Gender

Question 1

What does Janet Holmes think about language?

Answer 1

Looks at women’s tag questions

Question 2

What are the 3 types of tag questions that Janet Holmes researched?

Answer 2

1) referential - act of checking and uncertainty eg “isn’t it?”
2) affective (facilitative) - involving solidarity eg “shall we?”
3) affective (softening) - weakens criticism eg “give me that would you?”

Question 3

What does Deborah Tannen think about language?

Answer 3

Women listen more and are more supportive / cooperative

Men lecture and oppose; see others as competition

Question 4

What does Pamela Fishman think about language?

Answer 4

“Division of labour in conversations”
Women work hardest to enable conversation
ONLY ANALYSED STRAIGHT WHITE WOMEN

Question 5

What did Pamela Fishman discover about how women speak?

Answer 5

1) women ask more questions
2) women use sounds to show interest
3) women use phrases such as “yanno what” to maintain attention
4) more topics are initiated by women

Question 6

What did Pamela Fishman discover about how men speak?

Answer 6

1) mens responses are delayed or silent
2) no use of attention gestures
3) men initiate topics which always gain results

Question 7

What does John Gray say about women?

Answer 7

1) value love
2) find fulfilment through supporting and nurturing each other
3) want to live together in harmony
4) communication and happiness are the most important thing
5) women find relive from sharing their problems

Question 8

What does John Gray say about men?

Answer 8

1) men are self sufficient
2) men value power and strength
3) men are materialistic
4) men keep their problems to theirselves
5) men are more chilled and tend to stress less

Question 9

What are the 3 features of men’s speech according to Jennifer Coates?

Answer 9

1) holding the floor - keeping a conversation going
2) rapid-fire talk - long monologues of speech per male
3) men rarely overlap because of rapid fire talk

Question 10

What is Deborah Cameron’s theory of “child play” about?

Answer 10

Boys play outside in large groups that often argue and include winners and losers

Girls play inside in smaller groups which involve turn taking and not much confrontation

Question 11

What does Robin Lakoff think about gender? (5)

Answer 11

Women's speak: 
Language has changed due to housewife roles 
Emphatic stress is used more 
Hedges for doubt "yanno"
Hyper correct grammar eg more standard
Rising intonation