VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
Introduction to English Linguistics 2
Group 6
SOCIOLINGUISTICS: LANGUAGE AND GENDER -
GENDERED SPEECH IN REALITY TELEVISION SHOW
DANCING WITH THE STARS SEASON 31: HOW GENDERED LANGUAGE IS
REPRESENTED IN TERMS OF JUDGMENT ON A REALITY SHOW
Ha Noi, 2023
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS............................................................................................... 1
GROUP REPORT........................................................................................................... 2
TOPIC..............................................................................................................................3
I. THEORY REVIEW................................................................................................4
II. DATA ANALYSIS................................................................................................ 5
III. ASSESSMENT.................................................................................................... 8
IV. CONCLUSION.................................................................................................. 10
REFERENCES.............................................................................................................. 11
APPENDIX................................................................................................................... 12
1. Dancing With The Stars Season 31 Premiere Party (Vinny & Koko)............12
2. Dancing With The Stars Season 31 Premiere Party (Charli D’Amelio &
Mark Ballas)....................................................................................................... 12
3. Photos............................................................................................................. 13
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GROUP REPORT
Member Student ID Task Contribution Evaluation
- Assessment preparation
- Powerpoint editor
1 Ngô Thuỳ Trang 20041465 - Presenting Part III 100%
(according to Table of
contents)
- Research information and
doing part “ conclusion &
recommendation”
2 Trịnh Diệu Linh 20040372 - Making powerpoint 100%
- Presenting the
recommendation and
conclusion part
- Choose the video and
judges
3 Bùi Quang Sơn 20041086 - Choose framework 100%
- Prepare and present part II
- Proofread group’s content
- Prepare theory part
- Analyze the videos
4 Nguyễn Chí Dũng 20040268 - Edit powerpoint part I 100%
- Present part I
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TOPIC
Collect a transcript of one episode of a reality show featuring both male and
female judges (for example Master Chef, American Idol, etc…)
a. Do the following observations apply to the judges’ speech (you can choose to
focus on one observation): women’s speech is characterized by the use of rising
intonation at the end of statements, the more frequent use of hedges and tag
questions while men tend to use more assertive forms, “strong” language and direct
speech acts.
b. What could be the effects of following/not following the observations of gendered
speech in this reality show?
c. Extra question: How would you suggest the judges improve their judgments?
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I. THEORY REVIEW
As a matter of fact, language reflects, records, and transmits social differences, so it is
not surprising to find reflections of gender differences in language use. This paper will
examine the differences from the aspects of gendered words, gendered speech, and
gendered interaction.
In terms of gendered words, there can be differences between the words used by men
and women in a variety of languages. In many cases, words for men are considered
“normal” and words for women “special additions”. For example, the word ‘hero’ for
men is widely accepted as the original word while ‘heroin’ is coined by adding an
affix. Some pairs of words such as ‘actor-actress’ and ‘waiter-waitress’ are similar.
In the second place, according to Cheshire (19840), women’s speech is characterized
by the use of rising intonation at the end of statements, the more frequent use of
hedges and tag questions. These features seem to be ways of inviting agreement with
an idea. Meanwhile, men tend to assert their ideas by using more assertive forms,
“strong” language and direct speech acts.
Given the gendered interaction, features of women’s speech facilitate the exchange of
turns while the right to speak or “having the floor” is treated as the goal in men’s
interaction. Besides, in cross-gender interaction, men are much more likely to interrupt
women.
II. DATA ANALYSIS
The data used in this paper is comments of Mrs. Carrie Ann Inaba and Mr. Len
Goodman, two judges in the show ‘Dancing with The Stars’. There are 16 comment
sections in the video. However, it is impossible to analyze all of them in such a short
amount of time. Therefore, we pick the comment section of the couple with the lowest
and highest score of the show, Vinny Guadagnino & Koko Iwasaki and Charli
D’Amelio & Mark Ballas, respectively.
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First of all, here is the analysis of gendered language in the comment section of Vinny
and Koko’s performance. Carrie Ann Inaba's feedback on Vinny Guadagnino and
Koko Iwasaki's performance includes several female language markers. She expresses
admiration for Vinny's ability to captivate the audience with statements like "You own
the room" and "We were all drawn in," using inclusive language to connect with the
performers. Moreover, Carrie Ann uses humor and colloquial language to soften her
criticism, indicating that her feedback is not meant to be taken too seriously. She
encourages the performers to build rapport with the audience, showing appreciation for
their participation in the performance. Furthermore, her use of hedges in "I kinda felt
like… I wanna see more of you, right?" acknowledges the performers' potential and
expresses empathy for their desire to showcase more of their abilities.
In analyzing male language use in Carrie Ann Inaba's feedback on Vinny Guadagnino
and Koko Iwasaki's performance, it is apparent that she uses clear and specific
language to make strong assertions about Vinny's role in the dance. For example, she
says "You let her do all the work" and "I know you're not in charge of the
choreography." Additionally, she expresses her desire for the performer to showcase
more of their abilities, highlighting an area for improvement and suggesting that the
performer should try to showcase more of their abilities by saying "I wanna see more
of you." She also uses a direct comparison to a specific scenario, using clear and
specific language to describe their level of effort or contribution. Moreover, in offering
a suggestion for improvement, she uses colloquial language like "I wanna see hump.
Hump it up." to make it sound more approachable and less critical. Lastly, she offers
encouragement by saying "I know you have more" and suggests that the performer has
untapped potential that they can showcase in future performances.
Len Goodman's feedback on Vinny Guadagnino and Koko Iwasaki's performance
differs from Carrie Ann Inaba's in his use of male language markers. Len makes direct
and strong evaluations, expressing disappointment in Vinny's dance, such as "I don't
get it, Vinny", "It was rough", and "Your legs were too flakes". He also observes the
genre of dance being performed, using clear and specific language to describe the style
of dance with the statement "This, and all of the dances, is a club dance." In contrast to
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Carrie Ann's suggestion for improvement, Len's comment "I really want you to come
out and knock my socks off" encourages the performer to strive for improvement.
In terms of Len’s female language use, The phrase "I'm sorry, Vin" is an example of
rapport-talk, as it uses informal language to establish a connection and show empathy
towards the performer, to soften the impact of the criticism and show empathy towards
the performer. When he said “I really want you to come out and knock my socks off”,
it can be interpreted as an appreciative comment, as it expresses a desire for the
performer to excel and impress the judge.
Overall, through the case of Vinny Guadagnino and Koko Iwasaki’s comment section,
we can see that Carrie Ann has a good mix of male and female language in terms of
the content of the comments and shows typical female language use in terms of word
choice. Len, on the other hand, demonstrates typical male language use with little use
of female language.
The second comment section belongs to Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas’s
performance. As for Carrie Ann when using male language use, she said “The
nuances, you're such a nuanced performer all the difference like I,..it's like I saw 20
different people dance”, which is a strong assertion and acknowledge the specific
strengths of the performer and providing feedback on how they can improve their
performance and provide report-talk of the performer’s abilities and performance.
Another instance is “Tiktok, welcome to Disney Plus”, which is a statement about
Charli’s potential future in the entertainment industry.
Carrie Ann Inaba's feedback on the performance includes several female language
markers. She uses an attenuation signal with the phrase "maybe it's true but it's not" to
downplay any potential criticism or skepticism. Addressing the performer with "girl"
is a colloquial and informal way to establish a friendly and comfortable atmosphere.
The use of personal language such as "I" and "you" in "The nuances, you're such a
nuanced performer all the difference like I,..it's like I saw 20 different people dance"
creates intimacy and familiarity between the judge and the performer. Moreover, the
feedback includes appreciative comments that express admiration and appreciation for
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the performer's abilities. The use of "Okay, girl" in an informal and friendly tone
shows empathy, creating a supportive and empathetic atmosphere.
During a performance, Len Goodman's gendered language use includes several direct
and strong assertions. He expresses his opinion on the difficulty of the Cha Cha Cha
dance, saying "People tend to think that it is an easy dance but it is not." Len provides
specific evaluations of the performer's technique with phrases like "From the waist
down, you've got to be crisp and clean with your legs and your hips" and "The upper
body got to show rhythm and musicality," indicating areas for improvement.
Additionally, Len's feedback includes a direct evaluation of the performance with the
statement "In addition to that, you've come out and performed and you did all great!",
expressing both constructive criticism and appreciation for the performer's effort.
In terms of female language use, the phrase "you did all great!" and "In addition to
that, you've come out and performed" can be interpreted as an example of rapport-talk,
as it uses informal and personal language to provide positive feedback and boost the
performer's confidence and appreciate the performer's efforts.
Overall, we can see that in the hype of the outstanding performance of Charli and
Mark, who is also the eventual winner of the show, Miss Carrie Ann demonstrates
considerably fewer signs of male language use and use more female language. On the
other hand, Mr. Goodman still maintains the superiority of male language in his
comments and little use of female language use.
III. ASSESSMENT
Dancing With The Stars, which was a hit series in America and worldwide and
released 30 seasons on ABC channel, now is a member of its new home: Disney+ from
season 31. Its main content is about celebrities’ dancing skills. They are teamed with
skilled ballroom dancers to compete in themed choreographed dance routines
evaluated by a panel of famous ballroom professionals such as Carrie Ann Inaba, Len
Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough. Dancing with the Stars, like other reality
programs, aims to garner as much attention as possible by planning content, editing
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videos and so on. Hence, it is reasonable that this program concentrates mostly on
linguistic features (produced by both judges and candidates), one of which is the
contrast in gendered speech between male and female judges. According to the 2
videos we used as sources of our analysis research, one is the highest score-gaining
pair and the other is the lowest score-gaining pair. Both are evaluated and given
comments by the judges: Carrie Ann (female), Len Goodman (male).
Comparison table of The Judges’ speech1
Factors Male judges Female judges
(Len Goodman) (Carrie Ann)
Strong Assertions 16 Times 16 Times
Attenuation 12 Times 16 Times
Report - talk 16 Times 16 Times
Rapport - talk 11 Times 16 Times
Objective comment 16 Times 16 Times
Appreciative comment 14 Times 16 Times
According to the table, in terms of Attenuation Factor, the female judge tend to soften
her strength of tone voice, actions and intention in order to behave politely while the
male judges prefer leading the candidates go straight to the point by using short and
direct speech to giving them better advices. Secondly, the Rapport Talk Factor
emphasize the difference between their choice of emotional connection with people
and promote contestants. Moreover, it is also obvious that the male judges are less
likely using Appreciative Comment than the female, which may be considered as an
indirect conflict and comparision among the audiences.These acts will possibly lead to
some of the both optimistic and persimistic effects on people and the society as a
whole.
To begin with, the effect of different language uses to the gendered speech is directly
toward the candidates. The male judge go straight to the points without attenuation for
the contestants may cope with their own unstable psychological issues.
1
See: Appendix, p.1,2; page 13,14
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Source: Showbiz Cheatsheet
Secondly, the low frequency of using appreciation comments of the male judge and
less emotional connection with candidate might lead the audiences to the thought of
the judges’ unfair treatment. Consequently, the audiences’ bias of untrurthful and
subjective judgement speech rise rapidly.
Source: Twitter
Last but not least, the dramas and controversies are signature factors that draw greater
people's attention to reality programs; as a natural outcome, the judges' gender-neutral
language helps to the show's popularity and its attractiveness to the general audience.
A gender imbalance in the position of judges may result from the fact that there are
three male judges but only one female in that role. This can lead to audience
preconceptions and comparisons of judges' professional attitudes: women are far more
emotional and gentler than males, and they appear to stand out less. The gender gap in
daily life may widen as society begins to recognize the distinctions between men and
women (first on television; subsequently in reality).
Source: Youtube.com
IV. CONCLUSION
Overall, It’s common that gendered speech is used by both men and women on a daily
basis. However, if it appears on social media or TV shows, it can exert both short and
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long-term effects on the community. Especially, “Dancing with the Stars” is a reality
show which has existed for a long time so its audience is not only limited to the border
of a small region, but to the whole country, or even bigger – the world. Hence, to
minimize the adverse effects of gendered speech in the show, here are some
recommendations for the judges, the producers, and the audience. Firstly, in terms of
judges’ language, the male judge should increase his female language by using more
attenuation, rapport talk, and appreciative comments so that he can minimize the risk
of insulting contestants. On the contrary, the female judge had better produce more
precise and convincing comments for the contestants instead of constantly appraising
the performance. Secondly, the producer is recommended to have the show rated PG
(Parental guidance suggested) and stop exploiting extreme reactions for clouts since “
Dancing with the Stars” is evaluated as a kid-friendly show. Large but not least,
audiences must improve their media literacy and be aware of what media children
consume.
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REFERENCES
1. Anderson, L. (2022, September 20). Vinny Guadagnino says the 'judges were a
little harsh' in 'dancing with the stars' season 31 week 1. Showbiz Cheat Sheet.
Retrieved April 16, 2023, from
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/vinny-guadagnino-says-judges-little-
harsh-dancing-with-the-stars-season-31-week-1.html/
2. Briz, A., & Estellés, M. (2010, January 1). On the relationship between
attenuation, discourse particles and position. Brill. Retrieved April 16, 2023,
from https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004253247_014
3. Cheshire, J. (1984). The relationship between language and sex in English. In
Trudgill, P.(Ed.), Applied Sociolinguistics. London: Academic Press.
4. Language and gender - university of chicago. Retrieved April 16, 2023, from
https://semantics.uchicago.edu/kennedy/classes/sum07/myths/myths4-gender.pdf
5. Lakoff, R. (1975). Language and woman's place. New York: Harper and Row.
6. Yule, G. (2010). The Study of Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.
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APPENDIX
1. Dancing With The Stars Season 31 Premiere Party (Vinny & Koko)
Source: Dancing with The Stars Season 31 Premiere Party (Week 1)
CHARACTER SPEECH
“Okay. You know, when you come out, you have a presence. You
own the room. We were all drawn in. But you were kinda like…
you let her do all the work. (Laugh) I kinda felt like… I wanna
see more of you, right? And I know you’re not in charge of the
Carrie Ann: choreography but you kinda felt a little bit like the guy who’s at
the gym, who’s super hot, but he’s only walking. Like, I wanna
see hump. Hump it up. You don’t know I don’t mean it a bit. I
know you have more. (At the audience) You guys are very good
at booing, btw. Just wanna say.”
“I don’t get it, Vinny. You know, this, and all of the dances, is a
club dance. And you didn’t show me that. It was rough. Your legs
Len Goodman: were too flakes. I’m sorry, Vin. I really want you to come out and
knock my socks off. Unfortunately, tonight, that just didn’t
happen.”
2. Dancing With The Stars Season 31 Premiere Party (Charli D’Amelio & Mark
Ballas)
Source: Dancing with The Stars Season 31 Premiere Party (Week 1)
CHARACTER SPEECH
Carrie Ann: “Okay, girl, Season 31 just got real hard, real quick, that was
amazing. The nuances, you’re such a nuanced performer all the
difference like I,..it’s like I saw 20 different people dance, maybe
it’s true but it’s not. It was kind of amazing. You are so… Now I
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get it. Tiktok, welcome to Disney Plus.”
“Well, you know there’s a little bit of Cha cha cha tonight.
People tend to think that it is an easy dance but it is not. From
Len Goodman: the waist down, you’ve got a bit crisp and clean with your legs
and your hips. The upper body’s got to show rhythm and
musicality. In addition to that, you've come out and performed
and you did all great!”
3. Photos
Photo III.1
Photo III.2
Photo III.3
Photo III.4
Photo III.5
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