英语语言中的性别差异的对比研究(2)
关键词：跨性别交际，英语语言差异，根源
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements i
Abstract.ii
摘要iii
1 Introduction.1
2 Cross-gender Communication2
2.1 Gender and Sex2
2.2 Gender, Culture and Communication.2
3 Differences in Gender Languages .4
3.1 Differences in Phonology.4
3.2 Differences in Vocabulary6
3.3 Differences in Syntax.7
3.4 Differences in Topic Choice.8
3.5 Differences in Communication Strategy9
4 Factors Causing Gender Differences in English Language.11
4.1 Physical Factor11
4.2 Psychological Factor.11
4.3 Social & Cultural Factor.12
5 How to Develop Inter-gender Communicative Competence.14
5.1 Realize the Gender Culture Differences15
5.2 Improve the Inter-gender Awareness.15
5.3 To be Open and Flexible16
6 Conclusion17
Bibliography.19
1 Introduction
Language and gender is an everlasting and eternal topic. What’s more, the study on gender differences is an important branch of sociolinguistics. However, it didn’t gain significant achievements until the end of the 1960s with the rising of feminist movement in USA. On one hand, the gender language differences contribute to a more reasonable explanation of the intricacies of the language phenomenon. Thus, it improves the accuracy of the research and science of language. On the other hand, it established a gender pattern based on linguistic analysis to reveal the relationship of gender differences, enriching the theoretical connotation. The differences between men and women manifest themselves in such areas as language itself and conversational styles. As for language itself, the differences exist in many areas, for example, in intonation, vocabulary and syntax. As far as conversational style is concerned, such areas as topic choice, communication strategy, politeness, certainty, compliments, and taboo language are the aspects which can also reflect gender- related differences.
In recent years, the research on gender differences in communication is attracting more and more scholars’ attention. As an important aspect in the field of intercultural communication, gender factors should not be ignored for men and women show gender differences in their communication for many reasons. With the time development, communicative phenomena and social and cultural factors interact with each other greatly. It is of tremendous influence on discovering complicated social factors and profound cultural significance in verbal behaviors by comparing the differences in communicative styles between the male and female. Gender difference is a kind of cultural construction. Only by understanding the different gender communication rules and communicative strategies, developing the gender awareness of cultural differences, can we overcome cultural differences brought about by the failure of communication due to the gender differences. Thus, we can achieve effective communication purposes.
2 Cross-gender Communication
Gender and sex are not synonymous. Sex is determined by genetics while gender is socialized. Societies create different meanings for the opposite sexes, which leads to the tremendous differences between feminine and masculine languages.
2.1 Gender and Sex
Different cultures always give the men and women different communication norms. Before going further into the discussion, it is necessary to define the two terms “gender” and “sex”, which are frequently mentioned in the sociolinguistic field. The words sex and gender are commonly used interchangeably, but many linguists would argue that their usage is quite distinct. Oxford English Dictionary indicates that sex refers to biological differences. Word sex comes from Middle English, meaning “section” or “pide”. Sex is a physiological term, only expressing the physiological definition. The word gender comes from Middle English gender, which came from Old French, which in turn came from the Latin word genus, meaning “kind”, “type”, or “sort”. We tend to be confused with the term “gender” and “sex”. Gender belongs to the cultural category which is based on social，cultural and psychological factors. It refers to behaviors, roles, expectations, and activities in society. That is to say, gender culture is a society for people of different sexes, which is respectively defined by the range of thoughts, words, actions, feelings. Gender culture is learned through communication and handed down from age to age. Through communication, people gain culture and gender identity in the process of socialization (Shi, 2008). Therefore, they become members of different gender cultures.
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