Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Milwaukiedave]

Had a kid in my class today say **** you to another student in English. Mind you this is a university class. I was so shocked I turned my head and looked at the kid and he just about died of embarrassment. After class he apologized and I didn't make a big deal about it.

In one of my classes a few weeks ago something similar happened and I explained that some parents in western culture would take bars of soap and wash their children's mouths out with it for that kind of language. Then I jokingly said everyone should bring in a bar of soap next week.

[Xuanzang]

My 5th graders say "shit" sometimes. I remind them of the class rules and give them a bad look. I do wonder where they get it from. TV? Computer games?

[dinga271]

I had an instance last week with some middle schoolers saying f**k you to each other. I tried to explain to them how offensive and inappropriate the language was, so of course I copped the f**k you.

The worst thing was having an argument with the boss (in front of of the class, not professional I know but at the time I didn't give a shit) that the term should not be used to anybody, let alone a foreign teacher. This was after he tried to justify their use of the term with that old chestnut I am sure we've all heard: 'they don't know what it means', please be tolerant.

They don't know what the term means my arse!

[Xuanzang]

[OneWayTraffic]

[bogey666]

I'm in a highschool and I hear the F word probably at least once a day in my class.

NEVER directed at me.. they know better than that

but what do I do when I hear it?
NOTHING.

I basically either laugh and or ignore it, while telling them sometimes to be "careful" with its usage.. because those can be fighting words in English.

HOWEVER - as we all know, it really depends on the tone it's used.

When your friends are messing with you, one often says "[mod edit of filter dodge] you" while laughing...

I don't give a rat's ass about swearing at my school, together with other inanities like hair length (these disciplinary idiots actually came into a classs the other day, not mine... with a RULER and started measuring the back of their heads..

I just shook my head and left the room.

[ontheway]

[travelingfool]

Ah, globalization at its best!

When I taught at a middle school in China the f word was written on the walls, desks, etc. So it's not just Korea.

[bogey666]

when I cam to the US as a 9 year old, ready to start fifth grade, the very first words I learned in the English language were swear words.

When I was learning Spanish, I couldn't get enough of various ways to swear in Spanish.

perfectly normal and natural, especially for boys, even men.

so I'm not about to play the role of some stupid "teacher" that everyone is going to laughingly IGNORE on this front.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Put an immediate end to it. And while they may not know the exact meaning they know it's a [mod edit] rude thing to say or write. [mod note: it's definitely rude and not allowed to write on here]

[b-class rambler]

I agree with ontheway. Some may well be aware that these are vaguely bad words, but they will have no idea of their sheer strength in English. If they did know that, it would suggest they absolutely detest the person they're saying them to with a passion, which is unlikely.

To be fair, it's not just Koreans that misunderstand the appropriacy and level of swearwords in English. Swearwords differ enormously in strength, appropriacy or not for the situation and amount of offence they'll cause from language to language and it's a hugely complex linguistic skill to master their use to native-speaker standard.

I've heard plenty of other non-native English speakers of languages with much more in common with English than Korean, who've clearly not understood the effect of what they were saying. A few Germans I used to know would often really overuse "f-cking whatever" when they were speaking English. As a German speaker myself, I knew that what they were originally thinking of in their own language was a lot less offensive than what they were coming out with in English.

I've noticed that the opposite way too. English kids I taught German to thought it was funny to use the word "Scheisse" very liberally on trips to Germany, as their dictionary had told them it meant "sh!t" in English. Indeed it does, but in terms of offence to the listener, it doesn't get much above "damn!" or "bloody hell" in English. So they thought they were being naughty with words when actually they weren't, which I thought was kind of funny.

I agree that as English teachers it is a good idea to make students have a better idea of the effect and appropriacy of what they're saying, if they're old and mature enough to appreciate it. That isn't always the case though.

[Privateer]

Show them what it means by your reaction to it. Erm, probably not a good idea to scream at them...I mean punish them and make it clear no one is allowed to say it!

[Tjames426]

I handle foul English language a different way.

I make it clear only losers, high school graduates with no future, and uneducated peasants use such language in public. I make this clear to the kids, the parents, and the other Koreans at my school.

I make sure they understand that with such language, the kids will never achieve anything to bring pride to their parents. In the English speaking world, such language belongs to the "lower" and "poorer" classes. Proper Public Language is a means to success.

[ekul]

[Xuanzang]