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
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