Everything changes over time, even languages. Despite language teachers, grammar books, and O Level exams, there's no way to stop languages from changing. One aspect of language change of particular interest to members and supporters of AWARE is the ongoing shift from what some people call "gender-exclusive" English to "gender-inclusive" English. We will start this article by defining these two terms. Then, we will give you a brief report on a related study we conducted to find out the views and practices of a small group of English teachers from various Asian countries.

The term gender-exclusive refers to language in which words specifically referring to males only are used when both males and females are being discussed, for example, man (Man has been on the planet for more than a million years) chairman (The chairman is responsible for conducting the meeting), he/him/himself/his (A student should be paid for his work).

Some very strange instances of gender-exclusive language have been reported, including "I believe abortion is strictly a matter between the patient and his doctor" and "Man, being mammal, breastfeeds his young". Less amusing are these two examples of gender-exclusive usage: "Around the world, man is happy" and "One man, one vote". In contrast, "gender-inclusive", also known as "gender-fair" and "non-sexist" refers to language in which both men and women are included, for example, humanity, chairperson, he/she or their (A student should be paid for his/her or their work). [Please see Appendix for more examples of how to change from gender-exclusive to gender-inclusive usage.]

The issue of gender-exclusive/inclusive language is one of three key gender issues which need attention in classrooms. The other two issues concern:

In 1995, Anthea Fraser Gupta and Phyllis Chew Ghim Lian conducted a very nice workshop on gender-exclusive/inclusive language at the AWARE office. They described how, because of social, political, and economic changes in the status of females, this change toward gender-inclusive English has been gathering strength.

In Western countries these days it is common for people to use gender-inclusive language. As noted British linguist David Crystal writes in The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, published in 1995:

However, in Singapore and elsewhere in Asia users of English may have not adopted this change to gender-inclusive English to the same degree as in the West. Nevertheless, things are changing here in Singapore too. The TCS news on 27 October 1996 reported on the "salesperson" of the year awards even though the winner was a male. A look at school coursebooks also shows evidence that the times are changing. An example that the issue is at least being recognized comes from a document by Comfort CabLink which states at the bottom: "Words importing the masculine gender include the feminine and gender and references to any gender include any other gender".

A group of us who were studying and working at the Regional Language Centre (RELC) in Singapore support the use of gender-inclusive English. We designed a small study to investigate what our fellow teachers thought. The participants in our study - some of us were also participants - were 35 English language educators from nine Asian countries who were attending courses at RELC.

We collected data in three ways: questionnaires, interviews, and samples of participants' writing. The questionnaires were completed several days after we had given a presentation on gender-exclusive/inclusive English and had explained the purpose of our study. The interviews were done over the following two weeks. In contrast, the samples of participants' writing came from an examination some had taken a couple weeks before the presentation.

Studying anything in depth always yields fascinating results, as the way we humans think and act is a source of never-ending amazement. First, we will share with you what the teachers told us about their experiences and their teaching practices, and what we found when we looked at the teachers' own writing. Next, we will report on what the teachers said about why they do what they do.

Almost all the 35 teachers reported that they had always been taught gender-exclusive English when they were students. The few who had been taught gender-inclusive usage by at least one teacher said that this occurred at university. One interviewee reported having an American lecturer at NIE around 1983 who vehemently demanded that only gender-inclusive be used.

Slightly more than half the participants indicated that they had heard of gender-inclusive language before coming to the course. Some who had not heard of it were aware of it but had not seen it given a name before. For example, one Filipino teacher noted that although gender-inclusive English was used in the handouts at courses for teachers which she had attended in her country, the topic had never been mentioned.

A majority, 19, indicated that they taught or wrote materials for students using gender-exclusive English before coming for the course. 15 indicated using gender-inclusive language, and one said "both". The number using gender-inclusive language was greater than we had expected. A Malaysian interviewee explained his use of gender-inclusive by saying that was what he found in the proficiency textbooks provided by the Ministry of Education.

In the samples of participants' own writing collected before the researchers' presentation on the issue, about 2/3 used gender-exclusive language. In contrast, a large majority of participants, 29, reported that in their future teaching and writing they would use gender-inclusive rather than gender-exclusive English.

Several reasons were given by those educationists who said they would not teach gender-inclusive English. These included:

Some of the interviewees stated that were it not for reasons number 2, 5, and 6 above they would teach the gender-inclusive forms.

Among the reasons given by the educationists for using gender-inclusive English were that gender-inclusive usage:

In summary, the findings of this study suggest that the trend among Asian English language educators mirrors the trend toward greater use of gender-inclusive English in Western countries where English is the main language. However, just as researchers in the US context have discovered, the trend is not a homogeneous or a linear one. Further, even educators who support gender-inclusive English may not be able to implement their view due to situational constraints.

When examining how the issue of gender-exclusive/inclusive language impacts language teaching, we should look at:

However, the issue of gender-exclusive or gender-inclusive language is not just an issue for those of us who have selected education as our profession. All of us play a part because in the final analysis we are all teachers. Our actions - and this includes the words we speak and write - affect those around us. Putting it another way, language is a cause, not just an effect. So, if you agree with us that language not only reflects how people think but also affects how they think, then you will want to pay careful attention to this issue.

We are not saying that there should be language police who go around fining students and others for using gender-exclusive language. Rather, to borrow the title of this journal, we are advocating Awareness. In other words, we should help others become aware that English - and other languages too - is changing as society changes, that we have choices, and that these choices have important consequences.

Which sentence is 'correct' English: "The chairman is responsible for conducting the meeting" or "The chairperson is responsible for conducting the meeting"? We believe that everyone should make their own choice. We are not, however, advocating neutrality. Although we respect other people's right to make their own informed choices, we should also help them become aware of the informed choices we have made, the rationale for our choices, and the actions we have taken as a result.

This concept of informed choice leading to action is stated very eloquently by Australian linguist Jim Martin:

Alternatives to Gender-Exclusive English