Job Discussion Forums

[jeffinflorida]

Is using Four-Letter words while teaching at a college or univeristy in China acceptable? I mean during the class.

Will students get offended or worse yet - their parents or school officials?

I grew up in New York City -I had high school teachers that cursed.

What about cursing in public?

What words are ok and what should be avoided? Are there enforced laws in China about profanity?

[Norman Bethune]

[Brian Caulfield]

Interesting how they think you don't know the Chinese swear words . Everytime I do introductions with a new class there is always one smart guy who says his name is shao didi . I am waiting to hear a girl call herself shao mei mei .
Ya never swear in your classroom or anywhere it reflects badly on all of us .

[The G-stringed Avenger]

I've had some smartasses walk past, see me and say MOD EDIT as though I was going to be impressed with their English. More a reflection of their immaturity, really. I wonder if my total absence of a reaction pisses them off

Don't swear in class. Swearing is something you do in front of people you know well, are close to and are comfortable using such language in front of. Even then, would you go overboard?

[no_exit]

I remember way back in middle school when I started learning Spanish, and everyone wanted to learn the bad words first. The teachers usually obliged with a few choice insults, but nothing that would get a knife pulled on you if accidentally used inappropriately on a trip to Mexico.

Do you teach your students (assuming they are adults) any foul language? What if a student asks you to define a particularly nasty term? Do you ignore or brush off his request? Is it acceptable to teach foul language to the students, particularly if they are preparing to study abroad? I have one class made up of such students. I imagine, while they should probably not use bad language, at least at first, it would be helpful for them to understand if someone is having a go at them. I think it is also important for them to know which words are ok, and which aren't. If they were only to watch TV and movies, they might easily get the impression that it is socially acceptable to litter one's speech with nasty language at all times.

The dad of one of my younger students once suggested to me that I should reward his son with new curse words. Do well in that day's lesson and earn a MOD EDIT

[clark.w.griswald]

I don't think the problem is so much that the students know the swear words, the problem is really for them to know how and when to use them. I am not suggesting that we should teach this to them, but rather point out to them the fact that second language learners often make gooses of themselves in using these words incorrectly.

I remember walking past a high school, possibly college aged kid in Shanghai once who was handing out flyers at the door of a restaurant on Huai Hai Road. It was a rainy day and I had an umbrella in one hand, a book under one arm, and my cell phone in the other hand and I was talking away on the cell phone. As I walked past him he pushed the flyer in front of me, and I walked past without taking it. He said in quite an audible voice, MOD EDIT

I ended my conversation very quickly and walked back and asked what he said. He was surprised to say the least, and obviously quite frightened as he could see that I was annoyed. I asked him in Chinese what he said, and whether he knew what it meant. He refused to answer and just kept apologizing. I suggested that we go inside and I translate the English word that he said to me into Chinese (Gan Ni - I believe) for his boss to see what his boss had to say. He of course became very apologetic and basically begged me not to. I suggested that he never use the word again unless he knew when and where to use it. And you know, I believe that he never will use that word again.

Using foul language in class is totally inappropriate in my opinion, as it doesn't help show by example that there are certain situations within which foul words are acceptible, and others when they are not. If students ever used foul language in class, I would deal with it in one of two ways:

1. If few students had heard it as it was said under the students breath, then I would ignore it during class and keep the offending student back after class for a discussion as above.

2. If it was said quite loudly and more than a few students would have heard it then I would stop the class and sit down on a desk facing the students. Without singling out the offending student and thereby depriving him or her of the attention they are seeking, I would give the class a short lecture on how in western countries often it is the uneducated or lower class that use swear words to express an opinion or view (I don't mean to offensive to anyone with this - Yes, we all curse, but I believe that the above groups tend to include swear words in their speech almost without knowing it!). I explain that often people who result to using swear words are showing ignorance as they don't have the knowledge to use other more difficult or expressive words (I am trying to make a point so please bear with me). Furthermore I explain that many people, including myself, will listen to complaints and opinions, but turn off the moment the person giving this opinion using foul language. Therefore, if you have something negative to say it will be far more useful not to use swear words as then your opinion will be heard. I end this with the fact that the students have never, and would never hear me use certain words in class as they are inappropriate, so they should follow my lead. On some occasions I would mention the story above and basically laugh at and make fun of the guy in the story to show how silly he looked using these 'fighting words' but backing down once he was challenged.