English LanguageYears 12–13Language and Society

Language, gender and power

Analyse relationships between language and gender, power and social status using key theories

What you'll learn

  1. 1

    Think of a children's book from when you were little. Were the brave characters usually boys?

  2. 2

    Which word makes you picture a man?

  3. 3

    Let's look at how language gives power. Read this sentence: 'The doctor explained the treatment to his patient.'

  4. 4

    Drag the words into two groups: words that make you picture a man, and words that make you picture a woman.

  5. 5

    What does 'chairman' suggest about who can be in charge?

  6. 6

    Rewrite this sentence to be gender-neutral: 'Every manager must bring his report.'

  7. 7

    Why does gender-neutral language matter in a school or workplace?

Practise Language, gender and power with Whizlo

Free AI-tutored lessons, unlimited practice questions, and progress tracking for ages 16–18. Aligned to the UK National Curriculum.