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jmbran11
Joined: 19 Jan 2006 Location: U.S.
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Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 1:25 am Post subject: Help me teach my students to cuss! |
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One of the programs I teach at my company is a four-week course to prepare executives who are being transferred to English-speaking countries. Tomorrow is the last day of instruction, and my students had an interesting request. They asked me to review common cuss words so they can understand them and evaluate the level of severity when they hear them used. I want to give an example, but it will just get beeped out.
Normally, I wouldn't bother, but since they sometimes try to use them anyway, I thought it might actually be useful. I don't want them making a fool of themselves when they try to imitate the movies or tv. These guys will be moving to the U.S. next month, and their level is advanced.
I was thinking of using a short dialogue and then explaining five or six "vocab" words in slight detail. If you have ever tried something like this, or have any actual suggestions, please let me know.
Just for the record, this isn't a joke. It was a serious request from my students, and I'm willing to give it a try and see how it goes. |
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ChuckECheese

Joined: 20 Jul 2006
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Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 1:31 am Post subject: |
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Why not? Teach them the "F" and "S" words.
If you have any questions about the proper meaning of any words or phases. Post them here. I'm sure the guys will be happy to help out, including me. |
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jmbran11
Joined: 19 Jan 2006 Location: U.S.
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Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 1:40 am Post subject: |
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Yes, I was thinking something like "fvck is technically a slang term for 'to have sex', but we common use it as an adjective, such as 'that fvcking English class' or an adverb, such as 'how the fvck did you manage that?'"
I give that one about thirty seconds before the mods get hold of it. |
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Hyeon Een

Joined: 24 Jun 2005
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Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 1:41 am Post subject: |
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Remind them that "crazy" is not a severe insult.
Remind them that sometimes "shut up" is not as strong as they think it is (though it depends how its said). |
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jmbran11
Joined: 19 Jan 2006 Location: U.S.
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Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 1:42 am Post subject: |
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Hyeon Een wrote: |
Remind them that "crazy" is not a severe insult.
Remind them that sometimes "shut up" is not as strong as they think it is (though it depends how its said). |
Actually, that's a really good idea. Thanks. |
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Boodleheimer

Joined: 10 Mar 2006 Location: working undercover for the Man
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Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 2:55 am Post subject: |
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for the "activate" stage, have them act out a bad driver or a car accident
honk, honk! "**** you, you ******* sack of ****!" |
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Peter Jackson

Joined: 23 Apr 2006
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Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 3:24 am Post subject: Cuss |
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There was a comedian once (forget his name) who did a whole "grammar" lesson about the "f" word, explaining all the parts of speech in which it can be used. It truly is a versitile word.
You could explain that when it is used between friends it is not always so derogatory. I knew a Korean person once who thought it was so rude when someone would say something like "I'm #$%@ing tired." Or the quite prevalent expression popular in Canada: "f#$% off!" to show disbelief or amazement.
So many. |
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vexed

Joined: 25 Aug 2006 Location: Daegu
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Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 3:46 am Post subject: |
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You could ask them each to come up with a list of swear words they know and order them in terms of how severe they think the words are. Then bring it all together and discuss it as a class - trying to highlight the differences between Western and Korean interpretations of swear word severity.
Then show them this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcw88o-Dolg to show them how when you say a swear word too much, it loses it severity and becomes comical.
Enjoy! |
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Novernae
Joined: 02 Mar 2005
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Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 6:01 am Post subject: |
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I was teaching translation in Argentina a couple of years ago and I asked my boyfriend to come in and do a 'bad words' class. He and his friend went on for two hours. It went over really well. Especially with the 60 year old Catholic grandmother who would have a heart attack any time homosexuality was mentioned. She spent the entire two hours furiously writing notes and filled several pages with cuss words.
I really think it's a good idea, especially with those who are going to be exposed to natural uses of the words. The boyfriend of one of my students was studying at 'university' and felt he was too good for the class that we had invited him too. He told me with true sincerity that he associated himself with blacks and felt it was perfectly fine to walk into a ghetto and call the first person he saw a N1gger (in Argentina he was of the white upper class). I highly doubt he came out of that experience unscathed. But then again, maybe all that 'education' saved him?
Here in Korea we always spend the first few classes calling every student crazy about 8 times. They are all desensitized to it enough that they wouldn't blink an eye if anyone happened to call them that in jest in the future. |
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Jarome_Turner

Joined: 10 Sep 2004
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ChuckECheese

Joined: 20 Jul 2006
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Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 6:41 am Post subject: |
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You may also use visual aid like Hustler, Tramps, LowRider, and what else was there? But Playboy is too lame.  |
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ajuma

Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Location: Anywere but Seoul!!
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TheFonz

Joined: 01 Dec 2005 Location: North Georgia
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Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 10:02 am Post subject: Re: Cuss |
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Peter Jackson wrote: |
There was a comedian once (forget his name) who did a whole "grammar" lesson about the "f" word, explaining all the parts of speech in which it can be used. It truly is a versitile word.
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George Carlin did that bit. Some interesting facts on the word *beep* here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/*beep*
For instance the uses in the hbo series deadwood. http://thewvsr.com/deadwood.htm |
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Real Reality
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 2:55 pm Post subject: |
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Some of you have *beep* in your links.
The links or URL leads to this
The webpage cannot be found.
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cruisemonkey

Joined: 04 Jul 2005 Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.
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Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 3:10 pm Post subject: |
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Make it an enjoyable 'video day' and show them a couple of episodes of The Sopranos... a 'critical analysis' of cuss words afterward should cover almost every known usage.  |
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