interview. It is showed by the interviewer’s problem. In professional communication, “the interviewer’s problem is to bring about a much smaller
stream of communication, consisting almost solely of the relevant items.”
3. Language and Gender
a. Women’s Language
Language that is used by men and women are different, especially when they are speaking. Based on Kramer 1977 as cited by Spender 1980, p. 33:
the English speakers believe that men’s speech is forceful efficient, blunt, authoritative, serious, effective, sparing and masterful.” Women usually
are seen by one side because women are regarded as weak creatures. It is different with what they believe about women’s speech which is weak,
trivial, ineffectual, tentative, hesitant, hyper polite, euphemistic and is often marked by gossip and gibberish.
Edwards states that “the eternal stereotypes of women are weak, changeable and unreliable, endlessly, talkative” 2009, p. 127. Those stereotypes affect the
language that be used by women. According to Scherer and Giles 1979 as cited in Edwards 2009, p. 134 “findings within a speech community reveal that
women’s speech tends to use standard language.” “Women are disempowered by being constrained to use “powerless” language, ways of speaking that simply are
not very effective in getting others to think or do what the speaker wants them to Lakoff, 1975 as cited in Eckert and Ginet, 2003, p. 159.
b. Women’s Language Features
Based on Lakoff as cited by Fillmore, G. Lakoff and R. Lakoff 1974, there are ten women’s language features as follows:
1 Lexical Hedges or Fillers
Hedging is one of woman’s language. It expresses a lack of confidence and reflects of women’s insecurity. By hedges, she refers to the frequent use of such
phrases as sortasort of, like, you know, well, kindakind of, I guess, and it seems like. For examples, well, like, just, I know, oh, and so on.
2 Tag Question
Asking question is a prime example of women’s insecurity and hesitancy. Women use questions to each other when they are talking. Women tend to ask three times
as many questions as men. It can be used in many kinds of way. For examples, See?, …,did you?, really?, It just felt so good to be touched, you know?, and so
on.
3 Rising Intonation
There is a peculiar sentence intonation pattern only among women. It not only has the form of declarative answer to a question, but also has the rising inflection
typical of a yes-no question and seems like being especially hesitant. For examples Work? Again? This is the third night this week, Dinner with Phil?, and
so on.
4 Empty Adjective
There is a group of adjective, in terms of vocabulary, which have their specific and literal meanings and also indicating the speaker’s approbation or admiration
for something. This kind of adjectives is called ‘empty’ adjectives, which means that those only convey an emotional reaction rather than specific. For examples
Fine Be done, Fine., and so on. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
5 Precise Color Terms
Women’s language shows up in all levels of the grammar of English. In lexical differences women like to use more precise words in naming colors mauve,
plum and have richer vocabulary in areas that are traditionally female specialties. For example is lavender, and so on.
6 Intensifiers
Intensifiers such as so, just, very, and quiet indicate more characteristics of women’s language than men Fillmore et al.,1974
. So it is claimed as “having
something of the eternally feminine about it”. It also to hedge in this situation is to seek and avoid making strong statement as a characteristic of women’s speech.
For examples Thank you so much, pretty good, and so on.
7 Hypercorrect Grammar
Hypercorrect grammar is the consistent use of standard verb forms. Hypercorrect grammar involves avoidance of coarse language; more frequent apologizing and
the usage of super polite forms are additional features.
8 Super Polite Forms
In the same sense a request may be a polite command; it does not need obedience overtly, but suggest something to be done as a favor to the speaker. An overt order
as in imperative expresses the assumption of the speaker’s superior position the addressee, carrying with it the right to enforce compliance. For examples Thatd
be perfect, thank you., That really means a lot., and so on. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
9 Avoidance of Strong Swear Words
Swearing is kinds of interjection that can express extreme intensify. It has been widely considered as an expression of very strong emotion. It is viewed as potent
language and can indeed sometimes achieve impressive effect. For examples Oh, my God., Not that youre a whore Youre not a whore., and so on.
10 Emphatic Stress
Along with tag question, Lakoff identified that “the use of a question intonation on sentence that are not question as a central she characterized as women’s and
powerless or weak.” This question intonation has a high rising tone at the end of the sentence Eckert and Ginet, 2003, p.174. Women tend to use words which are
used to emphasize the utterance or strengthen the meaning of an utterance. For examples BEST NIGHT ever, He is AWFUL., and so on.
B. Theoretical Framework
This section presents the elaboration how the theories are used to conduct the research. The researcher used Lakoff’s theory about women’s language
features to analyze the scripts of Hillary’s speeches and interviews. In analyzing women’s language features in Hillary’s utterances, the researcher examined the
ten features of women’s language: lexical hedges or fillers, tag question, rising intonation, empty adjective, precise color term, intensifiers, hypercorrect
grammar, super polite form, avoidance of strong swear words, and emphatic stress.
