The Perception of Using Language in Gender Disparity: A Study on Tertiary Level Students

Abstract

The present study aims at exploring the extent of linguistic varieties which are issues of gender disparity in our society. Language is the most advanced form of communication possessed only by human beings. Linguistic elements direct our expressions, feelings and thoughts, and languages even help us transmit knowledge, ideas and beliefs from one generation to another. In fact, language is systematic as it follows rules. However, it is believed that men and women have a strong natural tendency to use different patterns of a language. Relationship between language and gender attracted many researchers’ attention, but some critics of mid-twentieth century considered such studies to be purely feministic. With the passage of time, our social structure met considerable changes which influenced our languages. The objective of this project is to give reasonable answers to the questions regarding the gender based speech differences in today’s world. Survey method was applied in order to maintain high standards of research ethics and maintain the research quality. This study engages 384 respondents; among them 51% were male and 49% were female. According to the survey data, 68% of the participants reported that women always tend to use exaggerated expressions and words that can assist in building rapport. Further, it finds out whether there is any difference between speech patterns of different age groups coming from the same gender. By delving into both historic and contemporary documents, this experiment will lead us to widen the scope of research on various ways of communication.