| Abstrakt: |
The article discusses the concept of making students aware of the prevalence of gender and language stereotyping. From childhood, children are taught that there are certain defined norms for both men's and women's language. Girls are made to realize that they should use cultured and soft language, while boys learn early that they will be ridiculed if they speak in stereotypically feminine ways with deference and sensitivity to others' opinions. Certain ways of communicating that are tagged as feminine are frequently viewed as inferior to men's ways of using language. Problems crop up if people do not recognize these labels as learned but accept them as reality. This acceptance leads to stereotypes about men's and women's language, behavior, and abilities that become so embedded as to also seem natural. There is a need to instill in students the ability to counter stereotypes and the biased language uses they come across in their daily life. |
