MET workshops
Respectful language: adding value for clients through linguistic activism
The language we use, particularly to talk about people, has repercussions in the world. It directly and often profoundly affects how people view and treat one another and the extent to which their rights are respected. Language can change attitudes and inspire action. It can humanize or dehumanize people, promote solidarity or foment division, condemn or condone injustice. By working with our clients to identify their biases and entrenched ways of speaking, we can help them to use more respectful language, build stronger relationships and uphold shared social justice values.
Facilitator: Holly-Anne Whyte MITI MCIL
Purpose: To train participants to identify disrespectful language and equip them with the arguments and resources to broach the subject with clients.
Description: The workshop will be divided into three parts. In the first part, I will introduce the concept of respectful language and why it matters, presenting the main ways (dis)respectful language manifests. Participants will be encouraged to read the examples through different eyes (thought experiment).
The second part of the workshop will be practical. Participants, in groups, will be given extracts to edit for respectful language. They will be invited to discuss specific challenges related to respectful language in their specialist areas and share their own examples. We will report back in plenary.
The third part of the workshop will cover resources and how to discuss respectful language with clients. We will explore when and how to broach the subject, taking into account different cultural expectations. Participants will be invited to research additional resources and to practise applying the principles discussed to the examples from the first and second parts.
Participant profile: Translators, editors and writers working in all fields. The workshop will be held in English, using English examples (sometimes translations from French and Spanish). The principles discussed can nevertheless be adapted and applied to all languages. The workshop is open to professionals of all levels of experience who would like to learn more about respectful language.
Outcome: By the end of the workshop, participants will:
- be better equipped to identify and question their own biases and ways of writing
- have learned to identify different types of (dis)respectful language and apply corrective strategies
- have learned some strategies to encourage clients to adopt respectful language
About the facilitator: Holly-Anne Whyte is a translator, editor and language consultant, working from French and Spanish into her native English. She specializes in translating and editing documents at the intersection between human rights and sustainable development. Working mainly with medium-sized NGOs, Holly helps her clients use clear, respectful language that achieves their goals and embodies their values.
