TABOO OR NOT TABOO? SHO LD WE TEACH TABOO WORDS IN THE ENGLISH CLASSROOM?
TABOO OR NOT TABOO? SHO LD WE TEACH TABOO WORDS IN THE ENGLISH CLASSROOM?
Taboo words and swear words are those words and phrases which many people find shocking and offensive. They are often a problem area for teachers and learners of English. In general, the best advice is to avoid both using and teaching taboo words in the classroom.
But strong language and swearing are all part of everyday spoken English. Many popular films are full of examples of what we call ‘bad language’. The ‘f word’ is now not uncommon in some types of music. How do you approach this topic in the classroom? Do you feel comfortable teaching this aspect of English or do you think it’s something that is not suitable, appropriate or necessary?
One of the main difficulties for learners of English is understanding the strength of the words they are using. This can arise when the students compare the taboo word to the equivalent in their mother tongue which may have a very different strength.
Another problem is with appropriateness (tied in with the use of taboo words to claim membership of a group, above). Two teachers may meet socially and talk about a film being, “fucking brilliant”, however in the classroom if the student (or teacher) talked about a book being “fucking brilliant” then this would be inappropriate language for that situation.
It can often happen that students will ask their teachers about swearwords and taboo words. They may watch American or British films and hear these words and genuinely want to know more.
As a teacher you should tread warily here. If you do go ahead with a lesson on taboo words, make sure that you include elements not only on learning and using vocabulary, but also importantly:
▪ context – when it is appropriate to use the taboo words and when it is not
▪ strength – which words are more or less offensive than others.
Below we suggest some activities compiled from WWW. TEFL. NET/esl-lesson-plans, which take a look at common swear words in the English language. A vocabulary mix-and-match exercise is followed by stimulating conversation questions to develop fluency. E. g. “Why do students often find it easy to remember taboo words in English?”
Activity 1
How many English taboo words do you already know? Work with your partner to brainstorm as many taboo words (and their meanings) as you can.
Tips for teachers:
Let the students brainstorm in pairs or small groups. Or do this as an open class activity. Elicit feedback.
Activity 2
Match the following English taboo words with their literal meanings below.
Hell, piss, crap, balls, bloody, bollocks, bastard, shit, prick, bugger, fuck, cunt
1. testicles
2. testicles
3. to have sexual intercourse
4. (religious) the opposite of paradise
5. to urinate
6. to defecate, excrement
7. to defecate, excrement
8. a woman’s sexual organ (vagina)
9. a man’s sexual organ (penis)
10. to have anal intercourse, a person who has anal intercourse
11. a child whose parents are not married
12. no real meaning (used for emphases)
Tips for teachers:
Let the students do the exercise individually then check in pairs. Elicit feedback.
Answers:
1. balls/bollocks 2. balls/bollocks 3. fuck 4. hell 5. piss 6. crap/shit 7. crap/shit 8. cunt 9. prick 10. bugger. 11. bastard 12. bloody
Activity 3
Put the words from activity 2 in the columns below depending on how offensive they can be.
Moderately offensive Very offensive Extremely offensive
Tips for teachers:
Let the students do the exercise individually then check in pairs. Elicit feedback.
Suggested answers: (variations in voice tone, context, etc. may enable words to be perceived as more or less offensive by individuals)
Moderately offensive: hell
Very offensive: piss, crap, balls, bollocks, bastard, bloody
Extremely offensive: shit, prick, bugger, fuck, cunt
Activity 4
Match the words from activity 2 with their uses and functions below (More than one answer is possible).
1. to express annoyance/disbelief
2. to express surprise
3. to insult someone
4. to order someone to go away (with the particle ‘off’)
5. to intensify adjectives and adverbs
6. to talk about organizational mistakes(with ‘up’)
Tips for teachers:
Let the students begin their conversation in English, in pairs or small groups. Elicit feedback.
Answer:
Annoyance/disbelief: Hell! Bugger!
Surprise: Fuck! Shit!
Insult someone: Bastard! Prick! Cunt!
Order to go: Piss off! Bugger off! Fuck off!
Intensify: Bloody hell! Fucking stupid!
Mistakes: to fuck up, to balls up, to bugger (up)
Activity 5
The letters in the taboo words in the sentences below have been jumbled up. Solve the anagrams.
1. ‘My boss is obodoyl hopeless. Yesterday he kufdec up the presentation he was giving. ’
2. ‘Stih! I’ve broken another fingernail. ’
3. ‘Can I help you?’ ‘No, sips off, you stupid nuct. ’
4. ‘That film was prac, wasn’t it?’ ‘Yes, the plot was a loud of loobcisk/labsl. ’
5. ‘Why don’t you just grubeg off and leave me alone?’
Tips for teachers:
Let the students work in pairs or small groups. Elicit feedback.
Answers: 1. bloody/fucked 2. shit 3. piss/cunt 4. crap/bollocks/balls 5. bugger
Activity 6
Read the following questions and use them to start a conversation with your partner.
1. Do you use taboo words in your own language? Why/not?
2. Why do you think some people use taboo words a lot?
3. Why do you think some people are particularly offended by taboo words?
4. Why do students often find it easy to remember taboo words in English?
5. How useful is it for you to know taboo words in English?
6. Do you think learning taboo words is a waste of time? Why/not?
7. Do you think teachers should teach taboo words to students or not? Why?
Tips for teachers:
Let the students begin their conversation in English, in pairs or small groups. Elicit feedback.
Activity 7
Read the text. se the information you find there to answer the questions below.
1. What three categories does the article divide taboo words into?
2. What alternative word for ‘fucking’ is suggested?
3. Which gesture (which is offensive in Britain but not elsewhere) is mentioned?
TABOO OR NOT TABOO (That is the f**king question!)
Taboo words exist in most, if not all, languages in the world. But why are some words considered to be ‘taboo’?
Bad language in English can be divided into three broad categories. Firstly there are the religious words. Many people consider these words to represent holy or sacred subjects and so they are offended when the words are used out of context or in a disrespectful way (i. e. when names are ‘taken in vain’). Hence words such as ‘God’, ‘Jesus’ and ‘Christ Almighty’ become taboo.
The second category of taboo (or ‘swear’) words concerns the functions of the body, specifically lavatorial words connected with things produced by the body. People generally do not like to speak openly about toilet functions – human dignity is linked to this and is partly preserved by the privacy surrounding our activities in the toilet. Thus, disregard for this social nicety is perceived as offensive by many. Words such as ‘piss’ or ‘fart’ are therefore taboo, (though their medical equivalents are not).
The third category of swear words tends to contain the strongest words in the language. These words are all related to sexual acts and the sex organs. Most of them are punchy in style – often only one syllable long – and are intended to shock or offend in the most emphatic way. These words are generally avoided in polite conversation as well as on TV and radio and in the newspapers, although as time goes by and society changes more and more swearing can be heard and read in the media.
Some taboo words are very old. Words such as ‘blimey’ (moderately strong) come from the old English phrase of disbelief ‘God blind me’, which used to be considered to be extremely strong in days gone by, when society at large was more religious. Other taboo words have very mild equivalents which can be used relatively safely instead, and enable the user to express strong emotions or reactions without actually using swear words. ‘Flipping’ can be used instead of ‘f*cking’ (for example: ‘Don’t be so flipping stupid!’). ‘Sugar’ can be used instead of ‘sh*t’ to express displeasure (for example: ‘Oh, sugar! We’ve missed our train. ’)
Apart from taboo words there are also taboo gestures. ‘Giving someone the finger’ is considered taboo in many countries though is not considered equally offensive in all countries (i. e. it may be considered rather rude in one country but exceedingly offensive in another). In Britain it is considered extremely offensive to raise two fingers (the index and middle fingers) at someone, though only if the back of the fingers are displayed to the recipient. If the palm side of the hand is facing the recipient when the fingers are raised the gesture is interpreted as one of victory!
Generally speaking, the strength both of taboo words and gestures varies so much from country to country it can be a tremendous challenge to try to use either or both effectively, though it may be useful to be able to recognise them.
Answers:
1. Religious, bodily functions (lavatorial), sexual activity and sex organs.
2. flipping
3. the V sign (raising two fingers at someone)
Complete the Quick Quiz below. Read the clues and write the solutions on a piece of paper. Then take the first letter of each answer and rearrange them to find the hidden word connected with this Talking Point.
Quick Quiz:
1. __________ are some words considered to be ‘taboo’?
2. People generally do not like to speak openly __________ toilet functions.
3. These words are generally avoided on TV and __________ and in the newspapers.
4. ‘Oh, __________! We’ve missed our train. ’)
5. In Britain it is considered __________ offensive to raise two fingers at someone.
Tips for teachers:
Let the students do the exercise individually then check in pairs. Elicit feedback.
Answers: SWEAR – S for Sugar (4), W for Why (1), E for Extremely (5). A for About (2), R for Radio(3).
Activity 8
Would you like to express your opinion on the question “Should English teachers teach taboo words to students?”
Tips for teachers: This activity can be set as homework to be followed up and consolidated in a future lesson generating more discussion.
Метки: Иностранный язык