Skip to content
Review

Reimagining gender pronouns

Sep 2026 · Australian Review of Applied Linguistics · 0 citations · 65 references

Abstract

This study presents a systematic literature review on English epicene pronouns (EEPs), focusing on reported perceptions and implications across social and institutional contexts. Despite growing visibility in academic, legal, and educational spheres, research on EEPs remains fragmented, with limited synthesis across disciplines. Addressing this gap, the study adopts Petticrew and Roberts’ (2006) seven-stage review model, guided by Newman and Gough’s (2020) framework, and thematic analysis to consolidate findings from peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters published between 2000 and 2025. Drawing on data from 50 reviewed studies from Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases, the findings indicate that singular they is the most widely accepted EEP because it supports comprehension and reduces gender bias, with strong uptake in academic, educational, and media contexts; while resistance persists in highly regulated institutions and neopronouns (e.g., ze, hir ) remain largely confined to identity-affirming spaces (e.g., online platforms) due to limited standardization and institutional support. This review provides a critical, integrative understanding of EEPs and offers a valuable framework for educators, researchers, and policymakers navigating gender-fair language (GFL) in English discourse.

View source

Similar papers

Open access Sep 2026

“Vocês me entenderam errado”

This article investigates attempts to cancel implicatures as politeness strategies aimed at restoring positive face in contexts of online shaming. The analysis draws on Grice’s theory of implicature (1975), Politeness Theory (Brown; Levinson, 1987), and a metapragmatic perspective (Silverstein, 1993). Through a qualita...

M. Silva, Pereira Lins Maria da Penha · 0 citations
Open access Sep 2026

Entre a língua e o embate

In recent years, so-called "gender-neutral language" has become a point of discursive contention in the public sphere, especially in cyberspace. Far from being restricted to a strictly linguistic issue, this debate mobilizes political, ideological, and symbolic disputes related to the inclusion, visibility, and recogni...

C. Cruz · 0 citations
Review Open access Aug 2026

A decade of digital politeness: Systematic review of strategies, gaps, and impoliteness taxonomies (2015–2025)

Background: Although computer-mediated communication (CMC) has been widely adopted as a primary mode of human interaction, there has been no systematic synthesis comprehensively mapping research on politeness strategies in digital environments over the past decade. This lack of synthesis obscures theoretical trends, em...

Ach Fauzi · 0 citations
Open access Sep 2026

The Discursive Construction of Zanryu-hojin Identity: A Comparative Appraisal of Scholarly and Narrative English Discourses

Language constitutes rather than neutrally represents displaced subjectivity. This study examines how English constructs the identity of Zanryu-hojin, Japanese civilians abandoned in postwar Manchuria, through two data sources: Chan’s (2011) monograph, Abandoned Japanese in Postwar Manchuria, and five oral narratives c...

Zi-Jun Shen, Somrak Chaisingkananont · 0 citations
Open access Aug 2026

Linguistic identity and English as Lingua Franca: Issues and implications for Southeast Asia

This descriptive-exploratory-reflexive study investigated the dominant issues related to English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) in the Southeast Asian context and drew the critical implicatures from the intra/transnational ELF demographics of the current status quo. Guided by the Kachru’s Circles Model, the Schneider’s Dynam...

Chester B. Esnara · 0 citations
Review Open access Aug 2026

Qur’anic Memorization in ‘Ajamic Communities: a Systematic Review of Trends, Challenges, and Functional Reception

This study investigates research trends in Qur’anic memorization within the ‘Ajamic community (non-Arabic speaking Muslims), a practice often criticized as “parrot learning” and therefore marginalized in academic discourse. This research is urgent because it addresses limited scholarly attention given to non-Arabic con...

Muhamad Arpah Nurhayat, M. Amin · 0 citations

We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads. See our Cookie Policy.