LANGUAGE AND GENDER STUDIES: PAST AND CURRENT APPROACHES AND DEBATES

Abstract

This study looks at the different approaches in language and gender research since its emergence in the early 1970s. These approaches, namely the dominance, the difference and the postmodernist approach, are reviewed in a chronological order together with sample studies reflecting the tenets of each approach. A comparison across the approaches is also provided to offer profound understanding of the approaches. Current trends in language and gender studies are also highlighted to inform potential researchers in the field of the updated foci in literature.