The Politics of the Body and Grenzenlos Deutsch: Identities, Intersectionality, and Inclusivity in the Language Classroom

This article analyzes the open educational resource Grenzenlos Deutsch (GD) in the context of political resistance against diversity, equity, and inclusivity initiatives (DEI). Attacks on DEI are not merely attempts to curtail ideas and practices but to police and erase particular bodies. Recent legislation targeting DEI at North American schools and universities illustrates the politicization of bodies in the language classroom. In conversation with queer, trans, and disability studies, we contend that the use of inclusive teaching materials in the language classroom exposes and subverts essentialist and ableist cultures and beliefs in absolute social norms. Understanding language learning as an embodied practice, this article considers the body politics of GD and its wider implication in the face of bans on DEI by focusing on GD's representation of non-normative bodies, its attention to accessibility, and its approach to gender and grammar. The essay concludes with a call to action for fashioning more equitable educational environments.