Virtual US Tour 2022: Pronouns like xier

Background of the Tour

Digital Fineliner-Drawing, black on white with a little color. Framed title: Virtual US Lecture Tour. Illi with a pink tank-top, short hair and grey rimmed glasses stands in front of a laptop. In the back a map of the USA. Below the hashtag #PronomenWieXier.This week I am going to start my virtual US lecture tour, in German and English depending on the audience. I am invited to talk about #PronomenWieXier in different institutions of higher education in the US. I will speak about #PronomenWieXier, German as a highly gendered languagen and languange changes.

Max Kade German America Center IUPUI – 16.4.2022

I was a gues at Indiana University in Indianapolis. Max Kade German-American Center invited to speak in a workshop for teachers and professors of German as a foreign language about genderneutral pronouns like xier. I am touched to hear how much further the discussion on genderneutral grammar is in the United states. Because they/them pronouns are widely used, students will requests a translation into German.

Digital fineliner sketch in black and grey on white, with some coloring. The avatar of Illi wearing white pants and a pink tanktop is looking at a huge modern bulding infront of them with some leafless trees in front. Text: 2. Station, Virtual US Lecture Tour #PronomenWieXier, Max Kade German American Center, IUPUI, Indianapolis, IndianaExcerpt from the workshop flyer with a drawn portrait of Illi Anna Heger. Text: IUPUI Max Kade German-American Center, School of Liberal Arts, Workshop with Illi Anna Heer, April 16 2022, 10a-12p Zoom Free. Heger is a comics author and the creator of German language gender neutral xier pronouns system. This workshop is for DaF instructors who want to learn lmore about using gender-neutral pronouns in the classroom. It will be conducted in German and English.

Wellesley College – 6.4.2022

Today I am a guest speakter at Wellesley College near Boston. I talked with two groups of students about #PronomenWieXier, about the complexities of German grammar and language change. I visited Wellesley campus virtually, but got a great tour anyways with precious little videos created by the students.

Digital fineliner drawing, black on white with little coloring. Illi's avatar with white pants and pinkt tanktop points to the bell tower on campus of Wellesley College. Text: 1. Station Virtual US Lecture Tour - Wellesley College - 42 Auto-Minuten westlich von Boston, MA.Digital fineliner drawing, black on white with little coloring. Illi's avatar with white pants and pinkt tanktop squats in front of a white winged wood duck with a red head and black and white plumage. Somebody calls out in German: Das ist Stanley, die beliebteste Ente auf dem Wellesley Campus.