ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => VCE English Studies => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE English Language => Topic started by: dmitridr on August 19, 2015, 12:52:17 pm

Title: Gender differences in language?
Post by: dmitridr on August 19, 2015, 12:52:17 pm
Hey everyone!

By now, most schools would be starting Unit 4 AOS 2, and one of the key themes of this AOS is gender differences in language. In a few days time, I'll post a more complete article on here, but to get you started, the key differences between the genders are listed below.

Female language generally exhibits the following features:

- Rapport talk – show support, build community: "I’m glad everyone had a chance to participate".
- Supportive – listen and respond to spoken and unspoken conversational clues about other people’s feelings. For example, "I understand" lets the speaker know they are understood and not alone.
- Tentative – create an impression of less authority and less self-assuredness: "The report is due today, isn’t it?".
- Conversational initiation – ask questions to get the conversation going: "Did you hear about.....?" "Are you going to......?".

Male language generally exhibits the following features:

- Report talk – focus less on feelings and more on information, facts, knowledge and competence.
- Instrumental – report to get things done, solve problems, define status: "Finish that proposal by Monday".
- Advice – when dealing with personal problems they try to offer a solution, while empathizing to show solidarity does not seem helpful or appropriate,
- Assertive, certain, direct and authoritative – they use statements of fact rather than opinion: "That report is due on Monday" rather than "I think that report is due on Monday".
- Dominance or control of the conversation for gaining power.

I hope this helps :)
Title: Re: Gender differences in language?
Post by: flares on August 28, 2015, 02:52:01 pm
Help on how we go about structuring a Unit 4 AOS2 essay?

Just really confused as to how to structure an essay for individual and group identity...

Help please!

Thank you :)
Title: Re: Gender differences in language?
Post by: dmitridr on August 29, 2015, 10:14:25 am
Help on how we go about structuring a Unit 4 AOS2 essay?

Just really confused as to how to structure an essay for individual and group identity...

Help please!

Thank you :)

Good question!

I would recommend structuring according to the main 'themes' in this AOS - so generational, gender, jargon, etc.

However, if you got an essay topic that simply only looked at one of these themes (e.g. generational), then I would structure by subsystem (lexicology, phonology, syntax etc).

I hope that helps!
Title: Re: Gender differences in language?
Post by: flares on August 29, 2015, 01:58:46 pm
Good question!

I would recommend structuring according to the main 'themes' in this AOS - so generational, gender, jargon, etc.

However, if you got an essay topic that simply only looked at one of these themes (e.g. generational), then I would structure by subsystem (lexicology, phonology, syntax etc).

I hope that helps!

Sure does! thank you.

And with the evidence/examples, we find studies related to each topic (such as gender, age, location etc), use those studies to help explain, and then support it with a field note?
Title: Re: Gender differences in language?
Post by: dmitridr on August 31, 2015, 03:48:39 pm
Sure does! thank you.

And with the evidence/examples, we find studies related to each topic (such as gender, age, location etc), use those studies to help explain, and then support it with a field note?

Yes that's correct :)