Language and Gender

Question 1

language and gender often make use of two models or paradigms what are they called ?
Also name the theorists involved with those models.

Answer 1

Studies of language and gender often make use of two models or paradigms -
that of dominance and that of difference. The first is associated with Dale
Spender, Pamela Fishman, Don Zimmerman and Candace West, while the
second is associated with Deborah Tannen.

Question 2

What did Otto Jespersen theorise ?

Answer 2

In 1922, Otto Jespersen theorised that
- women talk a lot and they use half- finished sentences as they speak before they have thought about what they will say
- women link sentences with ‘conjunctions such as ‘ and’ because they are emotional rather then ‘grammatical’
- women use empty adjectives such as “ pretty “ “ nice “ often, as well as adding an intensifier such as “so “
- Women tend to often use hyperbole
- Women have a smaller vocabulary then men - the words they use are “ indispensable small change of language “
- Women know their smaller vocab so well that they are more fluent in speaking and less hesitant than men who may be more hesitant as they search for the precise vocabulary to use.

Question 3

What did Robin Lakoff theorise ?

Answer 3

In 1975,
She argued that language is fundamental to gender inequality and it could contribute to the lack of women’s power in two areas; language used about woman and the language used by women.

She claimed that there were certain features of a women’s language that gave the impression that weaker and less certain then men. She observed
- Women speak less frequently
-Women show they are listening by using minimal responses such as mhmm and ahhh
- Woman speak quieter than men and tend to use higher pitch range of their voices
- Use hyper-correct grammar and pronunciation ; standard English and clear enunciation
-Use a greater range of intonation and ‘speak italics ‘

Question 4

What did Otto Jespersen also theorise ?

Answer 4

• Novels written by Women are a lot easier to read as they use simpler terminology and words
• Women often gain spoken mastery of foreign languages more easily then men