Note of the Authors

Voci: Corso elementare di lingua e culture italiane aims to promote an inclusive classroom. A crucial aspect we tried to overcome is that, as a gendered language, the Italian language does not offer neutral forms, and uses the masculine ending, both for singular and plural forms, as a universal neutral ending. To respect non-binary people, we decided to use schwa (ə) and to introduce our students to both the traditional and the inclusive use of the Italian language. For this reason, in some exercises, you will find expressions such as “Conversa con il tuo compagno / la tua compagna;” and, in other parts of the textbook, you will read sentences such as “Dove sei statə? Con chi sei andatə?”

We think students should be exposed to both forms and give them the tools to better understand the ongoing and thorny intellectual debate surrounding the introduction of inclusive forms in the Italian language (for more information, your can read this article in Italian https://accademiadellacrusca.it/it/consulenza/un-asterisco-sul-genere/4018?fbclid=IwAR3FH6884HREY9e_4hDrndm-xyyFnaPDbSSk6mziTn9p8JVag9wwJNNY7Uw).

Given the options for an Italian neutral ending (e.g., *, u, @, etc.), we decided to adopt schwa (ə) since it has a real sound and is possible to pronounce.