Gender Differences in the Use of Linguistic Forms in the Speech of Men and Women in the Malaysian Context

Abstract

Past researchers claimed that women and men are different in their speech from one another.The aim of this case study is to uncover the differences in linguistic features in the speech of men and women.The differences in the speech used by men and women are mainly marked by their choice in language forms, topics of conversation, etc.Some of the distinct features in the speech of men are they talk more than women, ask less questions and converse mainly on competitive matters, teasing, sports, aggression and doing things.Women focus on family, home, self, feelings and affiliation with others.However, findings by past researchers about which gender is more polite are rather contradicting.The present study replicates some of the major findings by yesteryear researchers.It is found that women use more polite forms of address than men, ask more questions and use more humours than men.Notably, men used slightly more of fillers, hedges and affirmatives than women.However, both genders are direct in their speech.It is also found that men's conversations focus on the topic of doing things i.e. works of entrepreneurs whereas women centre on the topics of home, self, feelings and affiliation with others.Analyzing the linguistic forms used, women appear more polite than men as they prefer using their ethnic group terms of address when addressing and referring to one another.Indeed, this study provides some insight and understanding about the differences in men and women's linguistics features in the Malaysian context which is made up of multi-racial society and rich in its varied cultures, customs, traditions, beliefs and religions.

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