Rapport Talk versus Report Talk- forms of genderlect styles
Rapport and report. Whether you are a man or a woman, you have heard your sex and or the opposite sex speak in the matter of rapport talk or report talk. Chances are earlier today you have heard a reference of one or the other and if nothing else before the week ends or the during the week you will now be guaranteed that you have heard both sexes speak the form of genderlect styles called, rapport talk or report talk.
The linguistic differences between the feminine culture and the masculine culture is
simple. Women tend to talk more in private with an emphasis of connecting. Men do not necessarily talk less. In conversations with other men, they can be as wordy as women. Nevertheless, men's conversations are not about connecting, but telling stories. In their story telling, they are the hero. Men's conversations are also about gains and ownership. One way men show status is not just their material gain, but in joke telling. It is the vain of momma jokes if you have ever heard any, it's about who can top the other's joke. As in report talk with men, this is an example of the differences of man talk or rapport talk verses woman talk that tends to confide, need and desire to connect to the male in a woman's life.When men are out of the home, their masculinity is always at jeopardy with other men. They know that their word is bond and so it is both a defense mechanism and status builder among other men. It can be exhausting rapport talking all day. By the time a man greats his woman, he is talked out and at a comfortable stage of being finished with that part of the work in his day. Private time then for many men is quiet. For women, especially if she hasn't seen her man all day is to express all her experiences as she was listening and talking all day. Women in other words seek to connect with talk and this is the way she establishes connection. Men spend most of their talk as a reporting; commanding attention, conveying information and winning arguments.
© 2012 Sharon L. West- 2008-2012 MightyDreamer Publishing