A Comparative Study of Male and Female Students in Fine Arts Institutes of Wassit Governorate

Abstract

Males and females differences in language use are a subject which should be given more attention. Hence the present research highlights the gendered differences in language use in academic settings. Consequently, this study attempts to investigate the differences in language use between males and females students in Fine Arts Institutes of Wassit Governorate. It attempts to achieve the following aims: 1) finding out the differences in language use between males and females students in terms of formal and informal language, nonverbal cues and interruption; 2) pinpointing the differences in language use between males and females students in terms of politeness and the topic of discussion. To achieve the aims of this research and test the validity of its hypotheses, certain procedures have been followed: 1. selecting a sample of males and female students from Fine Arts Institutes in Wassit governorate. 2. Designing questionnaire that includes questions related to the use of polite language in communication, particularly when discussing personal relationships or sensitive topics. The results of this research have revealed that there are some differences in the language use of males and females students. More precisely, females tend to use politeness, formal language and nonverbal cues in conversations more than males. They have also revealed that males tend to use interruptions and topics of conversations which related to males issues whereas females use less interruptions in conversations and choose topics which related to females issues.

Keywords

• nonverbal cues
• politeness
• interruption in conversations
• topic of conversation