Language changes and their reflection in textbooks for teaching polish as a foreign language. An analysis of Hurra!!! Po polsku and Polski, krok po kroku in terms of the presence of forms of inclusive language

Abstract

The issue of the ethics of language and communication is relatively new in the Polish language. With the development of the inclusive language concept, there was a need to update materials for teaching Polish as a foreign language. This article verifies whether the two most popular series of textbooks for teaching Polish as a foreign language, i.e. Hurra!!! Po polsku and Polski, krok po kroku, correspond to the norms of contemporary assumptions of inclusive Polish language. Before the analysis, the theory of linguistic relativism was referred to as the basic justification for the concept of inclusive language and communication. Then, attempts were made to define what inclusive language is. The study covered both the verbal layer and the graphic design of textbooks. During the analysis, the presence of inclusive language strategies was sought for eight selected linguistically discriminated groups, i.e. women, non-heteronormative, non-binary, elderly and ill people, people with disabilities, as well as people of colour. The study showed that both inclusive and exclusive forms are present in both publications. However, the frequency of using inclusive strategies is different, which has an impact on the final assessment. There are many textbooks for teaching Polish as a foreign language available on the market, which is why there is a wide field for similar research. It is certainly worth discussing the inclusion of inclusive language in curricula at different levels of language proficiency of learners.