Language and gender

Introduction This guide is written for students who are following GCE Advanced level (AS and A2) syllabuses in English Language. This resource may also be of general interest to language students on university degree courses, trainee teachers and anyone with a general interest in language science. On this page I use red type for emphasis. Back to top Language and gender - what is it all about? When you start to study language and gender, you may find it hard to discover what this subject, as a distinct area in the study of language, is about. To get you started, here is an outline of part of one exam board's Advanced level module on Language and Social Contexts - there are three subjects, one of which is Language and Gender. This is unobjectionable but not very helpful - essentially it tells you that you have to study spoken and written data. How language reveals, embodies and sustains attitudes to gender. Is it easy or hard? Studying language and gender is easy and hard at the same time.

Women's Language Explanations > Gender > Women's Language These are ten elements of the language that women use, as identified by Robin Lakoff in 1975. Of course, not all women use all of this language all of the time, and some may question the whole. 1. Hedging provides a way out, should disagreement occur, qualifying statements with non-absolute language, such as 'sort of', 'I guess', etc. Well, I sort of looked at him, and then he kind of looked back. 2. Politeness is taken to more extreme forms, either putting the speaker in an inferior position or seeking to be thoughtful and non-threatening towards the other person. Do excuse me, but I really appreciate it if if you could take a little time to help me. 3. Tag questions added to the end of a statement do not change the statement, although they do seek agreement. You would do that, wouldn't you? 4. The emotional content of sentences are increased through the use of intonation that emphasizes and exaggerates emotional. You are so very kind. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Gender Styles in Computer Meditated Communication Deborah Tannen:Men and Women in Conversation is Cross-Cultural Communication An excerpt from "Men and Women in Conversation: An Analysis of Gender Styles in Language" by SUSAN GITHENS Lafayette College May 1991 In You Just Don't Understand: Men and Women in Conversation, Deborah Tannen -- a professor of linguistics at Georgetown University -- addresses linguistic differences as they relate to intimate male/female relations. As a student of Robin Lakoff she had been introduced to Lakoff's research on gender and language. Tannen claims that there are gender differences in ways of speaking, and we need to identify and understand them in order to avoid needlessly blaming "others or ourselves -- or the relationship -- for the otherwise mystifying and damaging effects of our contrasting conversational styles" (Tannen, p. 17). For her study Tannen traced patterns of speech in past studies and on videotapes of cross-gender communication (pairs of speakers asked to talk on tape).

Level Up: English Language - Language and gender Language and Gender There are two different types of Language and Gender questions you could be asked about: representations of gender and gender in action. For instance, magazine articles, adverts and books all include representations of gender (usually stereotypes) and not what males and females are really like. It's the perception of a gender difference, not a real gender difference. Transcripts, however, will show you how gender differences affect language (unless they are faked, be careful!) A distinction you must understand: The big question in linguistics: does being female affect a person's language, or is it merely the attitude towards feminine that make us think there is a difference? Gender Researchers Many leading linguists have a thing or two to say about language and gender. Difference Theory As the title indicates, the difference theory is the idea that males and females really do converse differently. A big advocate of this approach is Deborah Tannen. Christine Howe Women hedge.