Supplements On The Basis Of The Flaws Of Gender Language Studies

Gender differences have been widely studied in various fields. Anthropologists, sociologists, psychologists, and linguists all pay high attention to this topic. In the1960s, sociolinguistics, as an interdisciplinary subject between linguistics and sociology, came into existence in the United States, and gender differences have hence been a hot topic in linguistics. Scholars started to discuss the characteristics of female language using opinions and theories in sociolinguistics. Among studies concerning language and genders in the West from mid-1980s to early1990s, a ruling majority located its focus on the differences between male and female languages. In China," studies on gender language "are mostly introductions to western theories and discoveries on the topic.This paper firstly goes through the history of studies on gender language in the West and analyzes the manifestations of gender differences in language use practice as well as their causes, on which various schools and scholars have generated various theories such as deficiency, politeness, and constructivism. The emergences of these theories give hints for further studies, enrich the content of sociolinguistic researches, and provide materials for relevant scientific inquiries. In recent years, studies on language and gender keep extending their content of research and analysis along with breakthroughs and refinements in research methods and theories. This has not only contributed to the conduct of further and deeper researches, but also gradually made visible some limitations of current methods and theories, such as the single research object, the exaggerated female theories, the overemphasized dual opposition, and the misusing of one perspective to analyze gender differences in various cultural backgrounds. Only with full understanding of such limitations can we better avoid them in this study and better employ the theories and methods to guide and assist the actual language practice and the construction of positive social relations. Views on gender languages, constructivism, and scientific research methodology have provided us with objective research base. Studies on language and gender are marching from static to dynamic, from macroscopic to microscopic. The relation between language and gender differences need a description and explanation that is comprehensive, scientific, objective, and precise.Gender differences are intimately related to our daily life. Understanding the common and different characters between the male and the female in verbal communication can contribute to the efficiency of communication, pedagogical achievements, and harmony among people, as well as to offering guidance to build up harmonious and appropriate language environment between the two genders, thus to providing academic support for the constructing of the harmonious society.