Boys are from Mars, Girls are from Venus : A Study of the Linguistic Role of Gender in Swedish Classrooms

Abstract: This research aimed to find out whether or not linguistic theories on how men and women use language can be applied to boys and girls, and their language use, in two selected schools in Southern Sweden. The data was accumulated throughout field investigation. Five questions were created and six teachers from two selected schools were asked to read the questions and keep them in mind while observing them in their class for one week. They were asked to write the answers and hand them in within one week. When the data was accumulated I started to draw connections to already existing theories on how men and women use language and, I started to compare it with how boys and girls use language from these two schools. The answers from the six teachers that participated in this research were not diverse, and they corresponded with the theories cited in this essay’s literature review on how men and women use language. For instance, boys tend to use humor as a tool when they communicate in order to occupy the centre of attention just like men, while girls tend to be emotionally involved while communicating just like women. This is one example of many similarities that this research has found.