Gender and Language

Seminar paper from the year 2008 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: Sehr gut, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, course: Seminar, language: English, abstract: For many years linguists and sociologists have studied the patterns of communication between the genders. Language differences emerge at a very early stage of learning to speak. These differences are passed on to the young by the men and women who are around them. As children learn the language of gender differences they also learn the culturally proscribed behavior that is appropriate to their sex. In this paper I want to explain that women and men have different conversational styles. Language differences begin to emerge at the earliest stages of speech development. In this paper I will identify these differences and explain them. The paper is organized in the following manner: The concept of language socialization will be explained. I will also discuss the impact that one’s peer group has on language development. Next I will examine the way in which men and women communicate. Following this discussion of gender differences I will focus on the language patterns that women use. After the discussion of women’s speech I will contrast the manner in which men communicate and how these differences may result in misunderstandings between the genders. Finally I will distinguish between “saying and implying”. The focus will be what people actually say as they talk to each other.