Gendered Language

"Women have to appropriate the language of men to get on in the world"

Being female is difficult enough in this world already and now we are being told that we need to change the way we speak to sound more like men, even in 2016. For years we have been mocked and called 'stupid' and 'immature' because of up-talk or conversation fillers 'like'. We use this as a tool, either for a cue or for as an implication. Instead of us being credited for new ways of interacting and communicating we are demeaned for it. But when a man decides to do this it's a complete different story, they are seen as amazing and clever. Maybe men feel so threatened by us actually being able to communicate through means which they cant understand that they decide to criticise us. So why does everyone have something against the way we talk?

 But if we do decide to start appropriating the way men speak won't we just be mocked for that also?

Investigation into Gendered Language

Investigation into gendered language from Sienna_Cumby

In this leaflet instrumental power is conveyed in various ways through images, text and colour. One way it shows power is through the logo. The image is a crown and horses which suggests that it is old and very British. Also, serif fonts have been used, conveying authority.The fact that the logo has been repeated on the leaflet twice also show how important it is.The overall logo suggests it is important and serious, giving it a powerful effect.

In addition to this, a large image of a close up passport has been put onto the front of the leaflet. Having 'PASSPORT' the main focus of the image; this straight away tells the reader what the leaflet is about. 

You should never change your accent

Should we change our accents? Some argue that we should never change our accents as it shows our heritage and where we grew up. Our accent is part of us and some people use it to define themselves, such as the Welsh or Scottish. We should also value the fact that we all have different accents because it makes us diverse. Additionally, when other countries talk about the 'British' accent they are usually talking about standard RP, therefore having different accents should be seen as a positive thing because we are not seen as typical British people but unique individuals. 

There are often debates about the correct and incorrect use of the English language, however there is no such thing as this. This suggests that having a certain accent doesn't mean you are speaking the incorrect English and accents shouldn't define you or assumptions shouldn't be made about you due to your accent. If this was the case, maybe people wouldn't feel the need to change their accent is particular situations.

However, changing your accent can be beneficial; especially when convergence occurs. This is often seen in a job interviews because regional accents can be seen as though you are uneducated whereas if you speak RP it is more likely you will be perceived better. In addition to this people change their accents for certain jobs, for example news reading or working overseas as sometimes regional accents can be difficult to understand. 

My Idiolect

My accent is greatly influenced by where I come from and my family. Due to all my family being from Norfolk it means I also speak with a Norfolk accent as they are my biggest influence. This becomes stronger when I am with certain family members, for example, my Granddad as he has a stronger accent than the rest of my family. My accent tends to change when I am with certain friends from different geographical roots, for example, when I am with my friend from Essex I often adapt an Essex accent on particular words such as 'miwk' instead of 'milk'.

Another influence on my idiolect is my job, where I am often code shifting. This is because when I speak to the customers I have to be polite and tend to speak with a high prestige whereas when I am speaking to my colleagues it is informal. As my colleagues are all older than me I speak to them differently compared to how I would speak to someone of a similar age.

Lexis Mini Investigation

What’s in a name?

Throughout this mini investigation I am going to study the lexis and semantics of perfume names and how they affect the buyer.

The perfume ‘Daisy Dream’ could be taken to mean several things. The literal meaning of daisy is a European flower and the literal meaning of dream is thoughts and images occurring in someone’s mind when asleep, or it could be an aspiration or goal. Both words have positive connotations, for example dream implies fantasy and otherworldly. The word daisy connotes purity as it is often a symbol used alongside Virgin Mary. It also connotes spring; this suggests happiness as it’s typically known as the season in which vegetation starts. When the two words are combined it creates a light and happy atmosphere. Additionally, it is said that a daisy in a dream can represent a beautiful woman; this could be why the company decided to name the perfume this particular name and in this order. Furthermore, ‘daisy dream’ is an alliteration, which makes it more appealing to the customer as it stands out and is more likely to be remembered. Similarly, the perfume ‘diorella’ also has connotations of fantasy and happiness. Dior Perfume Company has swapped Cinderella with their company name; this promotes the company and makes the customer more likely to buy it as a perfume called Cinderella sounds childlike, whereas ‘diorella’ sounds mature. The perfume connotes fairy-tale, idolisation and something magical. The perfume was most probably made for adults to remember their childhood and feel like a princess all over again once they wear the perfume.  The name Ella means beautiful fairy, reinforcing the enchanted and dream-like theme.

Additionally, particular perfumes are named to promote certain things and make the customer feel a particular way. For example, Prada ‘Candy’ connotes children, colours, treats and sugar. The denotation for candy is a confectionery. Viktor & Rolf ‘BonBon’ connotes the same thing as these are a type of sweet. The perfumes could be like a luxury for the customer as sweets tend to be a special treat for children or even adults when they think they have been earned. As well as this, the name could bring back child-hood memories, making the customer want to buy it more.

Other perfume companies like to take different approaches rather than implying happiness and beauty, which is what Dior ‘Hypnotic Poison’ does. The denotation of hypnotic is someone under hypnosis or to do with medical reasons; however, it connotes magic, witches and is mesmerising. The denotation for poison is a substance that can cause death or illness to a living thing. The connotation for this is death, evil and darkness. The words together create a dark and mysterious theme. Both of these are powerful; poison has the power to kill, and being put under hypnosis or taking hypnotic medicine means the mind is being controlled. This could suggest that the person wearing it is powerful, or they wear it to feel powerful.

In contrast to this, ‘Roses de Chloe’ and Vera Wang ‘Lovestruck’ connotes love and passion.  Roses denote a prickly bush that is typically red, white or pink flowers; however the word rose connotes love, beauty, passion and devotion as they are typically given to a partner and are presents on Valentine’s Day (a day promoting love and attraction). Roses are also known for the distinctive and lovely smell.  The name Chloe means 'fresh blooming' which reinforces the flower theme. The fact that ‘de’ is used emphasises the love and passion connotation as this is a French word for from; this has been done through the use of loan words. France is known as a country of love and devotion and the word from suggests generosity. This perfume is almost like a present from ‘Chloe’, making the customer more inclined to buy it as it’s telling them it’s a gift. Additionally, the bottle itself has a bow on it, which could symbolise a present- relating to the words. Likewise, Vera Wang ‘Lovestruck’ connotes similar things. Love denotes a strong feeling of affection towards someone or something, the connotations of this is trust, comfort, unconditional and happiness. Whereas struck denotes a sudden attack. However, when the two words are combined-forming a composite- it denotes intense feelings of romantic love towards someone; this suggests infatuation and adoration.

Diesels ‘Loverdose’ has been produced through the use of composite words. The word ‘lover’ on its own means a sexual or romantic relationship outside a committed relationship. This connotes secrecy, lust and dalliance. The denotation of ‘dose’ means a certain amount of medicine or drugs taken a particular time. Together, the word could mean too much love at once or needing an amount of affection. Similarly, ‘very irresistible’ connotes passion and lust. Irresistible denotes ‘too attractive and tempting to resist’. Having the adverb ‘very’ in front of it emphasises the fact that this person is extremely attractive and hard to withstand. The perfume is supposed to make the customer feel amazing and beautiful; telling them no one can resist them. Likewise, Dior ‘Addict’ also has similar connotations and effects on the customer. The denotations of this are someone who is physically and mentally dependent or enthusiastic about a particular thing. The connotations of addict are drugs, hard to resist and cannot get enough of. Although we usually associate addict with someone who is reliant on a substance (usually drugs or alcohol) it could be interpreted as someone addicted to you, addicted to love and passion, which is more likely in this context as it’s a perfume name. The perfume is probably meant to make the customer feel like people are addicted to them as they are wearing the fragrance.

In perfume names loans are often used; for example, Armani ‘Si’, Valentino ‘Ou Assolute’ and Lancôme ‘La Vie Est Belle’.  This makes it more difficult to understand, therefore giving a mysterious atmosphere about it. As well as this, perfume names which have different languages in often seem more elegant and high-class as we do not know what it means; this could influence the customer to purchase the product.

In conclusion, companies use different lexis to promote their product as it usually encourages the customer to buy it. The names could also be a representation of the scent; for instance, a perfume bottle could be named daisy because the actual perfume smells like daisies. 

Emoji Debate

Do emojis improve or impoverish the English language?

'Emoji doesn't complement language, it limits meaning' 

'Emoticons and symbols aren't ruining language- they're revolutionizing it'

'How Using Emoji Makes Us Less Emotional'

'Emoji is Britain's fastest growing language'