Inclusive Language Research Articles

Fearing Pain at the End of Life: A Review of Advance Directives.

Patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals often describe a "good death" as a pain-free process. However, many patients experience pain during their last weeks of life. Advance directives (ADs) are legally binding documents that allow individuals to express their wishes for end-of-life care which should include management of their pain. An interprofessional team conducted a comprehensive analysis of ADs from all 50 states and the District of Columbia to assess the inclusion of language that reflects patients' wishes for pain relief at the end of life. Thirty-seven (73%) of the 51 entities examined reflected the prototypical directive, containing explicit instructions for withholding or withdrawing interventions that may prolong suffering rather than options for treating pain. Of these, 12 (24%) did not include the word "pain". Only 14 states (27%) provided clear guidance for managing pain. Unexpectantly, researchers found that 13 (25%) addressed the common fears of patients, caregivers, and healthcare teams when using opioids to relieve suffering, such as addiction, sedation, appetite, or respiratory suppression, and hastening death. The majority of ADs reviewed lacked clear and comprehensive measures for addressing pain relief. This deficiency may contribute to the undertreatment of pain and amplify the anxiety felt by patients, families, and healthcare providers when making end-of-life decisions. The results highlight the need for improvements in ADs to help ensure that patients' wishes regarding pain management are adequately addressed, documented and respected.

A Comparative Investigation of Gender Terminology in the Egyptian and Tunisian Constitutions

Gendered language is becoming a matter of serious concern for legal drafters and policymakers because 'it is always changing as societal views change' (The University of Calgary: Office of diversity, equity and protected disclosure 2017:1). Many western countries have made considerable progress towards using inclusive legal language. However, inclusive language is not implemented in other parts of the World; the Arab World is no exception. This may be due to the violation of language rules, the decline of language, and the lack of enough evidence that changing the language will change society (Brown in ABA J, 2019) and (Brown in ABA J: 24–26, 2018). In this paper, I explore the challenging socio-cultural and linguistic factors that may hinder the implementation of gender-inclusive language in Arabic and explain the current situation in two current constitutions of Egypt and Tunisia in particular. The main aim of this paper is to conduct a comparative analysis of terminology representing gender in the Egyptian (2014, amended 2019) and Tunisian (2014) Arabic-English Constitutions using corpus-based tools. The analysis shows inconsistent attempts at a more inclusive source text through using neutral terms and adding inclusive pre-modifiers to these terms. It also shows inconsistent translation of gender-specific terminology and pronominal references. Both constitutions explicitly stress the ‘eradication of violence against women’ and express parity between ‘women’ and ‘men’ in terms of ‘equal rights’ and ‘appropriate political representation’ (e.g. in the Egyptian House of Representatives (28%) and the Tunisian Assembly of People’s Representatives (26%)) (International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance, IDEA 2021). Although these percentages are not far away from the representation of women in European countries such as the United Kingdom (35%) (International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance, IDEA 2021), it is the reality of women’s actual roles, change they initiate and their impact in the society that counts.

Attitudes Towards Philippine English: The Case of ESL Teachers in Selected Provinces in Central Luzon, Philippines

Language attitudes refer to individuals' views, judgments, and emotions regarding a language or linguistic variety. These attitudes are shaped by various factors such as cultural, social, historical, and political contexts. In the case of Philippine English, attitudes regarding this linguistic variant have shifted, reflecting evolving views and ideals within Philippine culture. Thus, the study aimed to provide insights into the social, cultural, and linguistic factors that shape attitudes towards Philippine English and contribute to a better understanding of language attitudes in multilingual societies. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed in the study, specifically the concurrent triangulation or convergent parallel design. The researchers used convenience sampling to identify 40 ESL teachers in selected provinces in Central Luzon, Philippines. The research instrument that the proponents utilized for this study is the survey questionnaire, and the data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Based on the quantitative findings, the data revealed that most ESL teachers strongly agree with the acceptance and utility of Philippine English in ESL instruction. Furthermore, the qualitative data presented that Philippine English promotes cultural understanding, student engagement, language empowerment, and a sense of belonging. It also enhances language skills, promotes cultural relevance and understanding, boosts communication and confidence, facilitates real-life application, and contributes to the professional growth of teachers. Finally, incorporating Philippine English in ESL instruction contributes to a more inclusive, engaging, and effective language learning experience for students. The researchers recommended offering professional development opportunities for ESL teachers, addressing the concerns of teachers who express disagreement and doubt regarding the utility of Philippine English, supporting teachers in adapting their teaching methods to effectively incorporate Philippine English, and encouraging ongoing professional growth and development among teachers in the field of Philippine English for ESL education.

Strategies to Create a More Gender Identity Inclusive Learning Environment in Preclinical and Clinical Medical Education.

Recognition of the spectrum of gender identities has been a recent phenomenon in the medical profession. Over the past 20 years, medical literature related to gender identity diversity has increased several-fold, yet it more commonly addresses clinical care rather than aspects related to medical education. Medical educators continue to struggle with appropriate language and inclusive approaches when discussing gender-based aspects of medical education. Reproductive health education, including obstetrics and gynecology clerkships, is particularly vulnerable to missteps and anachronisms regarding gender identity.This article aims to provide preclinical and clinical medical educators with strategies to identify and predict situations where missteps related to gender identity inclusivity may occur in their curriculum or learning environment, and to develop approaches to improve gender identity inclusivity within medical education. The authors explore 3 areas that commonly pose challenges for medical educators: inclusive language and terminology, anatomy education, and reproductive genetics and genetic counseling. They hope the tools and strategies provided here will be useful to reproductive health medical educators across specialties to enable the realization of a more inclusive learning environment in reproductive health.

Ideologies underlying language policy and planning in the Philippines

This study utilizes Cobarrubias’ (1983. Ethical issues in status planning. In: Progress in language planning: international perspectives. pp. 41–85) taxonomy of language ideologies as the framework to uncover the ideologies underlying language policy and planning (LPP) in the Philippines. We discuss the different language ideologies, including linguistic assimilation, vernacularization, linguistic pluralism, and internationalization, through a historical analysis of the mandated LPP in the Philippines and how they have influenced the country’s LPP. Our findings reveal that legislation and administrative measures have played a crucial role in the process of linguistic assimilation, which has historically been the dominant ideology underlying LPP in the Philippines. Furthermore, we highlight that various language ideologies can coexist and be present simultaneously within a language policy or society. We also posit that Cobarrubias’ (1983. Ethical issues in status planning. In: Progress in language planning: international perspectives. pp. 41–85) framework has the potential to aid in the analysis and enhancement of LPP in other countries facing similar linguistic scenarios. Additionally, multilingual and multicultural countries must continually adapt their LPP to emphasize inclusive language policies, language maintenance initiatives, and national identity construction that values and respects linguistic diversity, empowers local communities, and strives for social inclusivity and cohesion within the context of neocolonialism and globalization.

More than just pronouns - gender-neutral and inclusive language in patient education materials: suggestions for patient education librarians.

Trusted patient education materials are the backbone of an effective consumer health library. However, members of the LGBTQ+ community may not see themselves or their families reflected in many resources due to the gendered and non-inclusive language they are written in. This article outlines some suggestions for concrete actions that patient librarians can take to ensure that their materials are not excluding LGBTQ+ patients.

Advertising Media, an analysis of Code in Compilation of Food and Beverage Ads on YouTube

The utilization of coding within advertising discourse is an imperative means of communication, effectively demonstrating the wide array of linguistic frameworks employed in promotional campaigns. The deliberate inclusion of diverse languages in advertisements serves the dual purpose of capturing attention and safeguarding regional languages by utilizing advertising platforms to uphold and enhance their significance. The objective of this study is to analyse instances of code switching and code mixing in compilation videos of food and beverage advertisements uploaded by Rofif Satria on the YouTube Satria Channel account. The utilization of a qualitative methodology employing descriptive techniques in data collection entails the process of observation and subsequent documentation through note-taking. The researcher carefully examines each advertising video, meticulously documenting both the spoken and written narratives conveyed within them. The instances of code-switching and code-mixing in the compilation videos are subsequently identified, annotated, and documented. The data that has been gathered is organized and classified according to its type, as well as the specific forms of code-switching and code-mixing that are present. The research findings indicate instances of code-switching and code-mixing, which encompass both internal and external forms. These include the insertion of words, phrases, clauses, and basters. The contextualization of data, including words, phrases, and clauses, is integral to the interpretation within the discourse of advertising.

Developing Positive Relationships: Strategies for Building Strong Teacher/Student Relationships

Although most teachers would acknowledge the impact relationships with their students have on the environmental climate in their gymnasium, this topic has been scarcely discussed. To date, there are few papers focusing on tangible strategies for developing, building, and enhancing the relationship between physical educators and their students. This article outlines and provides tangible examples for how to initiate closeness and avoid conflict within teacher/student relationships, specific to physical education and other sporting contexts. Effective practical strategies are presented, including setting high expectations for youth, fostering distinctiveness, using inclusive language, and speaking from one’s own experiences. In all, these best practices are applicable for the development of teacher/student relationships in any setting, but particularly physical education or a variety of other sport settings.

Language Ideologies and the Use of Mother Tongues as the Medium of Instruction and Learning in Junior Primary Schools: A Case Study of Parents and Teachers in a Namibian School

In the Namibian education system, teaching in the junior primary is supposed to be done in the learners’ mother tongue. However, there is always controversy on adopting a language to be used as a medium of instruction (MoI) due to the multi-ethnic and multilingualism of the Namibian society. To make matters worse, parents equally cast doubt on enrolling their children in schools that uses mother tongue as an MoI. Framed within the qualitative case-study orientation, this research investigated: parents’ and teachers’ language ideologies and beliefs; the factors that informed the embodied and expressed language ideologies and beliefs of parents’ and teachers’; and how these dominant language ideologies and belief systems informed parents’ and teachers’ choice of language of instruction and the general implementation of the language policy in a Namibian school. The study found that both parents and teachers harbored monolingual ideological belief systems that did not only construct and perpetuate an “English-only” language zone but also banished all mother tongue languages from the school premises. Not only do the findings point to the hegemonic positioning of the English language in the minds of parents, teachers, and school principals as the only language that can lead to success, but its violation was punishable in a derogatory manner. The study concludes that, among others, parents, teachers, and school principals’ language ideologies and beliefs were shaped and informed by the prevailing English language hegemony. The liberal and duality stance of the Namibian language policy, and its decentralization, partly resulted in parents, teachers, and school principals’ neglect of the multilingualism and heterogeneity that the very same policy purports to advocate. The study recommends raising parents’ and teachers’ awareness of embracing the heteroglossia of language practices and for the ministry of education to consider a more inclusive language policy.

Verification Column

Many verification problems can be formulated as a language inclusion problem where the task is to decide whether the language of the system model (given by the runs of the system) is contained in the language induced by a logical specification. The corresponding verification problem for non-functional properties is the quantitative inclusion problem where both the system model and the specification are given by weighted automata and the task is to decide whether the weight for each input string in the automaton for the system is less than that in the automaton for the specification. Here, the weight of a string is defined as an aggregate value of the weights assigned to the states and/or transitions in that string. So, the essential task of the quantitative inclusion problem is to compare the aggregate weight of two input strings. Comparator automata yield an elegant automata-based approach to reason about multiple instances of the quantitative inclusion problem and other algorithmic problems for weighted structures. Speaking roughly, they are defined as automata that take as input two infinite weighted sequences and relate their aggregate values. Among others, they have used to introduce generic algorithms for quantitative inclusion problems and other verification problems for weighted system models. The article by Sugumal Bansal presents an introduction to comparator automata and a summary of their application areas.

Exploration of Language Functions as an Ideological State Apparatus in the Novel Lord of the Flies

William Golding's novel "Lord of the Flies" explores the role of language in shaping societal norms, values, and power structures. The language used by the characters reflects their respective ideologies and contributes to the development of their positions. Language also reveals power dynamics and social hierarchies within the group, with characters who speak Standard English portrayed as more intelligent and civilised. The use of language perpetuates the dominant ideology of the group, with Jack using aggressive language to exert control over others while Ralph employs more collaborative and inclusive language. This paper demonstrates how language is not merely a means of communication but a tool for shaping and reinforcing societal norms, values, and power structures. Using language as an ideological state apparatus plays a significant role in shaping the characters' ideological positions and the dynamics within the group.

Evaluation of the Impact of a Language Policy: Resolution C. S No. 662/ 2019 on "Non-sexist and inclusive language” at the National University of Rosario, Argentina

Evaluation of the Impact of a Language Policy: Resolution C. S No. 662/ 2019 on "Non-sexist and inclusive language” at the National University of Rosario, Argentina

“We Post and Post, and Others Will Come to Like Us...”, or Translingual Practices in B. Anfinogenov’s Poetry

The article deals with the study of translingual practices in the works by the Udmurt poet B.V. Anfinogenov. The interest to the questions of transcultural literature is due to the importance of research in cultural diversity of multilingual regions of Russia. The methodological basis of the article is the linguistic analysis of a literary text, synthesis-generalization of the achievements of modern literary criticism, structural analysis of a poetic text, etc. The collection of poetic texts by B. Anfinogenov “Dz’ikya Promo” (2023) is used as the material for analysis. Based on the analysis, the peculiarities of translingual practices representation in the works by B. Anfinogenov are revealed, extra-textual (ethnic and cultural self-identification of the author, themes, foreign language inclusions) and intra-textual (hybrid cultural canons and codes) levels of representation of translingualism are outlined. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the role of graphic determination as well as the use of interlanguage homophony and intertextuality in transcultural literature.

Tradisi Ziarah dalam Masyarakat Jawa Perspektif Filsafat Nilai Max Scheler

This research aimed to reveal the tradition of visiting graves in Javanese society from the perspective of Max Scheler's philosophy of value. This research was a type of field research using descriptive qualitative methods by collecting data obtained from observation, interviews, and documentation. As for data analysis, namely description, interpretation, induction and deduction, internal coherence, holistic, internal continuity, heuritics, and inclusive or analogical language. The research results showed that the pilgrimage tradition adheres to philosophical values, namely enjoyment, life, psychology, and religion. The stages of values obtained in the Pilgrimage tradition in Max Scheler's perspective were: First, the value of pleasure was reflected in the enthusiasm of the community such as togetherness, cohesiveness, enjoying free-range chicken ingkung after a joint prayer ritual. Second, mutual cooperation in order to clean the graves of grandparents or guardians. Third, the spiritual value when reading the consent and followed by a prayer followed by the community holding the event. Fourth, the value of holiness with the aim of getting blessings from the Creator (God).

The Ukrainian language in HALYCHYNA school system in the interwar period

The history of the Ukrainian literary language intertwines with the development of Ukrainian education. The establishment of Ukrainian schooling in Halychyna commenced in the late 19th century and persisted until the early 20th century. Throughout this period and until 1939, the Ukrainian population of Halychyna engaged in a relentless struggle for the right to receive education in their mother tongue across various types of schools, including public and private, primary, secondary, and vocational institutions. This struggle unfolded within the intricate framework of socio-political and socio-cultural conditions prevalent in Eastern Halychyna during the interwar period. During the First World War, the educational landscape underwent a period of total Russification. The occupying authorities imposed mandatory Russian language instruction in primary and secondary schools throughout Halychyna. This Russification agenda within the realm of education was reinforced by official documents explicitly proclaiming that “within the confines of Carpathian Rus, all higher, secondary, and elementary schools must promptly and exclusively adopt the Russian language”. During the years 1918-1919, the authorities of the Western Ukrainian People’s Republic dedicated significant efforts to ensure the effective organization of the educational system. They emphasized the compulsory inclusion of the Ukrainian language in all educational institutions and made substantial investments in training an adequate number of educators. By early 1919, there were 20 Ukrainian gymnasiums, three real schools, and seven teachers’ seminary schools. The period from 1919 to 1939 witnessed a heightened struggle by the Ukrainians of Halychyna to preserve their right to education in their native language, despite the oppressive Polish occupation of the western Ukrainian lands. Unfortunately, during this time, the number of primary and secondary schools offering instruction in the Ukrainian language experienced a steady decline. By the end of the interwar period, approximately 420 Ukrainian primary schools, 2,500 Utraquist schools, and 1,229 Polish schools with compulsory Ukrainian language studies remained operational in Eastern Halychyna. Additionally, there were 20 Ukrainian private gymnasiums and lyceums, along with 7 vocational schools. The concept of schooling in the native language brought together a community of dedicated and influential individuals, including scholars, educators, politicians, and cultural figures. United by a common goal, they worked tirelessly to develop textbooks and dictionaries suitable for schools at various levels. Despite the challenging conditions of the 1920s and 1930s, pedagogical and scientific societies, as well as educational journals, actively opposed the policy of Polonization in the realm of education. They championed the advancement of Ukrainian school terminology and advocated for the incorporation of essential spelling rules into the Ukrainian language curriculum. Key words: the Ukrainian language, schooling system of Halychyna, an interwar period, Russification, Polonization.

Attitudes of Spanish LGBTI+ Adolescents and Emerging Adults.

Never in Spain’s history have sexual minorities enjoyed the current rights. However, LGBTIphobic rhetoric displayed by extreme-right activism threats the gains made. An online survey among LGBTI+ people between 16 and 29 years was conducted. 152 people answered. Results show that Spanish LGBTI+ youth is mostly prone to activism, they were quite informed about legal initiatives and they mostly think that LGBTI+ people continue to suffer discrimination, the group of friends and peers appears to be the safest context and teachers seem to fail on the duty of help LGBTI+ young people. Additionally, LGBTI+ young people often use inclusive language, especially in casual context, and they seek referents in social media, where they follow influencers who openly declared themselves part of the LGBTI+ collective. The study serves as an example of the changing cultural and political practices of non-cis-hetero youth in a society moving fast towards equality but attending the raising of regressive movements.

LGBTQ+ Affirmative State Care for Young People in Sweden: New Knowledge and Old Traditions

Abstract Young LGBTQ+ people are over-represented in various forms of state care. They experience hardships during their placements and staff competence in addressing specific needs among LGBTQ+ youth is lacking. In this article, we investigate whether and how LGTBQ+ issues are considered and described in digital marketing for state care providers. The material consists of the homepages of residential care homes and secure state care institutions, which we analyse using critical discourse analysis. The results show that LGBTQ+ issues are largely invisible. Of the approximately 1,000 existing state care providers, only twenty stated that they worked with or had competence in LGBTQ+ issues. Among these, no secure state care institution offered LGBTQ+ competence at the time of the study. The descriptions of how care providers work with LGBTQ+ issues are characterised by heteronormativity where there is a mix of two types of language on the homepages regarding LGBTQ+ youth; on the one hand, a heteronormative, traditional description based on a binary understanding of gender; and, on the other, an LGBTQ+ inclusive language is used. However, the LGBTQ+ affirmative language has been imposed upon the traditional rather than being integrated into it, which comes across as superficial and unclear.

Elevating the Uses of Storytelling Methods Within Indigenous Health Research: A Critical, Participatory Scoping Review

There is a profoundly troubling history of research being done on Indigenous peoples without regard for their priorities and accompanying calls to decolonize health research. Storytelling methods can privilege Indigenous voices in research. Indigenous people’s knowledge systems have existed for millennium, where knowledge is produced and shared through stories. Our collaborative team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers, and Indigenous Elders, patients, healthcare providers, and administrators, conducted a participatory, scoping review to examine how storytelling has been used as a method in Indigenous health research on Turtle Island (North America), Australia, and Aotearoa (New Zealand). We searched key databases and online sources for qualitative and mixed-methods studies that involved Indigenous participants and used storytelling as a method in health research. Reviewers screened abstracts/full texts to confirm eligibility. Narrative data were extracted and synthesized. An intensive collaboration was woven throughout and included gatherings incorporating Indigenous protocol, Elders’ teachings on storytelling, and sharing circles. We included 178 articles and found a diverse array of storytelling approaches and adaptations, along with exemplary practices and problematic omissions. Researchers honoured Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing through careful preparation and community engagement to do storywork, inclusion of Indigenous languages and protocols, and Indigenous initiation and governance. Storytelling centered Indigenous voices, was a culturally relevant and respectful method, involved a healing process, and reclaimed Indigenous stories. But it could result in several challenges when researchers did not meaningfully engage with Indigenous peoples. These findings can guide respectful storytelling research that bridges divergent Indigenous and Western knowledge systems, to decolonize health research.

Perceptions of inclusive language in the Spanish of the Southeast

Abstract This study examines the perceptions of inclusive language among first- and second-generation Spanish speakers residing in North Carolina, USA, based on survey data collected from 337 speakers by undergraduates. The survey examines familiarity with innovative inclusive language forms (including -@, -x, and -e), as well as opinions about different forms (including standard morphology forms such as masculine default and noun doubling – i.e., chicos y chicas), and reported use of inclusive forms. A majority of participants expressed negative opinions of innovative forms, and very few reported actually using them in their speech. Acceptance varied based not only on participant social characteristics, but also on the morphology and the context in which the form is used. Exceptions to these trends, as well as the possible future development of inclusive language forms, receive additional attention. Research methodologies with undergraduates are also discussed.

EMI and its sociolinguistic entanglement with local languages

Abstract Against the backdrop of inter-institutional competition and transnational ambitions, the prevalence of English-medium instruction (EMI) programs in higher education and their relative distribution across various national, regional, and institutional contexts is rapidly growing. When studying the increasingly globalized phenomenon of EMI, there is a tendency to adopt macro-pedagogical perspectives, with comparatively little attention being devoted to disciplinary differences which may warrant intra-institutional differentiation through situationally adaptable approaches to EMI policy and implementation strategies. The present study attempts to further enhance and nuance our understanding of the influence of disciplinary knowledge structures and literacies on lecturers’ and students’ linguistic needs in EMI courses. This article reports on linguistic ethnographic fieldwork at a Belgian higher education institution in which graduate students in international bio-science engineering and industrial design engineering programs were observed during the 2021–2022 academic year. Differences in disciplinary knowledge structures and literacies are explored through means of survey, interview, and classroom observation data. Results corroborate earlier findings on the interplay between disciplinary knowledge structures and attitudes towards EMI. Additionally, the data illustrate how the active inclusion of local languages alongside English can be considered disciplinarily relevant in certain programs.