Jenny Cheshire (1982) - gender theory

In 1982 another renowned study was published. Cheshire looked specifically at certain grammatical variations in the speech of young children. She considered the frequency of the children using:

• non-standard -s (she calls me...)
• non-standard has (you has to...)
• non-standard was (you was...)
• multiple negation
• non-standard never
• non-standard what (are you the boys what hit...)
• non-standard do (she do...)
• non-standard come (i come here yesterday...)
• use of ain't.

Overall, boys used non-standard forms more frequently than girls did. Cheshire concluded that 'variation is controlled by both social and linguistic factors'. 

In boys' speech, variation is governed by norms that are central to the vernacular culture, these are transmitted through the peer group. Variation in the girls' speech appears to be a more personal process, and less rigidly controlled by vernacular norms'. Can we therefore conclude that our language varies from a young age? This is a very interesting idea and leads us to ask 'why?' and 'how?' why is our language different from such a young age? How does society reinforce such varieties.