Language and Gender: Communication in the Professional Setting

Abstract

Differences in the linguistic styles of male and female doctors engaged in
professional interaction as a form of public communication were examined in the work setting. Linguistic and non-linguistic styles of subjects were observed through overt video recording in their roles as participants, both as leaders and as members of the audience, in seminar and lecture settings. It was found that female doctors tended to be more detailed, elaborate and conversational in their presentations than males, who focused more on the cogency of the facts they were presenting; question consistently ranked highest among the linguistic features employed both by male and by female doctors; only female doctors engaged in collaborative efforts to build another female speakers presentation, and adopted a conversational tone as a part of their rhetorical style. Although these gender-linked patterns emerged, professionalism appeared to be a more influential factor in
determining the linguistic choices of the group of professionals studied.

LWATI: A Journal of Contemporary Research Vol. 5 2008: pp. 165-180