<Just One Flaw>
Owing to a great diversity of aspects of gender differences, there is an issue about which gender talk more has always been an intense argument. It does not be too difficult to determine the numbers of people believed that the female did much more conversations than male. There is an article ‘Women Talk Too Much,’ which wrote by Janet Holmes who a professor of sociolinguistics at the Victoria University of Wellington. By the analysis of numerous studies, facts and researches that it seems the author determines the amount of conversation totally depend on different circumstances and situations. Furthermore, unlike the proverb of English says. “Women’s tongues are like lambs tails-----they are never still” (299). Holmes thinks that women are talking less than men in many situations, such as in the classroom and working place. Even though, many evidence of this paper has displayed dozens of reasons that women are talking much less than we think, there are still some evidences to persuade people this article does not quite convincible. In this essay, I will discuss many evidences and studies that Holmes used to convince the reader. Moreover, the tone of her article will be analyzed, and finally I will present some opposing view with evidence to prove that men totally talk less than women.

Holmes has given a lot of different evidences and studies to convince reader that women usually do not have more conversations than man in workplace, classroom or some other situations. There is a intersecting example about women could not find the same chance to talk in business meeting or other kinds of working place that she give in the article. “She only spoke once and one of my fellow directors cut across her and said ‘What Anne is trying to say Roger is…’ and I think that about sums it up. He knew better than Anne what she was trying to say, and she never got anything said.”(300). This part of conversation based on a manager at a British company, Holmes take this conversation to prove that in reality women do talk less than men, even worse they may not get opportunity to talk. By using the conversation as evidence is an effective method to persuade reader what is the truth in general. Furthermore, Holmes insists that social confidence is the key why women have lack discussion in various situations. It seems women like have conversation in exchange emotions, but not ideas and information. “Talking in class is often perceived as ‘showing off’, especially if it is girl-talk. Until recently, girls have preferred to keep a low profile rather than attract negative attention.”(304). This sentence is a result of a claim from a sixteen years old girl. This claim is supported by sound reasons by Holmes analyze, because girls are not confidence in some social context. Therefore female could talk less than male in classroom. Therefore, due to many reasonable and logical evidence which based on not only researches, also statements from normal people, it is clear to see that logos has displayed well to readers.

It is not too hard to find out “Women talk too much” is an academic paper. This is because Holmes has used many professional languages to convince her reader. For instance, “Two Canadian researchers, Deborah James and Janice Drakich, reviewed sixty-three studies which examined the amount of talk used by American women and men in different contexts. Women talked more than men in only two studies.”(300). She state at that two researchers name and studies to make her reader convinced by facts. Readers could be easily persuaded because people usually believe authority. Not only the authority, her also used word like “suggest” and “collected” to suggest her ideas based on proved fact or studies. Such as, “In New Zealand, too, research suggests that men generally dominate the talking time.”(300) and “Classroom research suggests that more talk is associated with higher social status or power.”(301) and “Evidence collected by American, British, and New Zealand researchers shows that men dominate the talking time in…” (301).Though those kind of tones that she using has make reader think logically and professionally. As we can see, Holmes takes logos with her examples of researches and tone to convince her reader.

Although this article has give such many points by represent evidence of studies and researches to convince reader that women talk less than men in many situations and depend on circumstances, there are some proofs show that stereotype of the theory women talk too much. As her own words, “Proverbs and sayings in many languages express the view that women are always talking: Women’s tongues are like lambs’ tails – they are never still. –English”. (299). Even though, she refute those proverbs are not exactly, proverbs also make sense though history and researches. A neuroscientist state by research that men usually have 2000 words conversation in one day. However women could talk more than 4000 to 6000 words in the same time. Therefore, it is a sample math that women talk more than men in time of duration and number of times.

To sum up, as far as I am concerned, I think although Holmes’s article is effective in most of parts, still she misses some points in an opposite. Those opposite idea might not as convincible as her opinion, but as an academic article it is still a flaw. In brief, first Holmes’s paper has convinced reader though vast of persuasive evidences, and then she shows those evidences by the academic tone. Despite a small opposite idea could not affect the whole picture, I think she could work on science in her article a little bit more.

Pablo(ZiXu Wang)

Take her words as an example, she started her article with some common proverbs, “The woman with active hands and feet, marry her, but the woman with overactive mouth, leave well alone. –Maori”