Visibility Matters: Women and People of Color in (German) Language TeachingWorkshop •  12:00-4:00 p.m. • Available by request

In this interactive multimedia workshop we’ll address the obvious and subtler uses of male-biased German language, stereotyping of gender roles, ethnic and age-related prejudices, as well as social class based assumptions, ubiquitous in standard German teaching materials. For instance, we’ll investigate how many people in wheelchairs and (older) women and men of color beyond stereotypical roles are presented as part of German diversity. Are they the exception to the rule? Is the prototype of a German still a white, heterosexual, able-bodied, middle-class man, despite the civil rights, women’s, and lesbian/gay movements? We’ll explore how we can use the capital “I” for women’s visibility in writing and replace sexist and racist expressions. Our goal is to demonstrate how educators can go beyond traditional representations by employing non-racist and gender-inclusive models for students of the 21st century.

Examples will be in German with English, French, and Spanish (translations) in mind. Workshop participants are encouraged to bring their own models/examples. Adaptable for students from kindergarten to university levels. Minimum 5 participants.

• Teacher: Marion Gerlind

• Cost: (between $40-100)