Language has predated societal roles and gender dynamics however this does not negate the differences in language use between men and women. From childhood girls and boys exhibit differences in language use . If a young girl were to speak aggressively or very directly she would be ostracised, belittled or humiliated. Research also portrays that boys tend to be more direct and sure of themselves whereas girls avoid sounding certain on matters due to fear of judgement or potential alienation. While language is impacted by socialisation there have been studies on gender differences in language uses. Young girls learn language at a faster rate than boys yet they are more withdrawn whereas boys tend to be more confident in adopting language. Boys and girls may also be treated differently in the same environment, girls being taught to remain quiet while boys gain more freedom to be loud and express their opinions with less limitations.
The idea that men and women speak different languages has been debated over long periods of time. There is the idea that women’s language has been trivialised as the subject matter of their conversations are frequently viewed as unimportant or minor. This perception is rooted in gender stereotypes that portray women’s language as inferior. The stereotype that women talk too much can belittle the topics of their discussions and undermine their confidence in speech.
Differences in language are also prevalent when examining social class. In the same environments men and women still use language differently. For instance in work or formal situations men are more likely to dominate conversations and lead discussions leaving women in the background. Sociologists like Janet Holmes discovered that a woman’s social status can affect the language she uses. Women are more likely to use proper or formal language to retain a higher social class. Language can be an indicator when guessing one’s social class and as a result women avoid using harsh words or profanity to keep their self image. Men are less aware of the language they use as they take the natural lead in conversation.
Literary linguists have noticed the different vocabularies each gender employs. Women reinvent language and use more descriptive language in their daily interactions. Conversely men adopt direct and straight to the point language without much consideration for description. This gap in vocabulary illustrates how language can be tailored to suit a specific gender.
Women are often expected to speak with little expression and in monotonous tones. Uncertainty can cause women to use hedge words or qualifiers such as ‘I think’ or ‘maybe’, which can create ambiguity and lack of commitment.. This is because there is a lack of assurance or conviction in many women’s spoken expressions as they do not want to seem certain in case of being wrong or making a mistake. Men are less likely to use such language and typically make more declarative statements. Furthermore, research conducted at a university showed the different types of language used by men and women. The findings led to 88% of boys and 48% of girls using informal language. This revealed a massive gap between the type of language men and women use and the differences in language made in general conversations.
In the modern day, language divergences are visibly apparent between men and women. Whether it is due to socialisation, class, status or simply biological differences these trends portray how the two genders converse very differently in their private and public lives.