Deborah Tannen and
Gender in Language
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awYZgt9kV8
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnBaU
0fxREk&feature=related
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFqwwv
vorJ0&feature=PlayList&p=0089460A7554
26AC&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&ind
ex=8
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfLARz
XUwUw&feature=fvw
Female Language Use
Women speak to show closeness and relationship
Women do not care as much about the content of
conversation, they care about being in relationship
through language
Women talk along with each other and support each other’s
speech content with lots of commentary
Women interrupt to take over the conversation less often
than men
Women face one another when engaged in conversation
Women see conversation as a way to make a connection
with others
Women speak less than men in public settings and more
than men in private settings
Male Language Use
• Men talk to compete for social status
• Men talk to communicate specific information and do not
like conversation that does not do this “Get to the point”
• Men allow others to speak without commentary, but
interrupt others to take over the conversation more often
than women
• Men sit side by side, turning their heads ocassionally to
look at each other while talking. They generally do not
sit facing each other
• Men speak less in private settings where they are not
competing for status
• Men speak more in public situations where status is
important
Questions
• Are male and female differences innate or
learned?
• Do these differences occur in all societies?
• Is it possible to change these differences?
• How do gender differences in speech
patterns relate to what we know about
gender differences in other aspects of
human life?