_edited.png)
CONSCIOUS AND INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE IN ACADEMIC CONTEXTS – an online course
About the Course
Most academics want to use inclusive language in their professional writing and speaking. It can be challenging, however, to know where to start in attempting this goal. How can one identify one’s own habits of language that may be harmful? How best to navigate the language of identity when writing or talking about others? Where can one go for guidance in terminology around various issues?
In this online course, we provide participants with a framework for using conscious language in academic work. Participants learn about the principles of conscious language and put them into practice by working through exercises. Through the course and its associated materials, participants come away with the tools to make conscious decisions about word choice, style, and voice in their professional roles.
What's included
The course consists of:
-
a welcome video and 15 video lessons divided into 5 chapters
-
each lesson page includes a closed-captioned video, its transcript, content warnings, links to further resources, and an exercise
-
an extensive annotated list of web-based resources for language use around issue areas including disability, sexuality and gender, race and ethnicity, age, religion, and more
-
a quarterly Q&A Zoom call with the two facilitators, open to everyone taking the course
The course is designed to be worked through at your own pace. Registrants will have access to the course materials for 6 months.
Institutional Benefits
The goal of this course is to provide university staff with an understanding of how this framework can apply to their work. Participants are given tools to align their professional writing and speaking with the values and commitments of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. The workshop can be one element of efforts to move institutions toward embedding a culture of respect and inclusivity.
The workshop cuts across all aspects of the academic profession. The principles of conscious language are applicable in formal writing, such as journal articles and grant proposals, as well as teaching, student outreach, public engagement activities, and communication amongst colleagues.
While the course is available for individual academics to purchase, we recommend that university departments, institutes, research centres, and administrative teams consider purchasing access to the course for their employees. We have tiered pricing available in such situations; please contact Dr. Thoko Kamwendo at z.t.kamwendo@outlook.com for more information.
See https://dscott-ztk.thinkific.com/courses/CIL for more information and to sign up as an individual for the course.
