Male Female Communication Essay

In the United States, university classrooms today are made up of a mixture of males and females. In life, males and females have different conversational styles. The ways that they communicate to each other in a conversation, as well as how they communicate with their instructors and peers in the classroom. Although there is a combination of both genders in the classrooms, schools tend to use learning techniques that are more applicable towards men than women. When teaching with a mixture of people that learn differently, it is difficult to have a certain technique to use that would help everybody in the same way. Yet it is important that each gender be given equal opportunities that allows them to do their best and succeed in their academic

While females are more likely to, “adopt a strategy of “silent protest” after they have been interrupted” (170). According to Maltz and Borker, men’s dominance in conversation goes along with their dominance in society. In society men, typically, are seen as the more dominant gender over women (170). This also applies to inside the classroom as more men tend to speak out and do more of the talking than women. Most of the time teachers view interaction and participation as a very important part of their student’s ability to succeed. According to Deborah Tannen, author of “How Male and Female Students Use Language Differently” in many classrooms, for learning tools teachers use the debate like format when discussing topics. Tannen writes that teachers would have the students read an article and break it down, and discuss it as a group. Although the debate format does work for men, it does not appeal in some cases to females. In her work, Tannen points out that, English

If anytime during class the professor turns conversation over to the students to interact, participate, answer questions, or ask questions it is, most of the time, male students who are the ones doing the interaction. While if in the all female classes it is turned over to the students there is silence for a while until someone answers, the professor answers their own question, or the professor calls on someone to answer. In one class the professor has stated that the class is so far ahead because no one in there ask questions are