Pragmatic Analysis Of Gender Differences In Language Use

The research concerning gender difference in language use has been a heatedissue for a long period, which has aroused many scholars’ interests both abroad andat home. There have already been many research achievements in the field ofsociolinguistics. Meanwhile, many scholars are attempting to study this phenomenonfrom different perspectives by employing many methods involving various theories inother disciplines. However, the application of pragmatic theories to study genderdifferences in language use in conversations of TV serials is a new vision and anefficient way as well. Studying gender difference is of great significance for guidingpeople’s communicating in daily life. This thesis will have a study on this topic frompragmatic perspective and take the actual conversations excerpted from Gossip Girlas research objects.The current thesis employs the qualitative method to analyze males’ andfemales’ differences in cross-gender conversations in Gossip Girl, which aims to showhow males and females differ in observing and violating Grice’s Cooperative Principle,Leech’s Politeness Principle and Brown and Levinson’s Face Theory and offer people abetter understanding about gender differences in language use. Through analyzingmany conversational fragments, it is clear that males are competition-oriented andless cooperative, whereas females are cooperation-oriented and polite and caremore about the ongoing of the conversation. Males frequently violate the CP and PPby giving irrelevant or false information or speaking too long or too little, whilefemales’ occasional violation of CP is out of politeness needs and solidarity concerns.Meanwhile, males often use imperatives, directiveness, interruptions and swears ortaboos in conversations while females are more likely to employ questions, requestsand indirect expressions. Besides, males and females show their differences in theiradoption of face-saving strategies. Females pay more attention to the face wants ofhearers and tend to take positive and negative strategies to avoid or minimize face threat towards others. However, males often do more FTAs than women and are lesslikely to use politeness strategies to redress the face wants of the hearers.Referring to the reasons, all the biological, historical, social, cultural, andpsychological elements are combined to cause the emergency of gender differences.This thesis explores the reasons that cause the gender differences in language usefrom these three aspects: different social status and roles, different subcultures anddifferent psychological features. The discussion of the three aspects is progressing bydegree. What’s more, the particular reasons that may lead to the gender differencesin the conversations in Gossip Girl are also discussed according to the specific plotbackground. Last of all some tips are listed in this thesis for better communicationbetween males and females. No matter which society people are in, they shoulddevelop and strengthen the awareness of gender differences in language use, trytheir best to understand the two genders’ features in language use as much aspossible, and promote the harmony of daily communication.