English Language A-level AQA Theorists
exam 2024
*Aitchison* - *Damp Spoon Syndrome* - Language changes because people are
lazy like leaving a damp spoon in the sugar bowl which is in bad taste. Supposing
one language is inferior to another.
*Crumbling castle view* - Language is a beautiful castle that must be preserved.
However, Language has never been a pinnacle and a rigid system is not always
better than a changing one.
*Infectious disease* - Bad/poor language is caught like a disease from those
around us and we should fight it, but people pick up language changes because
they want to, perhaps in order to fit in with certain social groups.
*Cameron* - *Language and Gender*
Gender is not a reason for miscommunication, there are many other factors.
Verbal Hygiene - differences between genders are a myth, instead they are fuelled
by our expectations and acceptance of gender-based speech styles (adherence
called "verbal hygiene")
*Coates* - *Language and Gender*
Girls and boys tend to belong to same-sex groups where they will sit apart from
one another and generally avoid confrontation and when it is required it is often
antagonistic. It has been observed that the peer group of a child is directly
influential upon their social linguistic development, and gender is the main
,English Language A-level AQA Theorists
exam 2024
principle with girls being encouraged to be typical 'girls' and boys being
encouraged to be typical 'boys'. Acknowledges the tendency of girls to stick to
playing in smaller groups, their relationship is based predominantly on talk
whereas boys will adhere to play in larger, hierarchical groups which are based on
joint activity, for example sport, where there is often an undisputed 'boss'.
*Trudgill* - *Language and Gender*
1. Women tend to over-report, and men under-report.
2. Lower status = more non-Standard English linguistic variables.
3. Standard variants used in formal settings, non-standard used in informal
settings.
4. Women are more likely to use standard variants than men.
5. Standard English and Received Pronunciation are the most prestigious forms of
English.
Found that men were less likely than women to use the prestige pronunciation of
certain speech sounds. In aiming for higher prestige the women tended towards
hypercorrectness. The men would often use a low prestige pronunciation -
seeking covert prestige to "tough" or "down to earth".
*Tannen* - *Language and Gender*
, English Language A-level AQA Theorists
exam 2024
Men and women have different 'cultures', they have their own rules, shared
meanings and ways of doing things and therefore once they come together, there
are misunderstandings
*Spender* - *Language and Gender*
In it she examines numerous areas of sexism as it appears in nature and in the use
of the English language, with particular focus on the way men and women talk
and listen differently in couples and in mixed or single sex groups; how men have
historically constructed the language; how the word man is used to refer to both
men and the species; how God is always seen as male; and how intercourse is
described as 'penetrative' sex when penetration is something that only the man
does.
*Fishman* - *Language and Gender*
Conducted an experiment listening to fifty-two hours conversations between
American couples. Listened to recordings and concentrated on two characteristics
common in women's dialect, including tag questions for example "you know?"
Begins by examining the use of tag questions being asked and states that women
frequently use tag questions 'isn't it?' or 'couldn't we?' following a thought or
suggestion. Questions are an effective method of maintaining conversations with
males. Argues that women use questions to gain conversational power. She claims
that questioning is required for females when speaking with males.
exam 2024
*Aitchison* - *Damp Spoon Syndrome* - Language changes because people are
lazy like leaving a damp spoon in the sugar bowl which is in bad taste. Supposing
one language is inferior to another.
*Crumbling castle view* - Language is a beautiful castle that must be preserved.
However, Language has never been a pinnacle and a rigid system is not always
better than a changing one.
*Infectious disease* - Bad/poor language is caught like a disease from those
around us and we should fight it, but people pick up language changes because
they want to, perhaps in order to fit in with certain social groups.
*Cameron* - *Language and Gender*
Gender is not a reason for miscommunication, there are many other factors.
Verbal Hygiene - differences between genders are a myth, instead they are fuelled
by our expectations and acceptance of gender-based speech styles (adherence
called "verbal hygiene")
*Coates* - *Language and Gender*
Girls and boys tend to belong to same-sex groups where they will sit apart from
one another and generally avoid confrontation and when it is required it is often
antagonistic. It has been observed that the peer group of a child is directly
influential upon their social linguistic development, and gender is the main
,English Language A-level AQA Theorists
exam 2024
principle with girls being encouraged to be typical 'girls' and boys being
encouraged to be typical 'boys'. Acknowledges the tendency of girls to stick to
playing in smaller groups, their relationship is based predominantly on talk
whereas boys will adhere to play in larger, hierarchical groups which are based on
joint activity, for example sport, where there is often an undisputed 'boss'.
*Trudgill* - *Language and Gender*
1. Women tend to over-report, and men under-report.
2. Lower status = more non-Standard English linguistic variables.
3. Standard variants used in formal settings, non-standard used in informal
settings.
4. Women are more likely to use standard variants than men.
5. Standard English and Received Pronunciation are the most prestigious forms of
English.
Found that men were less likely than women to use the prestige pronunciation of
certain speech sounds. In aiming for higher prestige the women tended towards
hypercorrectness. The men would often use a low prestige pronunciation -
seeking covert prestige to "tough" or "down to earth".
*Tannen* - *Language and Gender*
, English Language A-level AQA Theorists
exam 2024
Men and women have different 'cultures', they have their own rules, shared
meanings and ways of doing things and therefore once they come together, there
are misunderstandings
*Spender* - *Language and Gender*
In it she examines numerous areas of sexism as it appears in nature and in the use
of the English language, with particular focus on the way men and women talk
and listen differently in couples and in mixed or single sex groups; how men have
historically constructed the language; how the word man is used to refer to both
men and the species; how God is always seen as male; and how intercourse is
described as 'penetrative' sex when penetration is something that only the man
does.
*Fishman* - *Language and Gender*
Conducted an experiment listening to fifty-two hours conversations between
American couples. Listened to recordings and concentrated on two characteristics
common in women's dialect, including tag questions for example "you know?"
Begins by examining the use of tag questions being asked and states that women
frequently use tag questions 'isn't it?' or 'couldn't we?' following a thought or
suggestion. Questions are an effective method of maintaining conversations with
males. Argues that women use questions to gain conversational power. She claims
that questioning is required for females when speaking with males.
