台北保成 法政權威 公職巨擘

Who talks more, women or men? According to Professor

Deborah Tannen at Georgetown University, the seemingly

contradictory evidence is reconciled by the difference between public

and private talking. More men feel comfortable doing public

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speaking, while more women feel comfortable doing private

speaking.

For most women, the language of conversation is primarily a

language of __1__: a way of establishing connections and

negotiating relationships. Emphasis is placed on displaying __2__

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and matching experiences. From childhood, girls criticize peers who

try to stand out or appear better than others. People feel their closest

connections at home, or in settings where they feel at home—in other

words, during private speaking.

For most men, talk is primarily a means to preserve

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independence and negotiate and maintain status in a __3__ social

order. This is done by exhibiting knowledge and skill, and by holding

center stage through __4__ performances such as story-telling,

joking, or imparting information. From childhood, men learn to use

talking as a way to get and keep attention. So they are more

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comfortable speaking in larger groups made up of people they know

less well—in the broadest sense, public speaking.