Why ESL teachers should study about Gender

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Why ESL teachers should study about Gender
Language

• 1. we need to be aware of findings concerning
  the differences between mens and womens speech
  so that we will not teach inappropriate forms to
  our students.
• 2. research on speech patterns of men and
  women who are native speakers of American English
  constitutes an important source of information
  regarding rules of speaking in these
  communities.

Wolfson, Nessa. 1889. Perspectives
Sociolinguistics and TESOL. Boston Heinle
Heinle Publishers, p. 162.
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Differences in Mens and Womens Language

• ? Exogamous Amazon tribe
• languages
• ? Gros Ventre American Indian Tribe (Montana)
• pronunciation
• ? Yana (N. American Indian language)
• morphologyaffixes
• ? Chiquita (S. American Indian language)
• morphology
• ? Japanese
• lexisvocabulary
• pronouns

Holmes, Janet. 2013. An Introduction to
Sociolinguistics, 4th edition. London Pearson,
pp. 159-161.
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Factors in Gender Differentiation in Language

• HierarchyGender differences in language are
  often just one aspect of more pervasive
  linguistic differences in the society reflecting
  SOCIAL STATUS or POWER differences. my
  emphasis
• Gender-Exclusive Social RolesThe
  responsibilities of women and men are different
  in such communities, and everyone knows that, and
  knows what they are.
• Cultural Practiceslike EXOGAMOUS Amazon Indians.
  Spouses speak different languages because they
  must marry out of tribe and each tribe has its
  own language.

Holmes, Janet. 2013. An Introduction to
Sociolinguistics, 4th edition. London Pearson,
pp. 159, 162-163.
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Gender Differences 1

• In many speech communities, when women use more
  of a linguistic form than men, it is generally
  the standard formthe overtly prestigious
  formthat women favour. When men use a form more
  often than women, it is usually a vernacular
  form, one which is not admired overtly by the
  society as a whole, and which is not cited as the
  correct form.

Holmes, Janet. 2013. An Introduction to
Sociolinguistics, 4th edition. London Pearson,
p. 166.
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Gender Differences 2

• Concerning Western speech communities, Holmes
  says when women use more of a linguistic form
  than men, it is generally the standard formthe
  overtly prestigious formthat women favor. When
  men use a form more often than women, it is
  usually a vernacular form, one which is not
  admired overtly by the society as a whole and
  which is not cited as the correct form. In
  1983 Sociolinguist Peter Trudgill said this is
  the single most consistent finding to emerge
  from sociolinguistic studies over the past 20
  years.

Holmes, Janet. 2001. An Introduction to
Sociolinguistics, 2nd edition. London Longman,
p. 156.
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• Preference for Vernacular
• In over IN

Holmes, Janet. 2013. An Introduction to
Sociolinguistics, 4th edition. London Pearson,
p. 164.
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Explanations for Differences between Women's and
Men's Language

• 1. Social status explanation
• 2. Womens role as guardians of societys values
• 3. Womens status as a subordinate group
• 4. Vernacular forms express masculinity
• 5. Alternative explanations

Holmes, Janet. 2013. An Introduction to
Sociolinguistics, 4th edition. London Pearson,
pp. 167-174.
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Lakoffs Features of Womens Language 1

• (a) Lexical hedges or fillers
• (you know, sort of, well, you see)
• (b) Tag questions
• (shes very nice, isnt she?)
• (c) Rising intonation on declaratives
• (its really good)
• (d) Empty adjectives
• (divine, charming, cute)

Holmes, Janet. 2013. An Introduction to
Sociolinguistics, 4th edition. London Pearson,
pp. 302-303.
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Lakoffs Features of Womens Language 2

• (e) Precise color terms
• (magenta, aquamarine)
• (f) Intensifiers
• (just, so I like him so much.)
• (g) Hypercorrect grammar
• (consistent use of standard verb forms)

Holmes, Janet. 2013. An Introduction to
Sociolinguistics, 4th edition. London Pearson,
pp. 302-303.
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Lakoffs Features of Womens Language 3

• (h) Superpolite forms
• (indirect requests, euphemisms)
• (i) Avoidance of strong swear words
• (fudge, my goodness)
• (j) Emphatic stress
• (it was a BRILLIANT performance)

Holmes, Janet. 2013. An Introduction to
Sociolinguistics, 4th edition. London Pearson,
pp. 302-303.
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Distribution of Tag Questions by Function and Sex
of Speaker1

• Function of tag Women Men
• Expressing uncertainty 35 61
• Facilitative 59 26
• Softening 6 13
• Confrontational
• Total 100 100
• N2 51 39
• (Source Based on Holmes 1984a 54)

1 Based on a 60,000 word corpus containing equal
amounts of female and male speech collected in a
range of matched contexts. 2 N is presumably the
number of tags found in the sample.
Holmes, Janet. 2013. An Introduction to
Sociolinguistics, 4th edition. London Pearson,
p. 307.
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Women's and Men's Idle Talk 1

• Women
• Its overall function for women is to affirm
  solidarity and maintain the social relationships
  between the women involved.
• Women's gossip focuses predominantly on personal
  experiences and personal relationships, on
  personal problems and feelings. It may include
  criticism of the behaviour of others, but women
  tend to avoid criticizing people directly because
  this would cause discomfort.

Holmes, Janet. 2013. An Introduction to
Sociolinguistics, 4th edition. London Pearson,
p. 316.
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Women's and Men's Idle Talk 2

• Men
• The male equivalent of women's gossip is
  difficult to identify. In parallel situations
  the topics men discuss tend to focus on things
  and activities, rather than personal experiences
  and feelings. Topics like sport, cars, and
  possessions turn up regularly. The focus is on
  information and facts rather than on feelings and
  reactions.

Holmes, Janet. 2013. An Introduction to
Sociolinguistics, 4th edition. London Pearson,
p. 317.
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Language Teachers Responsibility

• It is not the responsibility of the language
  teacher qua linguist to enforce Anglo-Saxon
  standards of behavior, linguistic or otherwise.
  Rather, it is the teachers job to equip the
  student to express her/himself in exactly the way
  s/he chooses to do sorudely, tactfully, or in an
  elaborately polite manner. What we want to
  prevent is her/his being unintentionally rude or
  subservient. It may, of course, behoove the
  teacher to point out the likely consequences of
  certain types of linguistic behavior.

Thomas, Jenny (1983 96) cited in Nessa Wolfson.
Perspectives Sociolinguistics and TESOL. Boston
Heinle Heinle Publishers, 1989, p. 31.
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What ESL Learners Should Know about Sexist
Language 1

• 1. Teach how to use appropriate generic
  pronouns, especially in writing. (165)
• 2. Promote use of generic "they" (especially in
  speech)
• 3. Remind students that even if they know that
  some English speakers use "terms of endearment"
  that this is probably useful only as
  PASSIVE/RECEPTIVE knowledge. Do not do it
  yourself. (170)

Wolfson, Nessa. 1989. Perspectives
Sociolinguistics and TESOL. Boston Heinle
Heinle Publishers, Chapter 8 Language and Sex,
pp. 162-187.
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What ESL Learners Should Know about Sexist
Language 2

• 4. Terms degrading women exist and are
  offensive. (174)
• 5. Be aware that references to men or women
  using terms for the other sex may have
  connotations the learner does not know or
  understand. (175)
• 6. Point out "appropriately sex-linked forms of
  speech". (185)

Wolfson, Nessa. 1989. Perspectives
Sociolinguistics and TESOL. Boston Heinle
Heinle Publishers, Chapter 8 Language and Sex,
pp. 162-187.
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