Language and Gender

Language and gender can seem a very intresting idea to look at as at first, I don't really think about how women and mens laguage could actually be all that different as we all use it and get to know what type of language is new, when it acceptable to use certin language and how to use it in conversation. However, when you actually look into it you can begin to see the differences which could also link back to the ideas of sexism, sterotypes ect that have been made known. The idea that women could be considered the more chatty ones, good at changing topics but threre could be more masculine elemants especially with certin lexcial feilds in topics like football and maybe a bigger use of swear words which links to being sterotypical.

The other day, someone came up with the thought that they couldn't imagine men really using the term "OMG" and this is just one tiny example that actually ahows how language is differently used and how it has been interpreted into which gender would more likly to use. This links into the idea that women supposedly have a wider, superioir language use to men which is just a veiw but is this a valid point? Are women more domaint in language and how is this proven? What effects this? Nature or nurture? Age? Status? These are some of the ideas I would like to explore and find out ehy the divide between the two genders language had becoming more noticble over and become some linguists like Deborah Cameron, research topics and what they have found out helps to exaplin the divide.

This is an intresting article my Deborah Cameron which gives her veiw on what this whole debate is about and what conclusion he reaserch has come up with and her owh opinions:
www.theguardian.com/world/2007/oct/01/gender.books