Do language teachers have to be political?
They are not, of course, supposed to promote the views of political parties or indoctrinate their pupils. Education systems, however, are never independent of politics. Thus, in the Berlin curriculum document, we read that the ultimate goal of secondary education is for learners to "take responsibility for themselves and others, to promote the equality of all human beings, irrespective of gender, ethnicity, language, nationality, disabilities, religious or political views, sexual orientation or socio-economic standing" (Rahmenlehrplan Sek I & II 2006: 5, my translation). Clearly, the motivation behind this is to promote democracy and a liberal society. If teachers are to teach social responsibility, it goes without saying that they need to be responsible members of society themselves.
(1) Somebody’s left… purse.
[ ] his
[ ] her
[ ] their
The issue of politically correct and gender-neutral language lies at the interface between teaching language and teaching social responsibility, and it shows nicely that we cannot not take a position without ceasing to speak at all. Where do Germany’s educational authorities stand? Delaja Harder looks at singular they in German textbooks.