GENDERED LANGUAGE IN CHILDREN’S ANIMATED FILMS: A CORPUS LINGUISTICS STUDY

Abstract

This paper examines how gendered language is used in animated children movies and how the language patterns are manifested, adopting a corpus linguistics frame in this analysis of the nature of dialogue between characters. As the relevance of media impact on child development especially with respect to gender socialization continues to gain popularity, this study focuses on the reinforcement or breaking down of gendered linguistic stereotypes through animated films. The twenty wide-spread animated films of different genres and production companies were analyzed with references to the gender-specific linguistic aspects, including vocabulary, speech acts, and relations between the characters. This research discovered that there were evident disparities on the language employed by both the male and female characters where the former used assertive, authoritative kind of language, and the latter employed more nurturing, submissive speech patterns. These results demonstrate the recurring presence of customary gender roles in the children’s media. The analysis plays a role in the wider discussion of the possible effects of children entertainment on societal issues of gender, in which it provides a lead on the possible usage of the media as a potential vehicle towards more equal and ethical portrayal of gender.