For everyone from first-time GSIs to veteran instructors, this page is here to help you work through language issues common to all classrooms and across all disciplines.
This page is currently under construction. It will have resources to answer specific questions. Our hope is also to include lesson plans and other information for teachers looking to learn more about and/or incorporate language and linguistic diversity into their classrooms.
- How should I grade student writing from non-native English-speakers?
- How can I overcome feeling a disconnect with my students because they speak really different dialects than I do?
- Should I advise my students to learn ‘standard’ English writing – or let them write in their own dialect?
- How do I know the appropriate pronoun to use for my students – especially in a large lecture hall course?
- What are some best practices for wording my syllabus in an inclusive way? Some practical things to consider.
- Is there a list somewhere of certain words/phrases that I should know to avoid as a teacher because they are not inclusive? I always worry that I’ll say something that offends students because I don’t know better. Here’s a non-exhaustive list to get you started.
- What are some effective ways to respond when a student tells me I’ve used a word/phrase that offended them
- What’s the difference between being “politically correct” and inclusive?
- Where do we draw the line between “free speech” and “hate speech?”
- What can I do when one student uses offensive/non-inclusive language in my classroom? Check out what CRLT suggests.
