English as a catalyst of change? Gender inclusivity, cross-linguistic dynamics, and colonial legacies

Conveners:

Morana Lukač (University of Groningen), m [dot] lukac [at] rug [dot] nl

Joanna Chojnicka (University of Groningen), j [dot] chojnicka [at] rug [dot] nl

Evan D. Bradley (Penn State University), evan [dot] d [dot] bradley [at] psu [dot] edu

Description:

This workshop explores the two-fold role of English—as both a driver of innovation and a global point of reference—in the context of the rise of gender-inclusive forms across languages. The widespread adoption (in general usage, media discourse, and by linguistic authorities) of singular they illustrates how English has become emblematic of inclusive practices (Stormbom, 2022; Renström, 2025). These developments reflect not only language-internal shifts, such as the gradual erosion of grammatical gender, but also broader sociopolitical movements, from second-wave feminism to contemporary debates on non-binary identities (Konnelly et al., 2023; Zimman, 2018).

English is frequently positioned as a model for reform in other linguistic communities. At the same time, its global reach, shaped by colonial histories and current geopolitical dynamics, raises critical questions, namely: Do inclusive practices in English serve as genuinely empowering resources for other languages, or do they risk imposing anglophone norms as universal standards?

We aim to bring together empirical and theoretical perspectives to examine how English facilitates, inspires, and complicates language change across different contexts. Contributions will engage with three interrelated strands:

1. Adoption – how exposure to English in various contexts and from various sources shapes individuals’ acceptance and use of inclusive forms in English and their other language(s);

2. Resistance – how the challenges of inclusive language reform highlight the structural particularities of other languages, especially those with rich morphological gender marking, and how both local and global forces shape the debates around these reforms;

3. Negotiations – how the introduction of inclusive practices in different languages involves negotiations between available English models and existing local resources.

We invite methodologically and linguistically diverse proposals, including experimental, corpus-driven, discourse-analytic, and sociolinguistic perspectives, examining structure, ideology, or practice, and work on languages less researched in this context, such as minority and Slavic languages.

SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT

For the Thematic Sessions, we invite proposals for individual papers consisting of a 20-minute presentation followed by 10 minutes of discussion. The abstracts should conform to the template found HERE.

References:

Konnelly, L., Conrod, K., & Bradley, E.D. (2023). Non-binary singular they. The Routledge Handbook of Pronouns. Routledge.
Renström, E.A. (2025). The implementation of neo-and nonbinary pronouns: A review of current research and future challenges. Frontiers in Psychology, 15.
Stormbom, C. (2022). Singular they in English as a foreign language. Applied Linguistics Review, 13(5).
Zimman, L. (2018). Transgender language, transgender moment: Toward a trans linguistics. The Oxford Handbook of Language and Sexuality. Oxford University Press.