The Gender-just language education project.

Project overview: This collection of materials has been created in order to support language educators in teaching gender-inclusive and non-binary language in ways that engage with trans knowledges and are increasingly affirming to trans, nonbinary, and other non-cis people (INCL). Specifically, strategies for proactively planning to teach INCL and for resistance thereto are presented via a number of open educational resources (OERs), which have been informed by recent research that outlines the numerous benefits of teaching INCL.

The infographics pictured here are a sample of what is presented in the full project. Additional resources are offered and contextualized in the project white paper, which can be found on the project website. The white paper also includes image descriptions. The table of contents for the project white paper is as follows:

Overview ........................................................................................……………........................ 2

Table of contents ..............................................................................……..................... 3

Introduction .................................................................................................………….......... 4

Benefits of teaching INCL in a gender-just framework...... 6

Proactively planning for resistance ....................................................... 10

Gender-just language pedagogies ........................................................ 18

INCL in French ..................................................................................................…………..... 21

Works Cited ........................................................................................................………….... 27

License and Funding ..........................................................................................….... 29

Developing queer materials and pedagogy.



How do we begin to develop queer materials and queer pedagogies for our language classrooms?

Queer inquiry-based pedagogies can help us start to think about what it means to attend to the hidden curriculum, to de-center power, and to reflect with and alongside our students.

Although the talk from which Lauren Kinnard created this #SketchNotesForChange visual was not recorded, the following publications and presentations trace over much of this introduction to trans-affirming, queer inquiry-based pedagogies:

Knisely, K. (2021). Teaching trans: The Impetus for trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming inclusivity in L2 classrooms. In K. Davidson, S. Johnson, & L. Randolph (Eds.) How We Take Action: Social Justice in K-16 Language Classrooms. Information Age.

Knisely, K. (2022). A Starter Kit for Rethinking TGNC Representation and Inclusion in French L2 Classrooms. In E. N. Meyer & E. Hoft-March (Eds.) Teaching Diversity and Inclusion: Examples from a French-Speaking Classroom. Routledge. 22-33.

Knisely, K. and Paiz, J.M. (2021) Bringing Trans, Non-binary, and Queer Understandings to Bear in Language Education. Critical Multilingualism Studies. 9(1), 23-45 https://cms.arizona.edu/index.php/multilingual/article/view/237

Knisely, K. (September, 2020). Un-boxing gender: Toward trans-affirming L2 pedagogies. The Berkeley College Language Center. The University of California-Berkeley. Berkeley, CA. (Online).

Trans-affirming queer inquiry-based pedagogies.



What are TAQIBPs and how might we apply them to processes of teaching and learning?

Trans-affirming queer inquiry-based pedagogies can help us start to think about what it means to bring trans and queer knoweldges to bear in the classroom and to begin to make our classrooms sites of possibility. This frame can help us to understand that gender-just language and gender-just pedagogy are about a shift in our relationship to normativities of all kinds, including but not only as they relate to gender and sexuality.

This infographic summarizes some of the main points from Knisely & Paiz (2021). These ideas are taken-up, expanded, and applied in the following publications and presentations as well:

Knisely, K. (2021). L/G/B and T: Queer Excisions, Entailments, and Intersections. In J. M. Paiz & J. E. Coda (Eds.) Intersectional Perspectives on LGBTQ+ Issues in Modern Language Teaching and Learning. Palgrave Macmillan. 153-182. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76779-2_6

Knisely, K. (2021). Teaching trans: The Impetus for trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming inclusivity in L2 classrooms. In K. Davidson, S. Johnson, & L. Randolph (Eds.) How We Take Action: Social Justice in K-16 Language Classrooms. Information Age.

Knisely, K. (2022). A Starter Kit for Rethinking TGNC Representation and Inclusion in French L2 Classrooms. In E. N. Meyer & E. Hoft-March (Eds.) Teaching Diversity and Inclusion: Examples from a French-Speaking Classroom. Routledge. 22-33.

Knisely, K. (2020). Le français non-binaire: linguistic forms used by non-binary speakers of French. Foreign Language Annals. 53(4), 850-876. doi: 10.1111/flan.12500

Knisely, K. (September, 2020). Un-boxing gender: Toward trans-affirming L2 pedagogies. The Berkeley College Language Center. The University of California-Berkeley. Berkeley, CA. (Online).

Starting ideas for applying trans-affirming queer inquiry-based pedagogies.



What might be some ways of applying TAQIBPs to processes of teaching and learning?

Building on the aims, principles, and strategies of trans-affirming queer inquiry-based pedagogies as presented in Knisely & Paiz (2021), this infographic offers continued concrete examples of ways that we may begin and continue to unscript normativities in sites of language teaching and learning.

This infographic summarizes some of the main points from Knisely (2022, Teaching trans Knowledges) and Knisely (2022, A Starter Kit). & Paiz (2021). For an introduction to TAQIBPs, consult:

Knisely, K. and Paiz, J.M. (2021) Bringing Trans, Non-binary, and Queer Understandings to Bear in Language Education. Critical Multilingualism Studies. 9(1), 23-45. https://cms.arizona.edu/index.php/multilingual/article/view/237

Ethically engaging with communities to which you do not belong.



How do I engage in ethical ways with communities to which I do not belong? And how do I talk to my students about engaging with and alongside me?

Actively practicing respectful, intentional listening (meaning: being receptive to and attending to the thoughts, feelings, perspectives, etc. that others are expressing through any and all ways of communicating) can help educators better come to know trans people and communities in ways that prioritize in-community voices. This better equips educators to create increasingly equitable, just, and affirming learning environments. However, this engagement must be deliberately and unequivocally ethical. Particularly for those who are not trans, nonbinary, or gender non-conforming, it is important to safeguard against common pitfalls while seeking to be accomplices in equity and justice.

This infographic summarizes some of the major ideas outlined in Knisely (2022, Starter Kit). These ideas are also taken-up, expanded, and applied in the following publications and presentations, among others:

Knisely, K. and Paiz, J.M. (2021) Bringing Trans, Non-binary, and Queer Understandings to Bear in Language Education. Critical Multilingualism Studies. 9(1), 23-45. https://cms.arizona.edu/index.php/multilingual/article/view/237

Knisely, K. (2021). Teaching trans: The Impetus for trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming inclusivity in L2 classrooms. In K. Davidson, S. Johnson, & L. Randolph (Eds.) How We Take Action: Social Justice in K-16 Language Classrooms. Information Age.

Knisely, K. (2021). L/G/B and T: Queer Excisions, Entailments, and Intersections. In J. M. Paiz & J. E. Coda (Eds.) Intersectional Perspectives on LGBTQ+ Issues in Modern Language Teaching and Learning. Palgrave Macmillan. 153-182. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76779-2_6

Knisely, K. (September, 2020). Un-boxing gender: Toward trans-affirming L2 pedagogies. The Berkeley College Language Center. The University of California-Berkeley. Berkeley, CA. (Online).

How to ask for pronouns.

Knisely, K. (2022). Teaching trans knowledges: Situating expansive possibilities in an intermediate French course. In S. Bouamer & L. Bourdeau (Eds.) Diversity and Decolonization in French Studies: New Approaches to Teaching. Palgrave Macmillan. 165-180. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95357-7_11 Available at: https://rdcu.be/cKP37

Inviting pronouns is great, inclusive and affirming. However, there are some common pitfalls to avoid.

It can be helpful to make sure that pronouns are invited indirectly/privately.

Invited, as opposed to demanded.

Indirectly/privately as opposed to a direct, public ask.

This creates a recognition that pronouns are important and cannot be assumed, but avoids many of the possible harms described in the image to the left.

This infographic summarizes ideas taken up in Knisely (2022, Teaching Trans Knowledges). The following publications and presentations discuss this topic further:

Knisely, K. (2022). A Starter Kit for Rethinking TGNC Representation and Inclusion in French L2 Classrooms. In E. N. Meyer & E. Hoft-March (Eds.) Teaching Diversity and Inclusion: Examples from a French-Speaking Classroom. Routledge. 22-33.

Knisely, K. (2021). L/G/B and T: Queer Excisions, Entailments, and Intersections. In J. M. Paiz & J. E. Coda (Eds.) Intersectional Perspectives on LGBTQ+ Issues in Modern Language Teaching and Learning. Palgrave Macmillan. 153-182. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76779-2_6

Knisely, K. (September, 2020). Un-boxing gender: Toward trans-affirming L2 pedagogies. The Berkeley College Language Center. The University of California-Berkeley. Berkeley, CA. (Online).

More resources will be posted as they are available.

Please check out my publications, presentations, and other items on this site for more information. If you’d like to get involved, please see the calls for research participants and for paper submissions. If you’d like to stay up-to-date with new resources, publications, presentations, calls for research participants, and/or calls for papers as they become available, please consider subscribing here, following me on Research Gate, and/or following me on Twitter.