| If you feel like you don't know how to talk to | | | | harmony - to get closer to someone. If you |
| people of the opposite sex, you might be onto | | | | guessed that young boys keep conflicts going by |
| something!Men and women definitely have | | | | talking, you are right!4. Girls talk using words and |
| different ways of communicating. Learning how | | | | will use more words to explain something. A |
| the other half uses language will help to improve | | | | young boy is more likely to use actions to |
| your communication with the opposite sex.And if | | | | emphasize what he is trying to say.As we grow |
| you're still not convinced, there is even a term | | | | and learn how to talk to people, being aware of |
| that is specific to the different languages of the | | | | these differences can help (especially when the |
| sexes. The term is genderlect. Suzette Haden | | | | people you are talking to are of the opposite |
| Elgin coined the term in her book, Genderspeak. | | | | sex.)Many of those early traits continue, as we |
| Her book talked about different methods men | | | | grow older. Men will continue to use |
| and women could use to better | | | | communication as a means of staying |
| communicate.Deborah Tannen went into even | | | | independent, while women will continue to use |
| more detail about gender communication in her | | | | language as a tool for intimacy.Grown-up men |
| book, entitled You Just Don't Understand: Men and | | | | often will talk to establish status (remember the |
| Women in Conversation (1990, Ballantine.) Tannen | | | | boasting as little boys?) Women will connect |
| says that even when a man and woman are | | | | themselves to others by using language to build |
| raised in the same neighbourhood or even in the | | | | up rapport.Tannen calls these differences |
| same home they will grow up in different | | | | 'report-talk' (men) and 'rapport-talk', for the |
| language worlds.The question of how to talk to | | | | women. Understanding this one specific difference |
| people of the opposite sex really needs to first be | | | | can really show how women quite often take |
| answered by understanding the ways men and | | | | what men say, personally, when they really were |
| women differ in how they express | | | | only 'reporting' on a situation.Learning how to talk |
| themselves.Here are some of the biggest | | | | to people is made a lot simpler when you |
| differences, starting at a very young age:1. Girls | | | | understand genderlect - the language of the |
| talk or use language as a way to be liked. Little | | | | sexes.Peter Murphy is a peak performance |
| boys often talk to be boastful.2. A little girl will | | | | expert. He recently produced a very popular free |
| request something. A boy? He makes demands.3. | | | | report: 10 Simple Steps to Developing |
| Girls tend to use language as a way to create | | | | Communication Confidence. |