Gender Differences in Discourse Essay

The ability to communicate with our fel impoverished human beings makes us discrete from other living beings. The chapter has made it very gain that speaking is non conversation. Conversation is a collaborative effort by both the let outer and the listener. Our success much depends on how well we fire interact with heap around us. It much depends upon understanding true factors called social dynamics in conversation. In the essay Wo custody Talk Too Much Janet Holmes makes it very clear that it is a wrong notion to think that women talk much(prenominal) than men. She says it is an surmisal based on stereotypes.On the other hand, she says that it is men who talk to a greater extent. in that respect is no proof to say that men are biologically programmed to talk more than women. It is just the social conditions that promoted the wrong notion that boys are more active than girls and they talk more. She says it is entirely disagreeable. I find quite evoke to know that it is bo ys who interact more in the class rooms than the girls. Then, the motive claims, how it toilette be say that women talk more than men In the second essay of the chapter, Tony Kornheiser makes a distinction in the communication air of women and that of men.He incurs that women are very particular about everything and they have more to say than men have. He makes a point construction that women do not think life is as simple as men believe it to be. A conversation that turns into a lecture is definitely bore as Deborah Tannen points out in the essay Ill Explain It to You. The more or less frustrating experience for anyone is when a conversation turns into a lecture. I expression it is not only boring to women alone also equally dull to men. There has been much literature on gender biased actors line and there is a gradual change in the use of vocabulary to sound neutral.Ronald Macaulay also agrees with Janet Holmes and says that many another(prenominal) of the notions ar e myth and they have no effectuality scientifically speaking. It is rather social conditioning that has played a key role in imparting opinions that have no basis. Clive Thompsons essay on how computer software can identify accurately whether the writer is a man or woman is quite interesting, His questions the many of the commonly held ideas about the differences between the dickens sexes. (407 words) Chapter6 Media Speak. What we know about the origination is from media only. Our perception of the institution is influenced by the media which presents it.The billions of dollars spent on TV ads distinctly indicate the power that the media enjoys. Undoubtedly, the advertisements that rise on television and wordpapers and magazines have fantastic influence on us. Within a span of a degree Celsius there is a great change in the media. Now the world is increasingly dependent on oral media where as it was mostly scripted word in the beginning of the last century. With the aim of reaching more number of audiences, the note of run-in apply in TV news and supplys has become very low. Neil Postman and Steve Powers, right point out that the dependance on the image has made a great shift in news making.The highly quality visuals have replaced good wording with low level popular linguistic process. They moot that it is not just quarrel however also our views and opinions about the world are getting corrupted. The general saying is a picture is worth a gibibyte words exclusively in the present days when news is re-created or re-presented, it is equally true to say that one word is worth a thousand pictures. There is little doubt that the lyric used by the media is aimed at creating sensations to attract more audience. Then, I do believe that it is not only what surpassed i. e. news.The article All the World in Pictures is very interesting and idea provoking. It has clearly explained how the language is used in mass media. It is aptly said that Ad vertising is the driving force of consumer economy. The world is filled with advertisements. wherever there are mass, there are advertisements. They appeal to all our helplessness creating a world of fancy with eternal youth, power, enriched beauty, immediate happiness, and fulfillment of our home(a) needs. I feel the use of language in creating such turned on(p) appeals is quite amazing. Advertising plays much on the psychology of hoi polloi.A teeny fifteen second ad can effectively tempt the people appealing to their emotions by making fantastic appeals and promises. The article With these Words, I can Sell You Anything is very enlightening. It has made it clear how they twist the language to target their message effectively. It is a finely engineered language that creates strong images on the minds of audience. I have found it very exciting to know the how the advertisers play on the people with their language. (419 words) Chapter7 Censorship and Free Speech Freedom of d ialect is profound to American democracy.It enables every American to freely express his ideas, opinions and beliefs. Any limits to the liberty of wrangle are seen as a threat to the rights of Americans. It is interesting to tear down that the raillery lays emphasis on the equality in enjoying ones rights. No man or woman has the right to hurt the feelings or sentiments of others. It is by respecting others rights that we can enjoy our rights well. The censorship is against the rights given in the constitution. However, it is require in well-nigh areas. The censorship and intensitys, biased language and dislike speech and certain limits on campus speech have lead to interesting debate.The send-off amendment has not only given the right to express ideas freely but it also has given the right to know others ideas. The censorship on books has been a much debated issue with different opinions. It is beyond my understanding why some books are banned totally and some are censore d. When a book raises questions that lead to controversy and debate, it will help people to know what merely the truth is. Banning is not the solution for it. The controversy over enkindle Potter books, which have attracted millions of children all over the world, seems pointless.Censorship on books is touch-and-go as it blocks all new creative and original ideas. Censorship on biased language and hate speech is quite useful as it raises many questions in the practical use of language. It is very difficult and closely impossible to classify what makes a hate speech and biased language. I feel it is highly impossible to make a law in the absence of any valid principles regarding what comes under biased language and hate speech. Sometimes, the words may be good but the tone in which they are delivered could be full of hatred.Censorship on free speech on the campus has some good in it, as it reduces misunderstanding among the students who come different parts of the world. The camp us is a place where tolerance is mostly needed. The rules prohibiting certain speech acts is good for the minority students. But it does not guarantee that no racist speech is ever heard on the campuses. (378 words) Chapter -8 The slope run-in Debate The debate whether side should be made official language of the US or not, is very interesting bringing out valid arguments on both the sides.The United States, the nation of immigrants, respects cultural differences of people coming from different countries. Respecting other languages, the US has not declared English as the official language. I find it very great quality of the American people for their respect other cultures. It shows their multi cultural tolerance and discipline unity. The unity of American people has come more from their like mindedness in political and social values and self respect than from having one language. The discussion on what is meter English has made it clear how different forces subject field on la nguage.Robert MacNeil has explored well what makes American English and what exactly it is. The argument for Standard English has its own merits with clear focus on clarity in thinking and what we are saying. It argues for care and caution in the use of language as it is central for identifying an individual. If a person neglects his language and uses it causally, it will not help him or her in the long run. As the author has right put it casualization everything in culture has led to casual attitude to language use as well. The growing informality of language is one of the study concerns of linguists.The scholars and grammarians who prescribe rules on how language should be used are rightly called Prescriptivists. Especially, John Simon, who is called the Prince of Prescriptivists, holds the view that the present day language is poor, unhealthy and hopeless. He represents those who argue for perfect use of language as it helps you to communicate clearly what you are. It is with the use of language only that a person can show his distinction. If the distinction is lost, he or she will be among many who can not say clearly what they mean.It becomes a serious challenge. I feel there should be certain principles which can not be sacrificed in the use of language. The Descriptivists, on the other hand, just describe how the language is used by people. They do not dictate any rules regarding how English should be used. They are permissive and tolerate the new expressions and the informality in expressions. They argue that a language is called a living language only when it is verbalise. When it is spoken it is natural to have changes in the language as no two people can pronounce the alike word in the corresponding way.They are free to allow new words into English as change the law of life and of language. It shows tolerance towards people who speak the same language with some regional differences. There are many examples when the language of the Black people is accepted by the grammarians and included in the dictionaries. It helps the language to grow and reflect the present day culture. The fears about what will happen to American English seem justified, but nobody can give way the changes that take place in society. I feel the changes in English are an indication of changes in society, and language is just reflecting the same. (534 words)