Verbal Communication Behaviors: How Male and Female University Students Interact in Gendered Talks

Kenneth G Opina

doi:10.11648/j.ijll.20170505.13

Abstract

With the existence of language and gender studies emphasizing the male and female dichotomy in interactional strategies, this study aimed to investigate the verbal communication behaviors of language classroom mixed-gender and same-gender group conversations involving the same interlocutors. The transcribed data obtained from the three fifteen-minute recorded group interactions indicated that questions and expressions of agreement were the typical behaviors employed by the interlocutors. The results showed that aside from the gender of the interlocutor and the gender composition of the group, the nature of talk and the group size influence the use of particular behaviors. The findings have implications on providing a locally-acquired data on classroom peer talks in the field of language and gender.

Highlights

With the existence of language and gender studies emphasizing the male and female dichotomy in interactional strategies, this study aimed to investigate the verbal communication behaviors of language classroom mixed-gender and samegender group conversations involving the same interlocutors
In order to gain better understanding on the intricacies of male and female verbal communication behaviors in mixedgender and same-gender conversations, the present study examined these strategies by having the same interlocutors in different group sessions
The results indicated that gender influences the employment of specific interactional strategies during gendered talk

Summary

Introduction

With the existence of language and gender studies emphasizing the male and female dichotomy in interactional strategies, this study aimed to investigate the verbal communication behaviors of language classroom mixed-gender and samegender group conversations involving the same interlocutors. Sociolinguistic studies have “aimed to quantify the differences in women’s and men’s usage of certain linguistic forms” during conversations [6]. This practice has given several interpretations in understanding gender differences in various talk contexts. Gendered conversational style studies have brought attention to the idea that men and women talk differently and have contended that the interlocutor’s gender dictates the way he/she behaves in an exchange. “classroom talk is an interesting area of study partly because many educationists argue that talk itself is an important vehicle for learning: .... [34]” classroom talk studies often involve the teacher who controls the interaction

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion