Gendered Language Employ in Academic Settings A Sociolinguistic Analysis

Abstract

The paper examines the gendering of language in teacher-student relations in high schools in Baquba using sociolinguistic theory and van Dijk's framework to determine the effect of gender, power, and culture on communication. It is concluded by performing Discourse Completion Tasks with a sample of 50, in which females, according to the cultural expectations of harmony, use collaborative and polite discourse strategies such as hedging, in agreement with those expectations. Males, on the contrary, adhering to the code of masculinity, are more direct and assertive in their language. Such authority is evident in the fact that both sexes are more respectful toward teachers. The narratives of these experiences point out that the gendered communication structure is a cultural phenomenon, and that arguments for an equal approach to linguistic and cultural sensitivity must be encouraged to create a healthy and inclusive classroom environment