English Language AS Theorists- Lakoff, Zimmerman and West, and Tannen.

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When did Robin Lakoff conduct her research?
1975
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What features did she identify which she felt were characteristic of Women's Language?
Hedges and Fillers (kind of) and (ummm), Apologetic requests (I'm sorry, but would you mind closing the door), Tag Questions (this is nice isn't it) and Indirect Requests ("it's very noisy out there"- meaning close the door)
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What else did Lakoff say?
Women tended to speak less than men, use fewer expletives and more intensifiers (English is so great!)
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What is Lakoff's deficit model?
Women's language reflects their inferior social status and made it worse as it made them appear indecisive and needy. She said women's language is weak compared to men's language and prevents women from being taken seriously.
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Who offers an alternative to this deficit theory?
O'barr and Atkins.
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What did they say? and when was their study conducted?
1980 and they analysed courtroom trials and found that male and female witnesses of low social status and/or inexperienced with courtroom practises both showed many of the linguistic feature Lakoff labeled "female".
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What does this suggest?
That the language Lakoff describes as female is not only found in women and might be to do with individuals feeling powerless.
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However what have more modern Linguists like Holmes (1984) and Cameron (2007) say?
Holmes: women's language doesn't show weakness but a desire to cooperate. Cameron: there are very few differences between male and female language and situation affects language much more than gender.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Hedges and Fillers (kind of) and (ummm), Apologetic requests (I'm sorry, but would you mind closing the door), Tag Questions (this is nice isn't it) and Indirect Requests ("it's very noisy out there"- meaning close the door)

Back

What features did she identify which she felt were characteristic of Women's Language?

Card 3

Front

Women tended to speak less than men, use fewer expletives and more intensifiers (English is so great!)

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

Women's language reflects their inferior social status and made it worse as it made them appear indecisive and needy. She said women's language is weak compared to men's language and prevents women from being taken seriously.

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

O'barr and Atkins.

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
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