Gender-inclusive Language in the Translation and Interpretation Classroom for the Development of Translator Competence and Social and Educational Transference

Abstract

For decades Spanish university equality plans as well as gender and translation studies have claimed that gender discrimination is perpetuated through language. In view of this consideration, a teaching innovation project was designed and implemented to include a gender approach in the translation and interpreting classroom in the Universidad de Córdoba, Spain. Two objectives were set: 1) to make students aware of gender biases in discourse and to enable them to learn the most common strategies of inclusive language in different languages (this knowledge becomes essential to address future professional projects with inclusive writing requirements); 2) to generate social transfer activities in which students themselves become agents of awareness of the use of gender-inclusive language. This paper describes two of the most notable activities of the project and their results: the preparation of a guideline of guidelines for the use of inclusive language in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish and the implementation of talks in local high schools to disseminate information on inclusive language. The first activity has allowed students to apply the different sub-competences of the translation competence to achieve a useful tool for translation and writing practitioners. The second has led to changes in the way in which inclusive language is conceived by the target learners and has increased their awareness of the importance of its use as a driver of social change.