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.