What are the characteristics of feminine speech communication and why are they used? How would a man be perceived if he attempted to use one of these characteristics?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

ANS: Feminine speech communities tend to regard communication as the primary way to establish and maintain relationships with others. They use language to foster connections and support closeness and mutual understand. A second important feature of feminine speech communication is establishing equality. Communicators match experiences to achieve symmetry, to pursue equality, and show empathy. A third characteristic is support for others. To demonstrate support, communicators often express emotions to show understanding. Conversations between feminine people tend to be characterized by intensive adverbs and questions that probe for greater understanding of feelings and perceptions. A fourth feature is conversational “maintenance work” that sustains conversation but inviting others to speak and by prompting them to elaborate their ideas. A fifth quality is responsiveness. This could include making eyes contact, nodding, or asking them to say more. Responsiveness affirms the other person and encourages elaboration. A six quality of feminine talk is personal, concrete style. This means including details, personal disclosures, and concrete reasoning to cultivate a personal tone. A final feature of feminine speech is tentativeness. This type of communication opens the door for others to respond and express their opinions.

Using the characteristics of feminine speech in a masculine speech community could cause miscommunication. If a man tried to use experience matching, for example, the other party could see it as his attempt to steer the conversation toward himself and for him to hold the stage. Demonstrating responsiveness through eye contact could be seen as aggressive. Sharing concrete details could open him up to vulnerability and being sympathetic could be seen as a sign of condescension.