In English classes, the gender pronouns are one of the topics that should be taught. The generic "he/his/him" have long been obsolete and use of "singular they" has been becoming more prevalent. Now nonbinary pronouns “they/their/them,” which are gender pronouns that a speaker/writer wants to use to express their self-identified gender have emerged. This presentation will show how this new usage of nonbinary singular "they" is introduced including some cases of universities in the United States. Then a preliminary study reports how much exposure to “my pronouns,” or Preferred Gender Pronouns (PGP) Japanese college students in Japan have. Out of 298 students, only sixty-six (22.2%) of them were aware of the existence of PGPs. While multiple responses indicated a wide variety of ways to learn about the existence of PGP, including SNS, Internet information, and TV programs, 61 respondents (92.4%), answered they learned about the PGP at a school event or in class. This result suggests that Japanese English learners, whose exposure to English is quite limited on a daily basis, have very few opportunities to input information in English, and that English classes and other school education serve as a window into global affairs. Together, this presentation discusses how English teachers who teach English to speakers of other languages can inform students about this topic.

Authors:
Akie Nyui-Kozuka, Rikkyo University, Japan
Kyoko Oda, Sugino Fashion College, Japan
Yasue Kawamorita, Rikkyo University, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
Akie Nyui -Kozuka is a full-time lecturer of the Center for Foreign Language Education and Research, Rikkyo University, Tokyo, Japan. Her specialty is TESOL and her recent research interests include gender-neutral language in English.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nyui-kozuka-akie-9387a5237/

Additional website of interest
https://www.genderneutl.com/

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