Chapter Linguaggio inclusivo: limiti e potenzialità di uso nei manuali di italiano L2/Ls

Abstract

Instances derived from the need for nonsexist use of language and the new sensibility toward a broader language that considers the expressive needs of all kinds of identities are still scarcely discussed in L2/LS Italian teaching. Despite numerous recommendations and reflections to promote inclusive language, there seems to be a lack of involvement in classrooms on the part of teaching staff, who either feel the topic as foreign or lack appropriate tools to deal with it in a relevant way. In this paper, we review some linguistic issues within L2/LS Italian textbooks that represent potential obstacles to plural expression of identities, in particular: the exclusive binary approach to grammatical gender description and the extensive use of the unmarked masculine to indicate mixed groups or even female subjects. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate some of the limitations of teaching materials, to raise a useful debate to draw lines of intervention for those who use them daily.