Inclusive Language and Forms of Diversity

Name: Inclusive Language and Forms of Diversity
Author: Karen Korn

Learn how to use inclusive language in the workplace

Preview the first lesson free — get full access to all 9 lessons.

Course: On-Demand

(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 or don't refer to their partners by those terms. 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 for gender identity or sexual orientation, 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.

Beginner Provider : Karen Korn 9 Lessons · 35m in German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese

Course Description

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, misnaming, and misgendering. 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.

What You'll Learn

Apply inclusive language by understanding how word choice and tone affect inclusivity
Identify examples of non-inclusive language such as slurs, microaggressions, misnaming, and misgendering
Discuss multiple forms of diversity, including cultural, ethnic, racial, gender, age and generational, and neurodivergent
Recognize how tone of voice, vocal pitch, and inflection reveal information and affect others
Explain the role inclusive language plays in fostering respect and encouraging diversity
Develop deeper linguistic awareness of why language can sometimes harm others

Key Takeaways

Inclusive language helps people speak respectfully about many kinds of diversity, including cultural, racial, ethnic, age or generational, neurodivergent, and gender.
Non-inclusive language includes slurs, microaggressions, misnaming, and misgendering.
Inclusive work cultures allow everyone to feel that they belong, while offensive language and implicit bias diminish the authenticity colleagues can safely share.
Word choice and tone both affect how inclusive language is.
Being mindful of vocal pitch and inflection is good practice because tone of voice and behavior can reveal information.

Frequently Asked Questions

What forms of diversity does this course cover?

The course covers multiple kinds of diversity, including cultural, racial, ethnic, age or generational, neurodivergent, and gender diversity.

What examples of non-inclusive language will I learn to identify?

You will learn to identify examples of non-inclusive language such as slurs, microaggressions, misnaming, and misgendering.

Why does the course focus on inclusive language?

It explains the role inclusive language plays in fostering respect and encouraging diversity, and how inclusive work cultures allow everyone to feel that they belong.

Does the course address tone of voice?

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.

What skills will I build in this course?

The course builds skills in diversity awareness, diversity and inclusion, diversity equity and inclusion policies, multilingualism, and supporting diverse learners.

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