Abstract

In applied linguistics, various studies have already been written on the inclusion, discrimination, and exclusion of minorities and marginalized collectives in language use. However, a theoretical introduction of the linguistics of diversity and inclusion (LDI) as an independent linguistic discipline has yet to emerge. This paper aims to close this research desideratum and present a preliminary theory of the linguistics of diversity and inclusion, essential for the classification of research concerning the communicative patterns of diversity, inclusion, discrimination, and exclusion. In addition to the linguistic study of diversity and inclusion, LDI also includes patterns of discrimination and inclusion, but focuses on diversity and inclusion, even if discrimination and exclusion must not be ignored when examining inclusion for a scientifically precise overview. More specifically, this paper will first introduce the theory, research goals and the object of the linguistics of diversity and inclusion, second, describe the opportunities for the applied linguistics, third explain, how LDI can be applied for the study of language use for observing communicative patterns of inclusion, diversity, discrimination, and exclusion, fourth discuss, how the discipline of LDI can be combined with methods of corpus linguistics for revealing the communicative realization of inclusion.