from the beginning.听听

The following听might听help you think about听some of these aspects.听They are听meant as examples rather than exemplars, but hopefully they will spark your own creativity:听which听would be relevant to your classroom听and your students?听

Creating a classroom that encourages discussion

The concept 鈥榟eteronormativity鈥� is interesting to explore, and this can be extended to a range of discussions: what is expected of boys and girls in terms of the toys they play with, the activities they are encouraged to undertake and the education they often choose (why do fewer women study engineering?); how people respond to two women/men holding hands versus a man and a woman doing so; colours (can a boy wear pink? Why is that even a question we need to ask?)

1. How have LGBTQ+ rights changed historically in the UK?

• When and why do we use the word 鈥榥ormal鈥�? And how does it change in different contexts?
• How do discourses of normalcy structure our thinking around sexuality and gender?
• What is the relationship between heteronormativity and 鈥榥ormalcy鈥� and politics, politicians, consumerism and capitalism? For instance, why do textbooks rarely include LGBTQ+ characters and topics (Gray, 2013)?

2. What difficulties and barriers do LGBTQ+ people encounter when they are open about their gender identity and sexuality?

• Why might some people choose to keep their gender identity and sexuality to themselves?
• Why do many LGBTQ+ people (still) experience harassment at university (Bachmann and Gooch, 2018)?
• Discussing recent UK law, such as Section 28 (which prohibited the 鈥榩romotion鈥� of homosexuality or any suggestion of the 鈥榓cceptability of homosexuality鈥� in state school and was only repealed in 2003) can help emphasise the rapidity of change in culture and the ways in which actively removing and erasing LGBTQ+ content from educational spaces have been encouraged and legislated.

3. If you are heterosexual yourself, why are these topics even relevant?

• The concept 鈥榟eteronormativity鈥� is interesting to explore, and this can be extended to a range of discussions: what is expected of boys and girls in terms of the toys they play with, the activities they are encouraged to undertake and the education they often choose (why do fewer women study engineering?); how people respond to two women/men holding hands versus a man and a woman doing so; colours (can a boy wear pink? Why is that even a question we need to ask?)
• What does it mean to be an 鈥榓lly鈥�?

4. Compare and contrast the UK with countries where the language you teach is spoken.

• How is the situation in these countries different from the country where your students live now, lived in the past and/or where they study the language?
• What discourses structure LGBTQ+ issues in the language you teach (political, religious, biological, medical, etc.)?
• How would you support a friend who was LGBTQ+ in that country in a safe way?

There is a lot to consider, and some of these questions are uncomfortable to address (such as on-campus bullying and harassment or cultures where identifying as LGBTQ+ might get you arrested, imprisoned or killed). However, the alternative, trying to ignore these problems, is far worse, and as teachers we have a responsibility to all our students. Hopefully the three approaches introduced above will mean that we can work with recognition and inclusion in a way that we are comfortable with and which suits our contexts.听

And remember that you are not alone. One thing the authors learned when we began discussions around representation in 2019 was that many of us had been thinking about it for years. Beyond being a starting point for self-reflection, then, we hope that this toolkit can spark further discussions in all the many communities of practice around UCL and beyond.听听

First-year undergraduate in BA Russian and Spanish:听

What has been frustrating was when I've tried to be more progressive and inclusive in my speech, I was听penalised for my "mistakes". Equality and inclusion in the classroom have to translate into all areas of schooling, so that kind of speech should also be seen as correct.