Balogh, ErzsébetKiss, Nikolett2023-05-152023-05-152023-03-20https://hdl.handle.net/2437/353362This paper aims to investigate how L1 Hungarian L2 English university students use epicene pronouns, especially singular they, and how explicit education on epicene pronouns in the framework of inclusive language use influences usage. The importance of this study is that it bridges some of the gaps in the literature on how L1 speakers of grammatically genderless languages perceive and use epicene pronouns in English. Three studies are conducted, a corpus study of academic essays (N=34), a mixed-methods experimental study on colloquial language use (N=48) and a main study with a mixed-methods pre-test post-test design (N=21-36) on the effectiveness of teaching singular they. This paper finds that most participants use singular they in colloquial language, but prefer avoidance techniques in formal texts. The most important variable in the distribution of epicene pronouns is definiteness, but gender bias, sexism and length of utterance are also significant. Finally, the main study shows that explicit instruction on the usage of singular they within the framework of inclusive language use increases the use of this pronoun and it reduces male-biased language use.80ensingular theyinclusive language useeducationdiplomamunkaDEENK Témalista::Nyelvtudomány::NyelvészetHozzáférhető a 2022 decemberi felsőoktatási törvénymódosítás értelmében.