Jenny Cheshire

Jenny Cheshire

Jenny Cheshire is a theorist who explored the use of grammatical variables and lexis used by boys and girls in conversation. She used long-term participant observation to obtain this data, in which she looked at three groups in a playground; one girl group, two boy groups. She analysed the children’s language and tallied how often they utilized these variables.

Non-standard –s	They calls me all the names under the sun
Non-standard has	You has to do what the teachers tell you
Non-standard was	You was with me, wasn’t you?
Negative concord	It ain’t got no pedigree or nothing
Non-standard never	I never went to school today
Non-standard what	Are you the little bastards what hit my son over the head?
Non-standard do	She cadges, she do
Non-standard come	I come down here yesterday
Ain’t = auxiliary have	I ain’t seen my nan for nearly seven years
Ain’t = auxiliary be	Course I ain’t going to the avenue.
Ain’t = copula	You ain’t no boss.

 

Jenny Cheshire then deciphered from the data she collected, that the boys use nonstandard grammar and often use slang in conversation. This could reinforce the idea that women are more naturally literate and knowledgeable than males.