Foul language at the elementary school
M98C0102
王憶文
Introduction
Background and Motivation
Language is considered as a tool for communicating ideas and expressing emotions. The
existing of foul language can be traced back to pre-history age. People at that time used specific
sounds or gestures to convey their emotions such as anger, furious or even frighten. Nowadays, we
still express the same emotions through specific language usage or written words such as foul
language, which showing in different forms and still prevalent in any levels of the education, family
and society around the world.
Herbert Marcuse stated that “Obscenity is a depraved act by weak and miserable men, who
have allowed it to go on and on with endless fury and self-destruction.” This explains the reason for
high school and college students to express their anger by using foul language. Sometimes, we can
overhear different foul language from high school students and college students. There are two
main reasons for those teenagers to use foul language. First, they want to express their thought
about some specific accidents, persons or social phenomena. Second, they want to gain the peer
closeness. This is quite a normal phenomena in secondary or undergraduate students.
A growing number of research studies are now available to shed some light on foul language
of secondary and high education. According to Liou’s (1995) study, female uses more foul language
than male at the age from 13 to 25. How about those elementary students? They are supposed to be
the most naïve and pure children before they become youngsters. They are considered as the group
that will not know or even use foul language. However, more and more elementary students use
forbidden language at the wrong time and places. The majority of research in this topic has focus on
the critical influence from family and peer group. However, few studies have reported on the
correlation among the genders of younger foul language users, peer influence and family influence.
From the randomly classroom observations, the more misleading conflicts they encounter, the
higher frequency they will use the foul language. This research tries to find the most frequent foul
words for elementary students, the critical reason for these young children to say like this; at the
same time, to investigate whether female or male students use more foul words through
questionnaire. It would be better for educators to know what really happened in the campus and
how to reduce this situation and find out the useful method to undertake proper discipline. Maybe
the results can provide some strategies for reduce the frequency in saying foul language and to
guide them to use the right language.
Literature review
The previous study of Liou (1995) investigating the relationship among different
genders ,ages, and using foul language found that the frequency for male aged in 13 to 25 using
“gan ni nian” toward female is higher that female in using this word toward female. Will this
situation be the same at the elementary stage? Lin (2009) also reported that swearing was another
way to ease or reduce the anger or pain. Measuring the main reason for using foul words is also
another attention in this study.
Research questions
1. What is the most popular foul language?
2. What is the most critical element in influencing the use of foul language?
3. Where do they receive these foul language?
4. Do male use less foul language to scold female?
Method
Participants
About 35 5th graders and 16 4th graders EFL students at a Tainan elementary school
participated in this research. The age of subject ranges from 10 to 11 years old. They were
the comparison groups with the study that had conducted by Liou (1995).
Measures
Self-design foul language questionnaire. This questionnaire is for investigating
subjects’ background information, language usage and relationship between the previous
two variables. This questionnaire is written in Chinese for Mandarin Chinese native
speakers at elementary school. There are three major categories such as background
information, foul language usage situation, and the reasons for using foul language, for
measuring the variables in using foul language. Additional 10 questions answered on a
4-pointed Likert scale.
Procedure
First, I got the permission of the principal. Two classes of 5th graders and one class of
4th graders were inquired for participating this research with a letter of consent. Researcher
distribute questionnaire after collecting the letters of consent personally.
Data collection
Classroom observation was transcribed into verbatim. Researcher calculated the times of each
foul words uttering by target subjects, student A, B and C. Data will be transferred into excel file for
knowing the distribution of the foul language. Then, questionnaire was administered to ?
participants in one section during students’ regular class time.ss time.
Data analysis
“Gan” is the most high frequency word for elementary school students. As table 1 has shown
that the most frequent foul word is “cow”.
Student A always use foul words while he was angry or
tried to defense himself. This observation proved the same finding as previous study done by Liou
(1995), that is, boys uses more foul words than girls at age 10.
Table 1.
Times of using foul words through classroom observation
Student A
Student B
Students C
Total
靠
5
2
0
7
幹
5
2
0
6
靠爸
2
0
0
2
Shit
2
1
0
3
白痴
1
1
0
1
操你媽
1
0
0
1
Total
16
4
0
20
Note. Student A and B are boys and C is a girl.
Table 2. Comparison of two students
6
5
4
Student A
3
Student B
2
1
0
靠
幹
靠爸
Shit
白痴
操你媽
Table 3 shows that “gan” was the most high frequency word for elementary school students.
“Gan-ni-nia”, “cow-io”, and “chu-ni-der” are also common usage for young students.
Table 3. The preference of foul language usesage at elementary
20
18
16
14
times
12
10
8
6
4
2
頭
賽
你
他 娘
奶
奶
的
豬
車
蛋
欉
三
幹 小
你
祖
母
王
八
機
痴
白
屁
媽
的
t
北
你
操
靠
sh
i
fu
ck
媽
的
靠
妳
去
腰
靠
幹
幹
你
娘
0
foul words
四年級
五年級1
五年級2
Curiosity is the main reason for elementary school students to say foul language. As table 4
showed that 17% students use foul words when they are curious about the sounds and the reactions
of the receivers and 27% students use foul words out of anger or suffer unfair. 29% female elders
used more foul words than male elders.
Table 4.
常常
偶爾
不常
沒有
1. 在上室內課聽過同學使用不雅文字罵人?
22%
18%
11%
50%
2. 在上室外課時會聽到同學使用不雅文字?
23%
10%
55%
13%
3. 我會在學校使用不雅文字罵人?
2%
12%
31%
55%
4. 我會因為生氣、憤怒而使用不雅文字?
2%
12%
28%
58%
5. 我會因為遭受不公平對待而使用不雅文字?
3%
10%
6%
81%
6. 我的心情會因為使用了不雅文字而變好?
2%
2%
19%
77%
7. 我會因為好玩、好奇而使用不雅文字?
0%
17%
33%
49%
8. 我常聽到男性長輩使用不雅文字?
13%
10%
33%
43%
9. 我常聽到女性長輩使用不雅文字?
0%
29%
12%
59%
74%
0%
0%
26%
10.我覺得男同學比女同學更容易使用不雅文
字?
Learning places are the common resources for students to receive foul words. As table 5
showed that students hear or say these foul words during school recession time and class time. The
other exchanging place is at cram school. It is obvious that peer influence plays an important role
among primary school students.
Table 5. Occupations they heard foul words
16
14
12
10
times
8
6
4
2
places
其
他
影
院
電
雜
誌
飲
店
餐
電
視
家
裡
網
路
習
班
補
室
上
課
教
下
課
0
grade 4
grade 5 A
grade 5 B
Results
In the previous study indicated that male use more words than female. According to
this data, this situation changed as time and society changed, too. There are four findings as
following: 1) “Gan” is the most high frequency word for elementary school students; 2)
“Curiosity” is the main reason for elementary school students to say foul language; 3)
“learning places” are the main resources for students to get the information of foul language; and 4)
female uses more foul words than male.
Conclusion
The research findings from the classroom observation revealed that boys use more foul
languages than girls at the elementary stage. This evidence also matched with the findings of
previous research (Liou, 1995). On the contrary, students used foul languages out of curiosity
instead of express anger. Another interesting finding was that female uses more foul words than
male. These findings shed a light on the discipline on students’ behavior and adopt a better way to
ease this phenomena.
References
曲靈均 (2009). 國外領導人貶低對手“髒話”多
來源：環球時報
retried from:
http://big5.chinabroadcast.cn/gate/big5/gb.cri.cn/27824/2009/12/29/541s2718128.ht
m
Ruth Wajnryb (2006). Language most foul. 麥田:Taipei, Taiwan
東方文集 髒話的粗略研究 retried from: http://blog.roodo.com/dungfang/archives/2546365.html
林筱 (2009). 最新研究發現罵髒話有助人們減輕疼痛感 retried
form :http://dailynews.sina.com/bg/news/heh/sinacn/20090712/2104467780.html
蔡珮
從污化女性髒話看父權在語言使用的權力展現. 新聞學研究, 50( 82), p. 133-170.
廖嫺雅（1995）. 性別與年齡的差異使用與侮辱字眼的關係. 台北:輔仁大學語言研究所碩士
論文.
台灣常見的髒話
retrieved from http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%AB%92%E8%A9%B1
民俗髒話之研究報告
retrieved from
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/jw!tZ2LgaOBHxt67kye28vTxss-/article?mid=1807
Classroom observation for using foul language at elementary
小學生使用不雅語言的教室觀察紀錄
Note: Students A, B and C are from the same class. Student A and B are
boys and C is a girl.
1---Thursday, Dec. 17th, 2009
A: 靠! 討厭的**老師，幹!(生氣地走進教室)
B:不要吵啦！
A: 叫屁喔！
B:那麼大聲幹(加重語氣)~什麼?
A:你亂罵人，笨蛋。
B:我只是說你在幹什麼而已啊?
A: Shit! 幹! 操你媽的 (更憤怒，走過去作勢要打 B)
B: 老師!
A: 沒種! 只會打小報告。(T 趕快制止)
2---Thursday, Dec. 31st, 2009 (上課前)
A 從外面走進來
A: 哇靠! 上完廁所好舒服！ (對一位男同學做出不雅動作，旁邊有一位女生 C)
C: 回去座位啦! 噁心!
A: 幹! (眉開眼笑 繼續鬧 C，C 不理 A)
A: 小雞雞…..
C: 閃啦! 討厭!
B: 回去座位啦! 快上課了!
A: 不要，他是我的好麻吉。(繼續不雅的動作)
C: 不要在耍白痴了啦! 變態!
B 向班長舉發 A 不悅地走回座位 (上課鐘響)
A: 靠!
3---Thursday, Dec. 31st, 2009 (下課前，收習作時間)
B: 習作交出來!
A: 靠! 你白痴喔! 我沒有帶!
B:你才是白痴! 靠北邊走!
A:你才是在靠爸，亂叫
B: xxx(A 生的中文名) 是條狗 在靠爸
哈哈哈
A: 幹! 你全家都是(白痴)
B: 沒有用! 罵人罵到你自己! 哈哈哈 靠~北邊走的狗在亂叫
A: Shit!
靠!
B: 不要只會罵 Shit!
(A 雙眼發紅 雙手緊握 狠狠瞪著 B 狂說)
A: 狗屎臭死你全家! Shit! 靠! 可惡
(因為 T 看情勢已經到極限出面制止 A 才慢慢熄火)
影響學生使用次文化語言的因素---以南台灣小學為例
問卷調查同意書
您好:
本問卷主要是了解小學生在學校次文化語言的使用，以及影響小學生使用
次文化語言的因素。本問卷純屬學術研究，學生的問卷僅作為本論文研究使用，
不會做其他用途或揭露，請安心讓學生填答。在研究進行中，不會受到任何傷
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的學生。
學生的回答會使本研究更具價值，因此懇請於下列同意書中惠予簽名，衷心謝
謝您的協助！
敬祝
身體健康
南台科技大學應用英語研究所
指 導 教 授: 鍾 榮 富 教授
研
究 生: 王 憶 文 敬上
Tel: 0912-683185
E-mail: iamariel0523@yahoo.com.tw
同意書
茲同意接受南台科技大學應用英語研究所王憶文「影響學生使用次文化語言的
因素---以南台灣小學為例」的問卷調查，知道此資料僅供學術研究用，絕對不
對外公開，本學校已獲得研究者適當的解釋說明，在研究進行中，學生不會受
到任何傷害，學生也有權力回答不想回答的問題，且可隨時終止參與研究。此
訪談預計進行一次，對本人不會造成任何傷害。
立書同意人:____________________
中華民國:______年______月____日
小學生次文化語言(不雅文字)使用問卷
Dec.28th, 2009
A.
1. □ 男
□女
2. 年 齡 ： □ 9 歲
□ 10 歲
3. 住 家 區 域 : □ 東 區
□台南縣
□ 11 歲
□北區
□ 12 歲
□中西區
□南區
□ 安 南 區 (台 南 市 )
□高雄縣
4. 家 庭 狀 況 : □ 大 家 庭 (祖 父 、 祖 母 、 父 、 母 、 手 足 ) □ 小 家 庭 (父 、 母 、 手 足
□ 單 親 1(父 、 我 )
□ 單 親 2 (母 、 我 ）
□ 隔 代 1(祖 父 、 我 )
□ 隔 代 2(祖 母 、 我 ）
□寄養
□其他
5. 父 親 教 育 程 度 :___________________________ 職 業 :_________________
6. 母 親 教 育 程 度 :___________________________ 職 業 :_________________
B.
常常
偶爾
不常
沒有
3. 在上室內課聽過同學使用不雅文字罵人?




4. 在上室外課時會聽到同學使用不雅文字?




3. 你會在學校使用不雅文字罵人?




4. 你會因為生氣、憤怒而使用不雅文字?




5. 你會因為遭受不公平對待而使用不雅文字?




6. 你的心情會因為使用了不雅文字而變好?




7. 你會因為好玩、好奇而使用不雅文字?




8. 我常聽到男性長輩使用不雅語言?




9. 我常聽到女性長輩使用不雅語言?




10.你覺得男同學比女同學更容易使用不雅文字?




項目
C.
1. 請寫出你最常聽到的不雅文字 (3 個或更多，也可以使用注音符號)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
2. 通常是在何種場合聽到或看到不雅文字?
□家裡 □下課時間(操場) □上課時間(教室) □補習班 □餐飲店 □電影院
□電視 □雜誌 □網路
□其他_______________________________________________________
3. 你曾聽過誰使用不雅文字?
□祖父 □祖母 □爸爸 □媽媽 □哥哥 □姊姊 □弟弟 □妹妹 □叔叔 □阿姨
□補習班老師 □補習班同學 □學校老師
□其他_______________________________________________________
4. 如果同學對你使用不雅文字，你的心情如何?
□沒感覺 □還好 □不太舒服 □討厭 □厭惡 □憤怒
□其他________________________________________________________
問卷填寫完畢，謝謝您的填寫!