Ignore the Textbook: A Phenomenological Investigation of Transgender Including Nonbinary Student Experiences in Spanish Language Courses

Abstract

More research is needed to understand the experiences of transgender including nonbinary students in K-12 educational settings. Transgender students may experience unique stressors in World Language courses which impact their learning outcomes. In this study, three transgender adults in their twenties were interviewed about their experiences studying Spanish. Findings revealed that student experiences vary widely and are interpreted to various lenses related to an individual’s specific gender identity, including their awareness and ability to articulate their identity at a particular point in time. The data suggest that while binary transgender students may not feel language- and culture-specific stressors, nonbinary student identities may be rendered linguistically- and culturally impossible. However, these experiences may not impact learning outcomes. Participants played active roles in navigating diverse discursive spaces and suggested possibilities educators, and specifically world language educators, can take to create inclusive spaces for students of all genders. Implications for educators include increased awareness of transgender, including nonbinary, student experiences and explicit efforts to discuss problematic language in Spanish along with potential solutions for communicating student identities. Effective solutions must be language-specific, facilitate functional communication, and contextualized in their usage with the target culture. Additional research is needed to understand transgender student experiences, perceptions, and outcomes, especially which considers the diversity of this population.