Speak for Yourself

To get the complete Idioms for Inclusivity experience, this book can be purchased alongside four others as a set, Idioms for Inclusivity: Fostering Belonging with Language, 978-1-032-28635-8.

Informed by sociolinguistic research, yet written accessibly, Speak for Yourself challenges readers to investigate the concept of assumptions as it relates to both language-use and inclusivity.

This engaging and delightfully illustrated book invites students to engage with concepts such as:

• the cultural meaning of the idiom "speak for yourself" and how it can act as a helpful warning against harmful assumptions
• Presuppositions – a concept developed by linguists to research and understand assumptions in language,
• why the expectation to "speak for yourself" can make someone feel excluded
• and how understanding the way language works can help us learn to be more inclusive

Featuring practical inclusivity tips related to integrating learning into daily conversations, this enriching curriculum supplement can be used in a Language Arts setting to learn about figurative language; in a Social Studies setting to discuss diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; or as an introduction to linguistics for students ages 7-14.