March 2026 · Inclusive Teaching
English is evolving rapidly around gender expression. "They" as a singular pronoun, "Mx." as a gender-neutral title, and gender-neutral occupational nouns are increasingly standard. ESL teachers need to teach current, inclusive language while helping students navigate a landscape that may differ significantly from their L1 norms.
Teach the full pronoun system including singular "they/them/their" as a gender-neutral option. Explain that singular "they" has been used in English for centuries ("Someone left their umbrella") and is now also used as a personal pronoun for individuals who don't identify as he or she. Practice in context: "Alex said they would come to the party."
Activities: Pronoun matching exercises, story writing using different pronouns, dialogue practice where students must refer to a third person without assuming gender. Discuss why knowing someone's pronouns matters in professional and social contexts.
Replace gendered occupational nouns with neutral alternatives: firefighter (not fireman), police officer (not policeman), flight attendant (not stewardess), chairperson/chair (not chairman), server (not waiter/waitress), actor (now used for all genders), business person (not businessman). Create comparison activities: match the old term to the current term and discuss why the change matters.
Teach: Mr., Mrs., Ms., and Mx. (gender-neutral). Explain that "Ms." is standard in professional contexts regardless of marital status, and "Mx." is available for those who prefer a gender-neutral title. Practice form-filling activities where students see these options on official documents.
Gender-inclusive language may be unfamiliar or controversial for students from cultures with different gender norms. Approach with sensitivity: present inclusive language as current English usage (which it is), not as a political position. Frame it practically: "In English-speaking workplaces, you'll encounter these terms. Understanding them is part of professional English." Allow discussion without judgment.
Acknowledge that languages handle gender differently. Some languages have grammatical gender (Spanish, French), others have no gendered pronouns at all (Turkish, Finnish). Use these comparisons to explore how language shapes thinking about gender.
Present it as language learning, not ideology. Students don't have to agree with the social context — they need to understand and use current English. Compare to learning formal/informal register: you teach both "ain't" and "is not" without judging. Similarly, teach inclusive language as part of the English they'll encounter.
In adult classes, offering your own pronouns and inviting (not requiring) students to share theirs is good practice: "I'm [Name], I use she/her. Feel free to share your pronouns too." Never force disclosure. In some cultural contexts, asking about pronouns may be inappropriate — read the room.