Linguistic Turn and Gendering Language in the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

Abstract

Language constructs how humans perceive things. Since language is a human construction, it tends to be biased as it is mainly men’s construction. Using gender perspectives, this paper attempts to discuss the imbalance in gender representations found in the examples given in an English learner’s dictionary, that is, the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 3 rd Edition. A learner’s dictionary is chosen because it is where one can find and learn the meaning of words. The results show that linguistically speaking, English is still a highly patriarchal and gendering language where men are portrayed better than women. Women tend to be subjugated under men’s domination. Sexism and patriarchy still overshadow the meanings of words characterizing men and women. This means that men are still considered to be dominating women, despite the fact that the feminist movement has been going more than thirty years. Consequently, English language teachers should balance the gender bias by providing addtional materials that are gender neutral.