Deborah Tannen argues that men and women communicate differently due to their differing childhood experiences. As children, girls tend to play in small groups and value intimacy-building through sharing, while boys play in larger groups and see language as a way to assert status and independence. These divergent styles continue into adulthood, where women often want to discuss problems at length for mutual understanding, while men typically focus on quick solutions and status. Understanding these gendered communication patterns is important to avoid misunderstandings and improve relationships.

1. SEX, SIGHS, AND CONVERSATION:
WHY MEN AND WOMEN CAN’T
COMMUNICATE
Deborah Tannen

2. GROUP MEMBERS
 Ayushman Tamrakar - Leader
 Raeesha Shrestha - Editor
 Nikesh Todi
 Ashika Sharma
 Rashik Khadka
 Sanjina Shakya

3. TABLE OF CONTENTS
 Writers Introduction
 Childhood
 Adulthood
 Ways of Talking
 Assumptions on Problems
 Gender Views
 Expressing Habits
 Main Idea

4. WRITER’S INTRODUCTION: DEBORAH
TANNEN
 A University Professor
and Professor
of linguistic
 Has lectured worldwide in
her field
 Written numerous
academic publication on
linguistics and
interpersonal
communication.
 Best known for her
general audience
books on interpersonal
communication
and public discourse.

5. CHILDHOOD
Women
 Play in small groups or in pairs.
 Spend a lot of time talking with their best friends.
 Sharing of secrets among themselves make them
best friends.
 Use language as the relationship builder.
Men
 Play competitive games in larger groups.
 Don’t usually have best friends.
 High status=orders; low status=be pushed around.
 Use language as independence preserver and status
builder.

6. Women
 Like to gossip a lot.
 No shame in asking for help.
Men
 Ignorance is humiliation.
 Like to maintain higher status than others.
ADULTHOOD

7. WAYS OF TALKING
Women
 Talk about everything in detail.
 Ask others to explain the unknown in detail.
 Topics of life’s daily events and impressions
means essence of intimacy.
Men
 Ignores details.

8. ASSUMPTIONS ON PROBLEMS
Women
 Make long descriptions of problems.
 Doesn’t want a solution right away.
 Feels frustrated if a solution cuts short the
discussion of the problem.
Men
 Search or suggest solutions quickly.
 Don’t talk about the problem much.

9. GENDER VIEWS
Women
 Feel offended when they don’t get expected
response.
 Seek mutual support and exploration.
Men
 Might not always share everything to close
people.
 Like to impress guests or friends by talking
about his achievements in life.
 Want to be one step ahead of everyone else.

10. EXPRESSING HABITS
Women
 Talk more at home.
 Regard talks as constructing good relationship
with people.
Men
 Talk more at public.
 Regard talks as a means of building status.

11. MAIN IDEA
 Understanding gender differences in ways of
talking is the first step toward changing.
 Different views of different people may create
misunderstanding.
 Adjustments to improve relationship.