enhancing ao1 gender

Question 1

What is back-channeling?

Answer 1

feedback given while someone else is talking to show interest, attention and/or willingness to keep listening
e.g. ‘uh-huh’ or ‘mhm’

Question 2

Examples of back-channeling from the transcripts:

Answer 2

• AMBER HEARD CASE = ‘[nodding] yes (.) thats’s effectively what happened yeah’ - female
• MADE IN CHELSEA = ‘[makes noise] you’ve got a funny way of showing that’ - male

Question 3

Which theories link to back-channeling?

Answer 3

• Deborah Tannen = women seek support in conversations and will therefore show interest in the speaker
• Jennifer Coates = all female talk is cooperative
• Keith and Shuttleworth = women support each other in conversation

Question 4

What is a discourse marker?

Answer 4

words or phrases that help connect or structure speech and writing
e.g. anyway, right, okay, I mean, etc

Question 5

Examples of discourse markers from the transcripts:

Answer 5

• MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT = ‘right the winner gets the tricep trio to do whatever they want them to for 24 hours’ - female
• MADE IN CHELSEA = ‘okay(.)right what you’ve gotta understand now…’ - male

Question 6

Which theories link to discourse markers?

Answer 6

• Otto Jespersen = women have a less sophisticated vocabulary than men

Question 7

What are fillers?

Answer 7

used to give the speaker time to think, express uncertainty or make something awkward feel less awkward
e.g ‘um’, ‘ah’, ‘hmm’, ‘like’

Question 8

Examples of fillers from the transcripts:

Answer 8

• LOVE ISLAND = ‘you’re just I just feel like you just need to like think about things’ - female
• MADE IN CHELSEA = ‘…she was there and erm he was chatting with her’ - female
• AMBER HEARD CASE = ‘uh I’m not quite sure what part of the night she saw’

Question 9

Which theories link to fillers?

Answer 9

• Otto Jespersen = women’s language is less sophisticated than men’s

Question 10

What is hedging?

Answer 10

a word or phrase used in a sentence to express ambiguity, probability, caution or indecisiveness
e.g. ‘maybe’, ‘almost’ or somewhat

Question 11

Examples of hedging from transcripts:

Answer 11

• LOVE ISLAND = ‘it’s about the whole thing the whole thing and how you seem bro (.) maybe like I said maybe I’m wrong’ - male
• MADE IN CHELSEA = ‘look I think maybe we should leave you guys to it cos you guys have stuff to talk about’ - female

Question 12

Which theories link to hedging?

Answer 12

• Robin Lakoff = women use hedging, and it is a sign of weakness and uncertainty

Question 13

What are false starts?

Answer 13

sentences and words that are cut short before completion and often occur when a person has misspoken and has corrected themselves or from interruptions

Question 14

Examples of false starts from transcripts:

Answer 14

• MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT = ‘I don’t know what it is I don’t know what I’ve do-’ - male

Question 15

Which theories link to false starts?

Answer 15

• Otto Jespersen = women fail to finish sentences because they haven’t thought through what they are going to say

Question 16

What are repairs?

Answer 16

a speaker recognises a speech error and repeats what has been said with a correction

Question 17

Examples of repairs from the transcripts:

Answer 17

• MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT = ‘all I’m saying is I’ve met Ive seen Ella in social situations’ - male
• MADE IN CHELSEA = ‘I’ve stay I’ve stayed so out of your way’ - male

Question 18

Which theories are linked to repairs?

Answer 18

• Otto Jespersen = women’s language is less sophisticated than men’s language

Question 19

What is a topic loop?

Answer 19

a topic is started but goes off track and is brought back again
- ‘anyway’ is a common indicator of this

Question 20

Which theories are linked to topic loops?

Answer 20

• Otto Jespersen = women’s language is less sophisticated

Question 21

What is a tag question?

Answer 21

when a small question is attached to the end of a sentence -> often used to ask for confirmation

Question 22

Examples of tag questions in the transcripts:

Answer 22

• ## SECRET LIFE OF 4/5 YEAR OLDS = ‘this is fun, isn’t it?’ - female

Question 23

Which theories link to tag questions?

Answer 23

• Pamela Fishman = women frequently use tag questions to gain conversational power
• Robin Lakoff = tag questions are a sign of weakness

Question 24

What are non-fluency features?

Answer 24

voice fillers, pauses, mispronunciations, interruptions, overlaps and failures to hold the floor

Question 25

Example of non-fluency features in the transcripts:

Answer 25

- MADE IN CHELSEA = ‘**no no no no no** I can speak as well Inga’ - male

Question 26

Which theories are linked to non-fluency features?

Answer 26

- **Zimmerman and West** = men deny equal status to women as conversational partners and they engineer female silence - **Geoffrey Beattie** = men and women interrupt at the same frequency

Question 27

What are paralinguistic expressions?

Answer 27

body language, gestures, tone and pitch

Question 28

Which theories link to paralinguistic expressions?

Answer 28

- **Robin Lakoff** = women speak in italics, exaggerated intonation

Question 29

What is a direct imperative?

Answer 29

most direct form of the imperative and it is formed by using the infinitive of the verb without the ‘to’

Question 30

Examples of the direct imperative in the transcripts:

Answer 30

- LOVE ISLAND = ‘just **listen**’ - male to female

Question 31

What is an expletive term?

Answer 31

a swear word that is let out when someone is startled or mad

Question 32

Which theories are linked to an expletive term?

Answer 32

- **Keith and Shuttleworth** = men swear more and insult each other more frequently

Question 33

What is an empty adjective?

Answer 33

adjectives that have meaning that indicate the speaker’s approval or admiration for something e.g. divine, charming, cute

Question 34

Which theories link to empty adjectives?

Answer 34

- **Jespersen** = women use empty or weak adjectives

Question 35

What is a euphemism?

Answer 35

polite expression to refer to things that may be upsetting or embarrassing

Question 36

Examples of euphemisms from the transcripts:

Answer 36

- MADE IN CHELSEA = ‘I never once thought our relationship was **on the rocks** until now.’ - female

Question 37

Which theories link to euphemisms?

Answer 37

- **Lakoff** = women are more indirect

Question 38

What is a modal verb?

Answer 38

used with a main verb to express possibility, ability, permission or neccessity

Question 39

Examples of modal verbs in the transcripts:

Answer 39

- LOVE ISLAND = ‘I don’t think you **should** do that’ - female - THE APPRENTICE = ‘Ben **should** be fired’ - female

Question 40

Which theories link to modal verbs?

Answer 40

- **Lakoff** = women use more modal constructions - **Tannen** = women are more likely to make suggestions than men who make demanda