the deficit model

Question 1

what does the deficit approach say?

Answer 1

the belief that the language used by women is inferior to that used by men

Question 2

what did lakoff admit in the introduction to her 1975 publication: language and women’s place?

Answer 2

in the introduction to the book, lakoff admits ‘it is my impression, though I do not have precise statistical evidence’

Question 3

what example is there in the book of anecdotal generalisation?

Answer 3

there are no statistics but phrases such as ‘many men’, ‘men tend to’

Question 4

which aspect of the book remains an integral part of language and gender discussion?

Answer 4

lakoff’s work is still often quoted today and its list of the main features of female speech remains an integral part of language and gender discussion

Question 5

what are a couple of the main features of female speech?

Answer 5

• hedges
• tag questions
• speak less frequently
• apologise more

Question 6

what is the link between otto jespersen and robin lakoff?

Answer 6

lakoff’s research can be seen as representative of the ‘deficit approach’ to language and gender. the deficit approach is attributed to otto jespersen who argued that male language forms were the ‘norm’ and the language of others (including women) were ‘deficient’

Question 7

what did lakoff seek to prove in her list of key features?

Answer 7

it is perhaps apparent why lakoff sees the language of women to be weaker - indirect requests and the use of apologetic forms do suggest women’s language to be less powerful than that of males. perhaps the use of tag questions or intensifiers may not necessarily be seen as a weaker form. however, lakoff did see female language to be ‘deficient’.

Question 8

what were the trends lakoff identified about female spoken language?

Answer 8

• hedges
• polite forms
• tag questions
• specialised vocabulary
• intensifiers
• indirect requests

Question 9

what were the trends lakoff identified about male spoken language?

Answer 9

• explicit commands
• more humorous
• non standard forms
• interruptions and ‘hijacking’

Question 10

what were the two studies that support the deficit model?

Answer 10

• labov’s new york department store study (1966)
• peter trudgill’s norwich study (1972)