In today’s world, gender roles are fast changing where steretyping of men to masculine and women to feminine are no longer prominent.Language and gender stereotypes are becoming inapplicable to today’s men and women.

In general, men and women are known to use language differently, but sometimes they may unintentionally exhibit feminine or masculine speech characteristics respectively when they talk.

Gender Differences in Spoken Language

In a conversation, women prefer to discuss personal topics while men prefer public issues and would avoid discussing private topics.Women are more ‘involved’ and use emotional language pertaining to their feelings and thoughts.

Men seek ‘information’ and speak in a more straightforward manner and authoritative language.

Gender Differences in Written Language

A study by Akhmaliah (2009) concludes that three features appearing in female blog posts (Friendster and Blogspot) which conformed to Lakoff (1975) theory are Lexical Hedges, Intensifiers, and Tag Questions.

Research on gender differences in written language is quite limited compared to gender differences in spoken language because formal written texts (books and articles) obviously cannot convey intonation and phonological cues compared to spoken language.

Gender and Online LAnguageBased on the research by Rosset (1998), on the use of email, women uses more frequently open expressions of appreciation and thanks, while men uses ‘tighter’ and less direct expressions. THE NATURE OF

BLOGSBlogs can be used as a platform to solicit ideas and receive comments from others that may

improve interaction and reflective and critical thinking.

When students use blogs as individuals, they have full control and ownership of the content. Blogs is one of the Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) tools

that uses text as conversationTHE PRESENT STUDY-- Examines the differences in language use between male and female bloggers who are currently studying in Malaysian public universities. -- Looking at the relatedness of language use with the gender of the bloggers

MethodologyUsing a qualitative research design, this study uses a case study approach by focussing on a group who carry out the same activity within a specific time.The main participants are selected from BlogMalaysia.com, a platform in Malaysian Bloggers Directory. Four bloggers selected using certain criteria. RESEARCH

INSTRUMENTSBlog postings of the four teenagers who treat their blogs as a diary where they expres their

feelings about daily issues to do with their lives and their studies.

Word Counting Tool

To count the frequency of words

having the identified characteristics of the

language used in their postings.

ChecklistTo assist in the

process of observing the blogs

BlogMalaysia.com

Free and The fastest growing blog

directory in Malaysia

Results

* Male bloggers are identified as S1 and S2 Female bloggers are identified as S3 and S4a) Intensifiers

Results

b) Hedging

Results

c) Tag Questions

Results

d) Empty Adjectives

Results

e) Adverbs

Discussions

Women use more hedges and intensifiers compared to men. Women and men use the

language according to the society’s beliefs of both sexes should communicate. Women use

intensifiers to boost the language (Lakoff, 1975).

Intensifier &

Lexical Hedges

Tag Questions

Empty Adjectives

Initial Adverbs

Conclusion

Amir , Z., Abidin, H., Darus, S., Ismail, K. (2012). Gender Differences n The Language Use of Malaysian Teen VBloggers, GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 12 (1), 105-124.

References: Thanks for your

attention ;-)

Language features such as intensifiers, lexical hedges and empty adjectives are very closely related to gender and socialization.The use of adverbs do not seem to be related to gender.

There are some gender differences in language use among Malaysian teenage bloggers.