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Gender fair language aims to reduce gender-bias and discrimination. However, little research has focused on how L2 English learners use these expressions. The present study seeks to investigate whether recent improvements in the social status of women in China are reflected in gender representation in university students’ writing. A corpus study is...
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... more detailed distribution of epicene pronouns can be seen in Table 4 . All the forms of epicene pronouns with relation to antecedent types are shown in the following Table 4 . ...Context 2
... more detailed distribution of epicene pronouns can be seen in Table 4 . All the forms of epicene pronouns with relation to antecedent types are shown in the following Table 4 . ...Context 3
... to Table 4 , it can be asserted Chinese EFL learners are most likely to use generic he to refer to a gender neutral third person singular pronoun. There are 581 tokens of generic he in the results and the detailed distribution is as follows: there are 228 tokens in the form of subjective he, 274tokens for possessive his , 30 tokens for objective him , and 49 tokens for reflexive himself . ...Similar publications
In this paper, we present our system for the EvoNLP 2022 shared task Temporal Meaning Shift (TempoWiC). Different from the typically used discriminative model, we propose a gener-ative approach based on pre-trained generation models. The basic architecture of our system is a seq2seq model where the input sequence consists of two documents followed...
Citations
... After all, a combination of language-internal and language-external factors has led to changes to the pronoun paradigm before as well (Paterson 2014). This is the first study into the distribution of English epicene pronouns in the essays written by Macedonian learners of English and is based on the Macedonian subcorpus of the International Corpus of Learner English (ICLE) version 3. It has previously been shown that non-native speakers of English tend to use singular they considerably less than native speakers, partly as a result of their greater adherence to prescriptive norms (Hekanaho 2020, Stormbom 2018 or as a result of the socially and culturally androcentric native environments (Abudalbuh 2012, Zhang andYang 2021). This study is trying to challenge these findings, especially as it explores essays written in the mid-2010s by students whose L1 exhibits masculine generics. ...
... A major reason for the prevalence of generic he was located in the Arab linguistic and social androcentricity. Likewise, in a study based on the Written English Corpus of Chinese Learners, Zhang and Yang (2021) examined the use of epicene pronouns among Chinese learners of English, and it was revealed that the generic he was most commonly used, followed by he or she, while the prevalence of singular they was fairly small. These results were partly attributed to the fact that the Chinese society still seems to be dominated by androcentric social norms, despite attempts to improve the status of women. ...
... Several studies have discussed the relatedness of particular epicene pronouns with the (sub)type of their antecedent among learners of English from different L1 backgrounds (Zhang and Yang 2021, Zhang et al. 2020, Stormbom 2019, 2018. This is the first study of epicene pronouns used by Macedonian learners of English and it attempts to discover if similar results will be obtained in a Macedonian setting. ...
This article presents the findings of a study of the epicene pronouns used by Macedonian learners of English to refer anaphorically to compound indefinite pronouns and common-gender nouns as antecedents in their essays written in English. This study is based on the Macedonian component of the International Corpus of Learner English and aims to discover the distribution of epicene pronouns (he, he or she, and singular they), and the relationship between the choice of an epicene pronoun and particular antecedent (sub)types. The association between the use of specific epicene pronouns and the students’ gender, as well as their year of study at the university, was also investigated. The results point to a more widespread application of singular they compared to he or she and he. The findings also reveal an association between specific epicene pronouns and the degree of individuation of the antecedent. There was virtually no statistically significant difference in the students’ use of each pronoun across the academic years. It also appeared that there was no statistically significant difference between male and female participants regarding their use of epicene pronouns. Finally, the limitations of this study are discussed and directions are offered for future research.
... This line of research has generally shown that gender-related structural inequality or heterogeneity (e.g., male dominance) persist in varying degrees in curriculum content and instruction in spite of sustained efforts for fair representation of both sexes (e.g., Pakuła et al., 2015;Song & Xiong, 2022). Some researchers look at the use of gender-inclusive or gender-biased language such as address terms (e.g., chair vs chairman) and personal pronouns (he/ she/they) (Zhang & Yang, 2021). Others are interested in the quality of representations by identifying whether the roles and occupations taken by the characters create gender stereotypes. ...
... This has caused a brief period of upset and disorientation for Fang because she could not find a way to engage in gender education based on the teaching materials available on her recent teaching calendar. Bearing in mind that we work collaboratively with Fang and should not push her too much, we waited for a whole month before she finally managed to figure out an interesting point of entry, that is, the unsatisfying use of gendered or gender-neutral personal pronouns (Zhang & Yang, 2021). This idea struck her when she was reviewing her students' written assignments. ...
The topic of gender equality has attracted significant attention in the field of English language teaching and applied linguistics. While there has been much discussion about the representation of gender in the curriculum content and teacher talk, the epistemic cognitive processes underpinning transformative teaching practices have received relatively little attention. This study utilizes the 3R‐EC (reflection, reflexivity, and resolved action for epistemic cognition) framework for teacher reflexivity to explore the epistemic process that guides teachers' pedagogical decision making, beliefs, and practices when they engage in gender education. Using critical ethnography and conversational interviews, the current study shows how epistemic reflexivity as a useful conceptual tool unravels the intricacies of teacher learning and practice in problematizing gendered discourses, and how researcher‐practitioner collaboration (RPC) serves a catalyst for promoting teacher reflexivity. It argues for a holistic approach to teacher reflection and reflective practice in gender education and stresses the importance of transforming teachers into mindful professionals who are critically aware of the gender gap and gender ideologies. Furthermore, it underscores the significance of developing innovative pedagogies for gender inclusivity and diversity in the context of English as a foreign language (EFL).
... However, young learners were not the main target group. Zhang and Yang (2021) claimed that the normal scenario was for mature learners to be chosen as research participants instead of those of other ages. This demonstrates the need for CL to be used with young learners. ...
The primary objective of this article is to undertake a comprehensive and methodical examination of corpus-driven research endeavours carried out in the Asian region. A plethora of recent scholarly investigations have elucidated that the employment of corpus-driven methodologies across diverse fields and aims could derive advantageous outcomes through the utilisation of a diverse array of corpus linguistics software tools. The primary objective of corpus-driven analysis is to facilitate scholars in acquiring novel insights pertaining to a specific corpus, including the identification of pivotal keywords. The present investigation undertook a comprehensive examination of 21 scholarly research publications through the meticulous application of a systematic literature review methodology. The selection of Google Scholar and Scopus as the designated databases for the purpose of conducting a comprehensive search for pertinent scholarly resources has been made. A total of twelve research articles were procured from the Scopus database, whereas an additional eight articles were obtained from the esteemed Google Scholar platform. The empirical evidence presented in this study demonstrates the significance of corpus-driven research within the realm of Asian studies, primarily owing to the inherent ethnic diversity prevalent in this particular geographical region. The exploration of authentic language can be undertaken through a lens characterised by determination and focus. This statement elucidates the fact that the utilisation of corpus-driven research methodologies yields a greater abundance of relevant and genuine data, particularly within the realm of linguistics disciplines.
... The absence of epicene pronouns in English has been extensively deliberated (Noll et al., 2018). For a long time, the generic masculine he has been regarded by several traditionalists as the acceptable epicene pronoun and has been the norm until relatively recently (Zhang & Yang, 2021). Since the 1960s, feminists have criticized the widespread use of the generic he because of issues related to gender bias. ...
... Since the 1960s, feminists have criticized the widespread use of the generic he because of issues related to gender bias. They have advocated for using combinations of he or she (Zhang & Yang, 2021) or s/he. However, such combinations or styles have been considered cumbersome and biased (because of their gender-binary orientation, thus non-inclusive). ...
... It should be noted, however, that most studies on epicene pronouns have examined (L1) data from English as a native language (ENL) contexts (Stormbom, 2019) and have focused mainly on learners' perspectives. Little attention has been given to the use of epicene pronouns in English as a second (ESL) or foreign language (EFL), or L2 contexts (but see Abudalbuh, 2012;LaScotte, 2021;Stormbom, 2018;Zhang & Yang, 2021). The growing interest in GFL emphasizes the importance of ESL or EFL learners understanding that the generic he and the gendered pronouns he and she are complicated in English (Sibanda & Sibanda, 2016;Stormbom, 2018;Zhang & Yang, 2021). ...
In recent decades, gender-fair language (GFL) has drawn considerable attention in educational settings. The field of English language teaching (ELT) likewise has contributed to this development, with gender issues receiving significant focus. The current study adds to this evolving conversation by investigating ELT practitioners' perspectives on using the third-person singular pronoun they in academic writing (AW). This area has received little attention in the literature on gender diversity in ELT, particularly in restrictive and conservative societies such as the Philippines. Using a survey with 64 English language teachers from Philippine universities, 15 of whom participated in follow-up email interviews, the study explores what these teachers think about using singular they in AW. The study likewise examines the ways these teachers include the use of singular they in their AW teaching practice. The findings demonstrate that the teachers have positive views on using singular they in AW and, in fact, find it necessary for promoting gender inclusivity and equality. However, some teachers also report their own traditional, conservative knowledge and beliefs, and possible resistance from stakeholders as challenges that need to be faced when integrating singular they in AW as a component of GFL practice. ABSTRACT (FILIPINO) Sa nakalipas na mga dekada, ang 'gender-fair language' (GFL) ay naka-kuha ng malaking atensyon sa mga espasyo ng pagtuturo. Nakapag-ambag din sa debelopment nito ang larang ng pagtuturo ng wikang Ingles o English language teaching (ELT), kung saan karamihan ay nagtuon sa isyu ng kasarian. Ang kasalukuyang pag-aaral ay paglahok sa nabanggit na yumayabong na talastasan, sa pamamagitan ng pag-siyasat sa perspektiba ng mga praktisyoner ng ELT sa paggamit ng panghalip pang-isahan na nasa ikatlong panauhan na they sa akade-mikong pagsulat o 'academic writing' (AW). Batay sa mga literatura hinggil sa 'gender diversity' sa ELT, kakaunti pa ang nagsagawa ng pag-aaral sa erya na ito, partikular na sa mga mahihigpit at konserbatibong lipunan tulad ng Pilipinas. Sa pagsasagawa ng sarbey sa 64 na guro ng wikang Ingles mula sa mga unibersidad sa Pilipinas, kung saan 15 sa kanila ay lumahok sa follow-up na interbyu sa email, sinisiyasat ng
This paper aims to explore the perception and usage of epicene pronouns in English among Chinese EFL teachers, as gender fair language becomes increasingly important for promoting inclusion, respect for identity and expression. This study employed a survey of 284 EFL teachers along with a follow-up written task to assess their views and actual use of epicene pronouns. The results indicate that while English teachers in China are familiar with the increase of they as an epicene pronoun, the use of he or she is their preferred choice in the survey, with generic he being more common in the written task. The study further reveals that the selection of the epicene pronoun is influenced by factors such as the antecedent type, social gender and the teachers' socio-cultural background. Promoting gender-fair language in L2 English teaching in China is crucial. Efforts are needed to increase awareness and usage of gender-neutral language among Chinese English teachers, emphasizing the importance of incorporating actual language use and adapting to grammatical changes.
