Language and gender

Question 1

Which gender uses more standard speech forms?

standard english

Answer 1

Women

Question 2

What did Trudgill and Chesire find in adolescents?

Answer 2

Differences in each gender’s use of language was evident in childhood

Question 3

What letters are men more likely to drop?

Answer 3

-‘H’ sounds at the start of word
‘ouse or ‘at
-‘G’ sounds at the ends of words
swimmin’ or goin’

Question 4

Which gender is more likely to use multiple negatives?

Answer 4

Men

e.g. I don’t know nothing about it

Question 5

Explain the theory that the differences are due to women being more status-conscious:

Answer 5

Speech can be an indicator of social class so women make an effort to conform to demonstrate status and therefore respect

Question 6

Explain the theory that difference in gender language is due to society’s expectations of women:

Answer 6

Society expects ‘better’ behaviour of women than men (e.g. in childhood “boys will be boys”)
As adults women are expected to act ‘ladylike’
Women are expected to have a dominant role in child rearing and therefore should have the ‘correct’ speech

Question 7

Explain the theory that subordinate roles of women cause differences in language of genders

Answer 7

Women’s choice of language is due their minority in society

Language is used based on their lack of confidence

Question 8

Explain the theory of overt and covert prestige as the cause of differences in gender language

Answer 8

Men associate non-standard forms with masculinity (covert)

Question 9

What is overt prestige?

Answer 9

attached to respectable, socially desirable behaviour

Question 10

What is covert prestige?

Answer 10

derives from behaviour that goes against the norms and conventions of a ‘respectable’ society

Question 11

What did Coates find about men’s topic of conversation?

Answer 11

males tend to talk about more impersonal topics
(drinking, cars, sports)
Women talk about emotional topics
(funerals, cheating, loyalty)

Question 12

How do men ‘hold the floor’?

Answer 12

Men talk for long periods of times, the monologues link to their need to feel like an expert

Question 13

When do men talk in rapid fire talk?

Answer 13

When they are verbally sparring each other

Question 14

What was their a scarcity of in all male talk?

Answer 14

Overlapping.

There is overlapping when the topic is something they get excited about