THEORY

Question 1

Grice’s Maxims

Answer 1

Quality : Speakers should tell the truth, not say what they think is false.
Quantity : A contribution should be informative, not too little or too much.
Relevance : Speakers contribution should relate to purpose of conversation.
Manner : Contribution should be clear, avoiding obscurity.

Question 2

Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT)

Answer 2

Howard Giles (1973)
Accommodation theory refers to speakers adapting their language to either sound closer or distance themselves from others.

Question 3

Convergence (CAT)

Answer 3

Adapting language to sound like others.
Convergence can be either upward, or downward.

Question 4

Upward Convergence (CAT)

Answer 4

Speakers with regional accents moving up towards more of an RP accent.

Question 5

Downward Convergence (CAT)

Answer 5

Speakers with an more RP accent move away towards more broad regional accents.

Question 6

Divergence (CAT)

Answer 6

Adapting language to distance yourself from others.

Question 7

Robin Lakoff - Deficit Approach
(Gender Theory)

Answer 7

Suggests that women’s language is inferior to mens.

Women use the following features more than men:

• Hedging
• Fillers
• Tag Questions

Question 8

Deborah Tannen - Difference Approach
(Gender Theory)

Answer 8

6 Contrasts between men and womens speech:
1) Status vs Support
2) Advice vs Understanding
3) Information vs Feelings
4) Orders vs Proposals
5) Conflict vs Compromise
6) Independence vs Intimacy