Ch 7. Gender and Age

What is the main difference between men and women in their linguistic features?

• pronunciation and word-shape

• grammar and sentence structure

• meaning and use

• participants of communication

In modern standard Japanese, what does the distinctions of language forms between men and women mainly represent?

• age

• gender

• politeness

• social status

In the West, what is the main difference between male and female language use?

• different pronunciations for the same word.

• different word shapes for the same meaning.

• different words to refer to the same people or stuff.

• different quantities or frequencies of the same forms.

Which linguistic features do women prefer in their speech in the modern west society?

• use [iŋ] pronunciations for Ving forms

• use [f] as the initial sound in thing or thank

• drop more [h] in the initial position in house or home

• use consonant cluster simplifications, such as las’ [las] and tol’ [toul]

Which is true about the influence of social class and gender on language use by men and women?

• In the lowest social groups, men prefer to take the same language forms as women do.

• In the overall social groups, social class and gender both play roles in language choices.

• In the middle social groups, class membership seems to be more important than gender identity.

• In the highest social groups, women identify strongly with their own gender than with class membership.

According to the social status explanation, which group of women are most likely to regard languages as a resource?

• women who work at home

• white collar professional women

• female students studying in high school

• those who work in service occupations

Why do men prefer vernacular forms?

• They are used to protect men’s ‘face’.

• They are serving as models for children’s speech.

• They are generally associated with high social status.

• They carry macho connotations of masculinity and toughness.

Which factor CANNOT be used to differentiate age groups?

• pitch

• meaning

• grammar

• vocabulary

Which age groups may most frequently use standard language forms?

• under 18 years old

• 20 to 30 years old

• 30 to 55 years old

• above 55 years old

Which is NOT a factor for that vernacular usage gradually increases in old age?

• Social pressure reduces.

• People move out of their workforce.

• Decline of people's brain functions.

• People get into a more relaxed phase of their lives.