Language: Gender Differences In Language

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Introduction

Gender differences in relation to language use have been an important area of study in sociolinguistics, discourse analysis and related areas during the last thirty years. This interest stems principally from the seminal article ?Language and woman?s place? (1975) written by Robin Lakoff. This article, based on a critical discourse analysis perspective, proposes that language has an imperative role in the (re)enacting of gender roles and behaviours in the socio-cultural sphere. As the author states: ?Woman's language has as foundation the attitude that women are marginal to the serious concerns of life, which are pre-empted by men. The marginality and powerlessness of women is reflected in both the ways women are expected

Hong (2007), for example, conducted a study on the use of emotion words by Chinese EFL students. The conclusions of this study suggest that significant differences in emotion vocabulary use are present between native speakers and Chinese EFL students. These results seem to denote socio-cultural differences in the display of emotions by EFL students (Hong, 2007) and would also be in agreement with those reached by Ojeda & Catal?n (2010). Comment by Daniel Mu?oz: whenever possible be explicit in wat you mean by use (use of what? Discourse, grammar, pronunciation, vocabluary?

DONE

In the Chilean context, the issue of emotion words and their relation to the gender factor as present in the discourse of EFL students has not yet been addressed. Obtaining evidence of the role of gender in the use of vocabulary would, on the one hand, indicate a relationship between language use and emotion awareness in both genders. On the other hand, the use of emotion vocabulary by Chilean EFL students would show whether L1 interference is present in the discourse of foreign language learners of English. Comment by Daniel Mu?oz: . On the other

DONE Comment by Daniel Mu?oz: Subject of the

These studies focus on issues related to the way power is exerted through language in order to (re)enact social statuses and behaviours in society. However, not many studies have been carried out in the area of gender and the way a foreign language provides students with the tools to describe inner states of being and experiences related to the emotional sphere. This information is of critical importance in identifying sociocultural differences as related not only to language use, but also to the socio-emotional competence of students according to their genders. It is in this context that this study attempts to contribute to this area, focusing on the description of the differences between female and male speakers as well as on the identification of possible areas of language interference as expressed in the use of emotion-related