Complexity of Grammatical Gender in French: Perceptions of Learners and Teachers in an Australian University Context.

This study examines learners' and teachers' perceptions of grammatical gender and gender-fair language (GFL) innovations in French within an Australian university context. French features a binary grammatical gender system, with masculine as the default, complicating the expression of gender inclusivity, especially for nonbinary identities. Surveyed students generally supported GFL practices such as feminization of profession names, écriture inclusive ("inclusive writing"), and proposals for a neuter gender, despite finding them complex, while teachers showed more varied attitudes but were open to inclusive pedagogical strategies. The research highlights the challenges posed by traditional French grammar and institutional resistance, notably from the Académie Française, and suggests that GFL innovations can serve as valuable pedagogical tools to promote inclusivity and reflect contemporary social realities in French language education.