Suzanne's son gleefully sharing his multilingual knowledge.
By Suzanne Barron-Hauwaert
Becoming fluent in another language is only complete when you have mastered the swearwords. Formal or school classes simply don’t teach them. Knowing them is not enough, because getting them wrong can make you look immature.
Swearing confidently in another language is a true skill only learnt from being immersed in the culture. This was clear when I taught young adults English in a language school in London; those who frequently slipped in forbidden words were either going out with an English boyfriend/girlfriend, or watching a lot of television after 9pm (where swearwords are allowed).
My children’s first experiment with swearing came when my third child, Gabriel, was born. His older brother and sister innocently asked me ‘How do babies learn to speak?’ I replied that babies learn though repetition.
During a short car journey they managed to teach him to say the mildly naughty French words caca (poo) and pipi (pee) in less than five minutes, proving that young children can instinctively sense words that have an effect on parents.
Seven-year-old Gabriel still likes to use these words liberally, and collapsed in giggles on the sofa while watching the Brazilian World Cup match and hearing them talk about the footballer called Kaká.
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Interesting article, hoping my daughter will get all her slang and naughty words from her 3 older cousins in the states!!
Funny! You know, growing up I always thought swearing in Spanish was much dirtier than swearing in English. To my ears, they just sounded much worse. (I think they still do!)
So I do wonder, if swearing in the minority language seems “more shocking” than it does in the community language. Do you think it is just desensitization? We hear it so much, we don’t even flinch when we hear it?
Monica´s last [type] ..Homeschooling Your Kindergartener- Part Three
I think swearing in majority language German sounds more shocking …
… so I swear in English all the time. Somehow it doesn’t seem quite that bad when in English. I really should watch my mouth, though…lest my kids pick up on this …(so far they have been really good, though).
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