The Use of Tag Questions in the Academic Context

According to Lakoff (1975), tag questions are a feature of what she calls "women's language" and that women use them more than men. However studies conducted as a result of her claim show inconsistent findings. Many authorities on the subject such as Holmes (1984,1995), Coates and Cam...

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Main Author:	Haque, Muhammed Shahriar
Format:	Thesis
Language:	English English
Published:	2002
Subjects:	Study and education
Online Access:	http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/10147/1/FBMK_2002_3.pdf
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id	my-upm-ir.10147
record_format	uketd_dc
spelling	my-upm-ir.101472024-03-18T01:54:57Z The Use of Tag Questions in the Academic Context 2002-01 Haque, Muhammed Shahriar According to Lakoff (1975), tag questions are a feature of what she calls "women's language" and that women use them more than men. However studies conducted as a result of her claim show inconsistent findings. Many authorities on the subject such as Holmes (1984,1995), Coates and Cameron (1989), Dubois and Crouch (1975) are of the opinion that the use of tag questions is dependent on many linguistic and extra-linguistic factors and not merely gender. Studies on the use of tag questions have been conducted in various contexts and situations but not specifically in the academic context at the tertiary level in Malaysia. In light of the relatively limited information that is available regarding the use of tag questions in the academic context, the nature of the study is descriptive and exploratory. The study adopts a quantitative as well as a qualitative design. The study sample was made up of lecturers and students from the English Departments of Universiti Putra Malaysia, International Islamic University Malaysia and Tunku Abdul Rahman College. The data was collected by means of questionnaire and audiotape recordings of lectures and oral presentations. The findings suggest that in the academic arena, both men and women use different forms of tag questions, with women using them slightly or marginally more than men. The most frequently used tag questions are the comformative, responsive and information seeking types, which function to request the agreement of the audience, to invite response from the audience and to express uncertainty respectively. Speakers usually feel that the use of tag questions boosts their level of confidence and creates a congenial atmosphere for interaction to take place. The study also revealed that a single category of question tag could function as different forms of tag questions and vice versa. In the Malaysian academic context the most frequently used linguistic realizations of question tag categories by both genders are OK and all right. This study sheds some light on the use of tag questions in the academic context. The findings of this study may help later studies to explore whether the use of tag question is dependent on factors such as different contexts, situations, intentions, cultures and varieties of English. Study and education 2002-01 Thesis http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/10147/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/10147/1/FBMK_2002_3.pdf text en public masters Universiti Putra Malaysia Study and education Faculty of Modern Language and Communication Wong, Bee Eng English
institution	Universiti Putra Malaysia
collection	PSAS Institutional Repository
language	English English
advisor	Wong, Bee Eng
topic	Study and education
spellingShingle	Study and education Haque, Muhammed Shahriar The Use of Tag Questions in the Academic Context
description	According to Lakoff (1975), tag questions are a feature of what she calls "women's language" and that women use them more than men. However studies conducted as a result of her claim show inconsistent findings. Many authorities on the subject such as Holmes (1984,1995), Coates and Cameron (1989), Dubois and Crouch (1975) are of the opinion that the use of tag questions is dependent on many linguistic and extra-linguistic factors and not merely gender. Studies on the use of tag questions have been conducted in various contexts and situations but not specifically in the academic context at the tertiary level in Malaysia. In light of the relatively limited information that is available regarding the use of tag questions in the academic context, the nature of the study is descriptive and exploratory. The study adopts a quantitative as well as a qualitative design. The study sample was made up of lecturers and students from the English Departments of Universiti Putra Malaysia, International Islamic University Malaysia and Tunku Abdul Rahman College. The data was collected by means of questionnaire and audiotape recordings of lectures and oral presentations. The findings suggest that in the academic arena, both men and women use different forms of tag questions, with women using them slightly or marginally more than men. The most frequently used tag questions are the comformative, responsive and information seeking types, which function to request the agreement of the audience, to invite response from the audience and to express uncertainty respectively. Speakers usually feel that the use of tag questions boosts their level of confidence and creates a congenial atmosphere for interaction to take place. The study also revealed that a single category of question tag could function as different forms of tag questions and vice versa. In the Malaysian academic context the most frequently used linguistic realizations of question tag categories by both genders are OK and all right. This study sheds some light on the use of tag questions in the academic context. The findings of this study may help later studies to explore whether the use of tag question is dependent on factors such as different contexts, situations, intentions, cultures and varieties of English.
format	Thesis
qualification_level	Master's degree
author	Haque, Muhammed Shahriar
author_facet	Haque, Muhammed Shahriar
author_sort	Haque, Muhammed Shahriar
title	The Use of Tag Questions in the Academic Context
title_short	The Use of Tag Questions in the Academic Context
title_full	The Use of Tag Questions in the Academic Context
title_fullStr	The Use of Tag Questions in the Academic Context
title_full_unstemmed	The Use of Tag Questions in the Academic Context
title_sort	use of tag questions in the academic context
granting_institution	Universiti Putra Malaysia
granting_department	Faculty of Modern Language and Communication
publishDate	2002
url	http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/10147/1/FBMK_2002_3.pdf
_version_	1794018883009511424

The Use of Tag Questions in the Academic Context

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