SEXISM

Task 1
Point of
comparison
Voice pitch
Vocabulary
Range of
conversational
topics
Politeness
Amount of talk
Frequency of
interruptions

Males

Females

More
Less polite
More

Less
Politer
Less

Less
More
More

More
Less
Less

Task 2
The writer position is
A. That research into male/female language differences supports our
preconceptions about the differences - 1. Because we think
that language also should be divided into masculine and
feminine we have become very skilled at ignoring anything
that will not fit our preconceptions.
B. That there are no real male/female language differences 2. Of
the many investigators who set out to find the stereotyped
sex differences in language, few have had any positive
results.
C. That male/female language differences are far greater than we
might expect 3. Research into sex differences and
language may not be telling us much about language, but
it is telling us a great deal about gender, and the way
human beings strive to meet the expectations of the
stereotype.
D. That the most important male/female language differences relate
to the question of social control 4. Although as a general rule
many of the believed sex differences in language have not
been found there is one area where this is an exception.
It is the area of language and power.
Extensive reading
Task 1

The passage can be divided into three main sections, each

dealing with a separate issue. Skim through the passage and
write the line numbers where each section begins and ends.
These are:
1. Myths about sex differences in language
Line 36 93
2. Sex differences in language and power
Line 94 206
3. Sex differences in language and learning
Line 276 400
Task 2
1. Which of the following would make the best tittle for the
passage?
c. Recent research into sex differences in language.
2.

What is the writers main purpose?

b. To persuade
Intensive reading
Task 1
1. A. Find the places in the first section of the passage where
the following words are used:
Preconceptions
Line 15-16,
Myths
Line 36
Stereotypes
Line 23
B. These words all refer to the same idea. What is it?
Yes, all these words are referring to the gender division idea we
have.
C. These words have been chosen to suggest the writers
viewpoint. What is her viewpoint?
Maybe, these are words that helps to the writer to express her
viewpoint but these words can be used in another context too. I
think writer have use these words to give a high level to her voice
instead she is not in front of us as a person. Like an exclamation to
persuade us about what is she telling or key words.
And her viewpoint is how the social classifications can affect us
even in use of language.
D. Why can these be considered key words in the text?

Because these are words that have a special meaning and these
could be replaced by other ones but, they would have not the
same effect on the reader.
E. Make a list of the myths associated with masculine and
feminine language which the writer mentions in the
text.
Use of trivial words
Stop talking in mid-sentence
Talk about the same things over and over again
Pitch voice
2. The diagram below represents the traditional approach to
male/female
language
differences
which
Spender
describes.
a. Use the information in the diagram to summarize what
this traditional approach consist of.
The diagram is describing the way in which human beings have
made some conceptions about language and later they have
hold it as believes that could not be changed making a division
between males and females and although, they try to change
this kind of stereotypes they come back to use them ignoring
the real causes.
b. What is Spenders opinion about this traditional
approach?
Spender argue that traditional approach is wrong because right
now females are being segregated instead, males and females
have the same rights and conditions to express their opinion
society is not given the same chance for both.
3. The third and fourth paragraphs describe what has led to
the preconceptions being challenged.
a. State what this is.
Is believed for human beings that changing preconception they
have they could be affected in a bad way because, people
around them could assert them as a person of the opposite
gender.
b. Explain why the preconceptions have had to be
discarded.
Because these are just myths, and in some way people know
that so they avoid the fact to be recognized as an opposite
gender person only for express their opinion in front males or

females even being females and having these preconceptions

and stereotypes.
4. Pitch provides one example.
a. What does pitch provide an example of?
We believe that males were meant to talk in low pitched voices
and females in high pitched voices. We also believe that low
pitch is more desirable. Well, it has been found that males tend
to have lower pitched voices than females. But it has also been
found that this difference cannot be explained by anatomy.
Spenders
b. What is the preconception about pitch which Spender
challenges?
That pitch can vary depending on country to country so, to be
object of ridicule could be extreme and unfair. In that way to
classify pitch as a sex difference even knowing that range is
different for males would had to be discarded.
c. What is the true explanation for male/female pitch
differences?
Because of the penalties that exists for males.
d. What evidence does Spender give for this explanation?
The difference between American, Britain and Australian males
pitch voice.
5. Paragraph ten has two main discourse functions. One is to
summarize the writers argument up to this point. Can you
say what the other function is?
To give to the reader something to consider about pitch and
preconceptions we have.
6. Read through the first section again, concentrating on how
the topic is developed. Write down the line numbers where
the different sub-topics shown in the diagram begin and
end.
Traditional approach to male/female language differences
Lines 1- 10
Challenging the preconceptions
Lines
16-24
An example (Pitch)
Lines
52-62
Summarizing and preparing for the next section
Lines 90-94

Task 2
1. Which of these statements best describes the relationship
between the topic of section one and that of section two in
the passage?
d.
In section one writers general position regarding sex
differences in language is outlined; in section two this position is
illustrated.
2. Which of the following statements are true and which are
false? Rewrite the false
ones to make them an
accurate record of what the writer says.
True/Fa
lse
False
True
False
True
True
True

a. Women are more polite than men simply because they

are women.
b. The common belief than women talk more than men has
been found to be incorrect.
c. Women find it easier to talk when men are present if the
men are their husbands.
d. Women do not interrupt as much as men in mixed-sex
talk.
e. We perceive men as dominating talk because they talk
more than women.
f. Men are responsible for keeping women in their place by
the way they dominate talk.

a. Females are required to be polite, and this puts the onus on them to
accommodate men talk.
c. When it comes to husbands and wives, males not only use longer
sentences, they use more of them. Is difficult for women to talk when
men are present - particularly if the men are their husbands.

3.
Spender points out three ways in which womens
politeness affects their language in mixed sex talk. Complete
this.
The need to be polite which women feel is reflected in
a. women must talk to each other, for they have little
opportunities to talk in the presence of men. To be the center of
conversation.
b. women are supportive and encouraging listeners. Is not polite
to interrupt.
4. Spender refers to two small pieces of research which she
conducted to investigate male/female talk. Write note
summaries of each in the table below.

Stud
y
1
2

Subjects

Results

Conclusions