ABSTRACT
Gender and language differences are integral field of study in sociolinguistics that accounts for the way language is used in the society and the choices people make when speaking. This is usually complemented by pragmatics. A number of studies have been done on gender and language differences, however, there appears to be inadequate research on the socio-pragmatic investigation of gender and language differences in these African literary texts; Ama Atta Aidoo’s Change and Chimamanda N. Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun and applying Speech Acts and Mood system as analytical tool of study. Therefore, the study investigated the language differences of both genders and how they relate to context in the selected texts.
The study employed both the qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis to foreground the differences in the language choices of both. Using the purposive random sampling technique, a total of twenty inter-gender dialogues were selected from Ama Atta Aidoo’s Changes andChimamanda N. Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun. For data analysis, the research employed Speech Acts by J. L. Austin and J. Searle and Mood Systems tool as propounded by M.A.K Halliday.
Findings showed diverse language features in utterances made by male and female interlocutors in the selected African texts. It was discovered that within the socio-cultural context of love, marriage and family events, men and women language differed. In Changes, male interlocutors used more indicative interrogatives, directives, tag questions and minimal responses while female interlocutors used more indicative declaratives, imperatives, assertives and expressives hedges, polite expressions and intensifiers. In Half of a Yellow Sun, male interlocutors used more indicative declaratives, commissives, expressives, intensifiers, vernacular, polite expressions and hedges while female interlocutors used more indicative interrogatives, assertives, directives, tag questions and minimal responses. Within physical, socio-cultural and psychological contexts as identified in the texts, it was discovered that socio-cultural context dominates the texts in form of marriage and family events.
The study concluded that males interrogate more while females expressed more of simple, polite but emphatic sentences. However, the study discovered that context is the ultimate determinant of human language choices.
Keywords: Gender, Speech Acts, Mood System, Inferior Language and Superior Language
Word Count: 475
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Content Page
Title page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgements iv
Abstract v
Table of Contents vi
List of Tables vii
List of Figures viii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 2
1.3 Objective of the Study 3
1.4 Research Questions 3
1.5 Scope of the Study 4
1.6 Significance of the Study 4
1.7 Justification for the Study 5
1.8 Theoretical Framework 5
1.9 Synopsis of the Selected Texts 6
Content Page
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.0 Introduction 8
2.1 Language and Gender 8
2.2 Language and Culture 9
2.3 Social Root of Gender Language Differences 10
2.4 Gender and Language Differences 11
2.5 Sociolinguistics 13
2.6 Sociolinguistics and Gender Language Differences 15
2.7 Sexist Language and Linguistic Discrimination 20
2.8 Studies on Language and Gender 23
2.9 Women and Men Language Differences 25
2.10 Relationship between Sociolinguistics and Pragmatics 28
2.11 The Concept of Pragmatics 29
2.12 Speech Acts Theory 30
2.12.1 J.L. Austin’s Contribution 30
2.12.2 Searle’s Contribution 32
2.13 The Notion of Context 33
2.14 Systemic Functional Grammar 36
2.14.1 The English Mood System 36
2.15 Relationships between Speech Acts and Mood Structure 39
Content Page
2.16 Conclusion 41
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction 42
3.1 Method of Data Collection 42
3.2 Data Presentation 43
3.3 Tools of Analysis 43
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS, RESULTS
AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
4.0 Introduction 44
4.1 Socio-Pragmatic Features in Changes and Half of a Yellow Sun 44
4.1.1 Mood System – Interrogatives, Declaratives and Imperative 44
4.1.2 Speech Acts – Assertives, Directives, Commissives, Expressive and Declarations 52
4.1.3 Gender Language Features – Hedges, Intensifiers, Tag questions, Vernacular etc. 61
4.2 Contexts in Changes and Half of a Yellow Sun 67
4.3 Summary Analysis of Changes 70
4.4 Summary Analysis of Half of a Yellow Sun 72
4.5 Summary Analysis of Changes and Half of a Yellow Sun 74
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.0 Introduction 81
5.1 Summary 81
5.2 Conclusion 83
Content Page
5.3 Recommendation 84
5.4 Contribution to Knowledge 84
5.5 Suggestion for Further Studies 85
REFERENCES 86
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
1 Summary Analysis of Changes by Ama Atta Adioo 70
1.1 Mood Summary 70
1.2 Speech Acts Summary 71
1.3 Gender Language Summary 72
2 Summary Analysis of Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Adichie 72
2.1 Mood Summary 72
2.2 Speech Acts Summary 73
2.3 Gender Language Summary 74
3 Summary of Ama Atta Adioo’s Changes and Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun 74
3.1 Mood Summary 74
3.2 Speech Acts Summary 75
3.3 Gender Language Summary 75
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
1 Mood System Chart 39
2 Summary Analysis of Changes by Ama Atta Adioo 76
2.1 Mood System 76
2.2 Speech Acts 77
2.3 Gender Language Features 77
3 Summary Analysis of Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun 78
3.1 Mood System 78
3.2 Speech Acts 78
3.3 Gender Language Features 79
4 Summary Analysis of Ama Atta Adioo’s Changes and Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun 79
4.1 Mood System 79
4.2 Speech Acts 80
4.3 Gender Language Features 80
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
A crucial distinction between human beings and animals is to a large extent the way we communicate with one another. Human beings use words to express emotions, thoughts and information of any kind. In each language use, words are constructed in a particular way and it is inspiring to know that when studying written or verbal words, it is quite possible to ascertain whether a word belongs to one gender or another even when the person has no clue about the gender of the one communicating.
Language, according to Osisanwo (2008:1), is human vocal noise or the arbitrary graphic representation of this noise, used systematically and conventionally by members of a speech community for purposes of communication. It is important to know that language is a human attribute. It has a graphic representation which is in form of text, used in different ways by members of a society to communicate their feelings, intentions, fears, anger and roles.
Language is a means of communication used by people of the same sex or opposite sex to accomplish such functions as ordering, promising, arguing, and so on. In essence, any communicative function needs to be carried out within a context, which may either be situational, interpersonal or social and cultural. In the process of communication, language users are expected to be in possession of two sets of capabilities: They should have knowledge of the forms of language they use and must know how to use this knowledge in negotiating meaning. In order to clarify meaning, the speakers and hearers or writers and readers should be able to interact meaningfully as context influences meaning.
Gender and language have become an interesting topic which linguists have investigated over time. Early studies in linguistic anthropology see Lakoff (1973, 1975) J. Coates (1988), Fishman (1980), Zimmerman (1975) and many others looked at the differences between women’s and men’s speeches across languages to identify distinct female and male language features. Focusing on the findings by Lakoff (1975), among speakers from similar social class, women tend to use more standard and formal language forms which are characterized by, intensifiers, hedges, tag question sentences, minimal responses, exclamation remarks, polite expressions and indirect expressions. While men use more of vernacular, taboo words, proverbs, command expressions, interruptions, strategic language in order to control conversations and less minimal responses to mention but a few. Lakoff in his book Language and women’s place concludes that women’s language is inferior while men’s language is superior. According to the findings, the difference in men and women’s language features reflects a power imbalance between the sexes
However, according to Lakoff (1975), there are different views why men and women possess different language features. To him, women belong to the minority group which is oppressed and marginalized and women belong to different subcultures, and their differing conversational styles reflect these subcultures. Also is the view that women’s language is weak, hesitance and lack confidence. As a result, women’s language features present women as powerless, incapable of holding power and of presenting their point of view forcefully.
Holmes (1992:16) posits that “the aim of sociolinguistics is to move towards a theory which provides a motivated account of the way language is used in a community, and of the choices people make when they use language”. Dong Jinyu (2014) states that the main content of sociolinguistics is the study of the relationships between language and society that is; it majors on the study of language structure and social context.
Bucholtz (1999) in his own view emphasizes that what is needed in the study of the differences in gender language is a form of analysis which is less focused on the individual woman or man and trends of speech in the society as a whole, but more focused on the way context and individual mutually shape the manner in which the interaction takes place. This study therefore, investigated the differences in gender language use of interlocutors as it relates to context in the selected text – Ama Atta Adio’s Changes and Adichies’ Half of a Yellow Sun.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Different scholars have recognized and taken interest in the language use and creative prowess of Ama Atta Aidoo’s Changes and Chimamanda’s Half of a Yellow Sun. However, most of the studies available on these literary texts are mostly on theme, creative processes and aesthetics; little attention is given to linguistic studies like socio-pragmatic investigation of the language difference of genders and how it relates to context. This study investigated the different language features of the interlocutors, contexts, speech acts and mood types of male and female characters in the selected texts, hence the question, do women in all contexts truly reflect powerless language as opposed to their male counterparts? The study adopted insights from Wardhaughs’ theory of “difference” in the language differences of genders.
