In this course on inclusive language and forms of diversity, you’ll learn about inclusive language and how to speak respectfully about multiple kinds…
In this course on inclusive language and forms of diversity, you’ll learn about inclusive language and how to speak respectfully about multiple kinds of diversity, including: cultural, racial, ethnic, age or generational, neurodivergent, and gender. You’ll learn how to identify examples of non-inclusive language such as slurs, microaggressions, and misnaming. You will also learn the role that inclusive language plays in fostering respect and encouragement of diversity.
Inclusive work cultures allow everyone to feel that they belong. But when people use offensive language, or share ideas that contain implicit bias, it diminishes the amount of authenticity colleagues can safely have with each other. In these lessons, you’ll learn why language can sometimes harm others, which will help you develop deeper linguistic awareness. We’ll discuss how tone of voice and behavior can reveal information and why it’s good practice to be mindful of how you use vocal pitch and inflection.
Learning objectives:
- Learn how word choice and tone affects how inclusive language is
- Identify examples of non-inclusive language
- Discover ways to discuss different kinds of diversity
Skills you’ll gain
Diversity AwarenessMultilingualismDiverse LearnersDiversity And InclusionDiversity Equity And Inclusion PoliciesMixed LanguageWhat You'll Learn
- Speak respectfully about multiple forms of diversity, including cultural, racial, ethnic, age or generational, neurodivergent, and gender diversity
- Identify examples of non-inclusive language such as slurs, microaggressions, and misnaming
- Recognize how word choice and tone affect how inclusive language is
- Explain the role inclusive language plays in fostering respect and encouragement of diversity
- Apply mindfulness about tone of voice, vocal pitch, and inflection to communicate more inclusively
- Develop deeper linguistic awareness of why language can sometimes harm others
Key Takeaways
- Inclusive language helps people speak respectfully about cultural, racial, ethnic, age or generational, neurodivergent, and gender diversity.
- Non-inclusive language can take the form of slurs, microaggressions, and misnaming.
- Inclusive work cultures allow everyone to feel that they belong, while offensive language or implicit bias diminishes the authenticity colleagues can safely share.
- Both word choice and tone affect how inclusive language is.
- Tone of voice and behavior can reveal information, so it is good practice to be mindful of vocal pitch and inflection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this course cover?
It covers inclusive language and how to speak respectfully about multiple kinds of diversity, including cultural, racial, ethnic, age or generational, neurodivergent, and gender diversity. It also covers identifying non-inclusive language such as slurs, microaggressions, and misnaming, and the role inclusive language plays in fostering respect for diversity.
What skills will I gain from this course?
The course builds skills in diversity awareness, multilingualism, diverse learners, diversity and inclusion, diversity equity and inclusion policies, and mixed language.
What topics do the lessons include?
Lessons include Inclusive Language, Word Choice, and Tone; Language and Lived Realities; Cultural Diversity; Ethnic and Racial Diversity; Age and Generational Diversity; Neurodivergence and Neurodiversity; Awareness, Regard, and Respect; and a Test Your Knowledge assessment.
Why does inclusive language matter at work?
Inclusive work cultures allow everyone to feel that they belong, while offensive language or ideas containing implicit bias diminish the authenticity colleagues can safely share with one another.
Does the course address tone of voice, not just words?
Yes. It discusses how tone of voice and behavior can reveal information and why it is good practice to be mindful of how you use vocal pitch and inflection, in addition to word choice.
Transcript
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(gentle music) Welcome to Inclusive Language and Forms of Diversity. These lessons will introduce categories of diversity in the context of inclusive language. Inclusive language respects and includes others, which means it doesn't offend or disregard them. It involves choosing your words intentionally and reflecting on what you say once you've said it, anticipating your listener's feelings and acknowledging their experiences, and considering people from different backgrounds in your ideas, even if they aren't present. This can provide opportunities for a wider variety of people to join in the conversation and contribute their observations and ideas. Someone who uses inclusive language might be speaking about someone to a group of people and ask themselves, how might they feel about this conversation? Could they join in and feel comfortable being their authentic self? Being intentional about word choice means to think about what you say before you say it. The words you use to address someone in conversation can determine their willingness to participate. For example, asking a good group of colleagues if they are going to bring their husbands and wives to a work event leaves out colleagues who aren't married Another way to ask this question would be to inquire about whether they're bringing partners or guests. With this one change in word choice, more people feel included in the question and free to give an honest answer. The term tone refers to the way a speaker's vocal pitch conveys emotion and it can affect how or even whether listeners receive the intended message. For example, when you're tired or bored, your tone might be different from when you're excited even if you're saying the same words. You can explore tone by picking a sentence and speaking it in different moods, such as angry, afraid, or happy. When you do this, you can take note of which tones sound the most welcoming. Using a gentle, approachable tone when you speak to others invites them to engage with you. If you express fear or annoyance when using inclusive terms your tone can send the message that you're uncomfortable with people's differences and may hold some bias against them. The rising and falling of your voice or intonation can also impact your message when you use it to emphasize different words. Here is a sentence to try. You're an experienced associate. If you emphasize different words in the sentence, it can suggest different meanings. You're an experienced associate. This intonation can imply disbelief as if you're questioning someone's qualifications. Or you're an Experienced associate. This intonation can imply that you're impressed by someone's qualifications, but context is important. If you're speaking to an older adult, they could also take it as an implication about their age. Tone of voice and behavior can reveal information just like words. It's good practice to be mindful of how you use vocal pitch and who you're speaking to. Being aware of your word choice and tone can facilitate more inclusive language, which shows your respect for others.
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