Difference Model

Difference Model - Deborah Tannen

The difference model is concerned with the idea that men and women are simply inherently different. Deborah Tannen first proposed the model, defining six clear continuums of difference between the genders:

Advice vs understanding

Men would rather find a solution than just understand.

Orders vs proposals

Men use more imperatives and women use ameliorated requests (using nicer language like ‘would you take the bins out?’)

Status vs support

Male conversations are characterised by a constant desire to be in control.
Women prefer to be supported.

Information vs feelings

Men tend to give factual information over women giving an emotional overview.

Independence vs intimacy

Men focus more on being independent whereas women prefer the intimacy of a situation.

Conflict vs compromise

Women will often compromise rather than cause a conflict, unlike men.

Difference Model - Deborah Tannen

The difference model is concerned with the idea that men and women are simply inherently different. Deborah Tannen first proposed the model.

Types of speakers

Tannen has looked at speakers in groups and said there are two categories speakers can fall into: high involvement and high considerateness.
- High involvement speakers (men) tend to take a very active role in the conversation, be this by leading the conversation or backchanneling (not giving direct responses, but comments like ‘yep’, ‘uh-huh’ and ‘ok’).
- High considerateness speakers (women) tend to speak more slowly and avoid talking at the same time as someone else.

Types of talking

In addition, Tannen says there are two types of talking – report and rapport talk.
- Men use report talk, which is direct (like reporting on something).
- Women use rapport talk, which is used to create and sustain relationships.

Difference Model - All-Male and All-Female Groups

The difference model is concerned with the idea that men and women are simply inherently different.

Jennifer Coates

Jennifer Coates researched all-male and all-female groups and states that they converse differently, although topics of conversation tend to be similar.
She also states that techniques used by women to maintain conversation aren’t signs of inferiority, but signs of intelligence.

Deborah Jones

Other linguists have looked at what makes up the conversation between all-male and all-female groups.
Deborah Jones has researched gossiping amongst women and calls this ‘house talk’. This ‘house talk’ comes in three parts:
- Scandal – women discuss the behaviour of others (usually women).
- Bitching – expression of anger, not because they want something to change, but just as a relief.
- Chatting – this is an intimate form of gossiping where women mutually self-disclose and nurturing takes place.

Support for Deborah Jones

Deborah Jones' work has been built on by Deborah Cameron. She says that girls bitch because covertly (secretive) dominant behaviour is more acceptable for women.

1Language Levels

1.1Assessment Objectives

1.1.1Assessment Objectives

1.2Lexis

1.2.1Introduction

1.2.2Common, Proper, Abstract & Concrete Nouns

1.2.3Collective Nouns

1.2.4Adjectives

1.2.5Main, Auxiliary & Copular Verbs

1.2.6Dynamic & Stative Verbs

1.2.7Transitive, Intransitive, Active & Passive Verbs

1.2.8Mood of Verbs

1.2.9Adverbs

1.2.10Personal, Possessive & Reflexive Pronouns

1.2.11Relative & Demonstrative Pronouns

1.2.12Determiners

1.2.13Conjunctions

1.2.14Synonyms, Antonyms & Phonological Features

1.2.15End of Topic Test - Lexis

1.3Grammar

1.3.1Morphology

1.3.2Clauses

1.3.3Phrases

1.3.4Present Tense

1.3.5Past Tense

1.3.6Future Tense

1.3.7End of Topic Test - Grammar

1.4Semantics & Pragmatics

1.4.1Semantics

1.4.2Pragmatics

1.5Discourse Structure, Graphology & Orthography

1.5.1Discourse Structure

1.5.2Graphology & Orthography

1.5.3End of Topic Test - Semantics, Graphology etc.

2Language, The Individual & Society

2.1Children’s Language Development

2.1.1The Exam

2.1.2Phonemes, Vocal Tract & Articulation

2.1.3Writing About Phonemes

2.1.4Phonological Simplification

2.1.5A Child's First Year & Consonant Acquisition

2.1.6Beginning Stages of Language

2.1.7Lexical Development

2.1.8Stages of Development

2.1.9End of Topic Test - Child Language Development

2.2Children's Language Development - Theories

2.2.1Behaviourism

2.2.2Interactionism

2.2.3Challenging Interactionism

2.2.4Nativism

2.2.5Nativism - Exam Answer

2.2.6Cognitivism

2.2.7Social Constructionism

2.2.8Writing About Spoken Acquisition

2.2.9End of Topic Test - Development Theories

2.3Literacy Development: Reading

2.3.1Introduction

2.3.2Phonics vs Whole Word

2.3.3Debates in Reading

2.3.4Modelling Reading Acquisition

2.3.5Other Reading Theories

2.3.6End of Topic Test - Reading

2.4Literacy Development: Writing

2.4.1Orthography

2.4.2Kroll's Theory

2.4.3Barclay's Theory

2.4.4Creativity vs Accuracy

2.4.5Other Writing Theories

2.4.6The Exam

2.4.7End of Topic Test - Writing

3Language Diversity & Change

3.1The Importance of Gendered Language

3.1.1Writing About Gender

3.1.2Dominance Theory

3.1.3Interruptions - Zimmerman & West

3.1.4Deficit Theory

3.1.5Difference Model

3.1.6Difference Model - Men

3.1.7Diversity Model

3.1.8End of Topic Test - Gendered Language

3.2Social Groups

3.2.1Writing About Social Groups

3.2.2Social Class

3.2.3Social Class 2

3.2.4Age

3.2.5Age - Teen Speak

3.2.6Milroy’s Belfast Study

3.2.7Labov’s Martha’s Vineyard Study

3.2.8End of Topic Test - Social Groups

3.3Occupational Groups

3.3.1Writing About Occupational Groups

3.3.2Jargon

3.3.3Conversations

3.3.4Hierarchy & Power

3.3.5End of Topic Test - Occupational Groups

3.4Accents & Dialects

3.4.1Writing About Accent & Dialect

3.4.2Introduction to Accents & Dialects

3.4.3Accents - Matched Guide Experiment

3.4.4Accents - Received Pronunciation & Brummie

3.4.5Dialects - Dialectal Variations

3.4.6Accent & Dialect Case Study - London

3.4.7End of Topic Test - Accents & Dialects

3.5Language Change

3.5.1Writing About Language Change

3.5.2Modelling Change

3.5.3Modelling Change 2

3.5.4Lexical Change

3.5.5Semantic Change

3.5.6End of Topic Test - Language Change

3.6History of English

3.6.1Old English

3.6.2Old English 2

3.6.3Middle English

3.6.4Middle English 2

3.6.5Early Modern English

3.6.6Late Modern English

3.6.7Present Day English

3.6.8Global English

3.6.9American English

3.6.10Modelling Global English

3.6.11End of Topic Test - History of English

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