Job Discussion Forums

[xiguagua]

So i'm curious to see what peoples opinions are about swearing around students. Not swearing AT students, but just swearing during informal conversation outside of class.

I have known teachers that have created entire LESSONS on swearing, even going as far as having the students shout out swears in class. Personally, I would never teach such a class as I see it as completely unprofessional and frankly disgusting, BUT I do tend to swear around students in informal situations outside of class.

What's interesting is at home, I do not swear, but after I came to China, I've seen so many students trying their hardest to swear (good students trying to be more natural.....not talking about the HALLOOOO's) and most of them do not use the swears correctly. I figured that if they're going to swear (and yes, they are going to swear) they need to at least know how to use the words properly, and understand where and when it is acceptable.

What are you guys' opinions/experiences on it?

[7969]

There's nothing wrong with teaching a lesson on slang terms, which covers swear words. Students hear these words in movies and on tv shows, and sometimes imitate what they hear so you might as well teach them the origin and proper use of such words. I've done it before and it can make an interesting class.

I never use "swear" words IN class as part of my daily routine, and almost never outside of class if students are around. There are a few students that I know very well, and if we're together chatting about something I sometimes use a four letter word every now and then, but doesn't happen that often.

[xiguagua]

I think part of my problem with that particular lesson was that it wasn't very beneficial. Teaching slang and touching on swears is ok I think, but when the purpose of a lesson is "Here are some ways to shout and insult people, now lets practice yelling bad words!" it's just a recipe for disaster.

[Denim-Maniac]

My German teenagers often swear in class. They think its cool, and also seem to think its acceptable. I normally stamp it out pretty quickly TBH. I had a 17-year-old girl wear a T-Shirt that had offensive language on it, and I took her to one side after class and told her that was unacceptable too. She didn't wear it again, and I actually tend to find they appreciate and respect the guidelines I set. They actually think I should be stricter generally.

In China its different because I teach adults. Quite often I socialise with them at bars, we drink and eat together and as a result my conversations with them would be the same as my conversations with any other group of people. Naturally with some groups the language is coarser than with others.

I would still tend to avoid swearing in class though. If I do, I apologise beforehand and use the offending word for a clear reason, perhaps to quote or paraphrase someone or a movie line etc.

[7969]

[muffintop]

Depending on the class I do sometimes devote a lesson or more than one on swearing. Most of my adult..well..18+ year old students plan to go abroad. The boys often let curses fly but use them incorrectly and almost none of them really get the difference between cursing AT somebody or using a curse to simply add emphasis.

I am sure all of you at some point have laughed your butt off when somebody cursed in English but used the words either at a completely inappropriate moment or whatever. Like when a new female student comes into class and one boy says to another..."She is hot. I want to make sexy with her. She can sick my duck."

Not to mention I have to continually explain why students should use the word rooster instead of cock. Another teacher did a silly lesson with the....'if you were stranded on a desert island and could only have three things....' Beautiful girl stands up and reads her list. Final item was.....'and of course I'll need to eat so I want the biggest cock I can find'. Yeah...rooster.

They can actually be fairly difficult lessons since they have to pay attention to to more than the curses in a sentence to understand how they are being used. Tone of voice, inflection, facial expressions, body language, context and other thingamajiggys can be incorporated into the lessons.

[xiguagua]

[Denim-Maniac]

[NoBillyNO]

I teach like a sailor.

[Shroob]

I'm not the type of person to swear, so would never teach it in a class. Some other foreign teachers here swear around students. One of them even teaches them how to say, 'F*** yeah!' Instead of just, 'Yeah'.

[Ariadne]

I'm older, my own kids are in their thirties. They certainly use words that I find unacceptable, but they don't use them around me. They know when and with whom they can use the words. I try to encourage the same thing with my university students. It is important for them to know that some words, no matter how often they have heard them in the movies, are totally unacceptable at (for example) a job interview.

It's hard enough for students to get the basics right! I shudder to think about adding (what I believe to be) foul language into the mix.


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[fat_chris]

[fat_chris]

[fat_chris]

Last semester there was a female student in one of my classes who wanted to say ditch but it came out as d*ck. Most of my students are pretty astute and a few of the male students caught this. This was the reaction on their faces



At least during the break they had the decency to explain to her what she had said in a non-offensive and non-threatening manner not in front of everybody. Well done, lads.

Warm regards,
fat_chris

[it'snotmyfault]