[NIFL-WOMENLIT:2132] Re: "taboo" words/phrases

From: Leah Carpenter (lcarp@kih.net)
Date: Wed Apr 17 2002 - 13:56:56 EDT


Return-Path: <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov>
Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id g3HHuuu08036; Wed, 17 Apr 2002 13:56:56 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2002 13:56:56 -0400 (EDT)
Message-Id: <000201c1e638$4a83e740$0e00a8c0@Leah>
Errors-To: alcrsb@langate.gsu.edu
Reply-To: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov
Originator: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov
Sender: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov
Precedence: bulk
From: "Leah Carpenter" <lcarp@kih.net>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-WOMENLIT:2132] Re: "taboo" words/phrases
X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3612.1700
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
Status: O
Content-Length: 6724
Lines: 160

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_001C_01C1E610.593CB320
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

I would imagine there are "taboo" words in Adult Ed. classrooms. It =
would seem that they would be different depending on the area you are =
in. It is sad that penis and vagina are included in this category...but =
they often are. They must be taboo or at least make some people very =
uncomfortable due to the fact that both have so many slang words =
attached to them. When was the last time you hears anyone refuse to call =
their arm anything but a woogie or ..well you get the picture. In my =
opinion, one of the jobs we should tackle is confronting such things and =
exposing our students to a more educated way of looking at them. I can =
think of a few words that I would rather not hear and especially not in =
the classroom and am not sure how to go about teaching such words. It =
seems somehow that those "taboo" words teach themselves...at least =
through the spoken word. I know a lot of toddlers that are living proof =
of that!=20
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Daphne Greenberg <ALCDGG@langate.gsu.edu>
    To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov>
    Date: Wednesday, April 17, 2002 10:28 AM
    Subject: [NIFL-WOMENLIT:2131] "taboo" words/phrases
   =20
   =20
    I recently gave a talk at a state adult literacy conference on =
health and literacy issues. I discussed various issues as they relate to =
health and literacy, including different types of cancers, birth =
control, fevers, sore throats, and aids prevention. In my speech, I used =
the words "vagina" and "penis." After my talk, comments were made to me =
that this was the first adult basic education speech that they heard =
those words spoken out loud. This comment made me think about the =
following and I am wondering if anyone else has thoughts/comments that =
they would like to share:
    a. Are there "taboo" words/phrases in adult education classes?
    b. How do our learners learn to read these "taboo" words/phrases, if =
they are not exposed to them in the adult literacy classroom?
    c. How do our nonnative speakers of English learn these "taboo" =
words/phrases if they are not exposed to them in the adult literacy =
classroom?
    d. If you are involved, or have been involved in classrooms where =
"taboo" words/phrases are voiced, how did this come about and what =
happened?
   =20
    Daphne Greenberg
    Associate Director
    Center for the Study of Adult Literacy
    Georgia State University
    University Plaza
    Atlanta, GA 30303-3083
    phone: 404-651-0127
    fax:404-651-4901
    dgreenberg@gsu.edu

------=_NextPart_000_001C_01C1E610.593CB320
Content-Type: text/html;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN">
<HTML>
<HEAD>

<META content=3Dtext/html;charset=3Diso-8859-1 =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 =
Transitional//EN">
<META content=3D'"MSHTML 4.72.3612.1706"' name=3DGENERATOR>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff=20
style=3D"FONT: 10pt Tahoma; MARGIN-LEFT: 2px; MARGIN-TOP: 2px">
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial>I would imagine there are =
&quot;taboo&quot;=20
words in Adult Ed. classrooms. It would seem that they would be =
different=20
depending on the area you are in. It is sad that penis and vagina are =
included=20
in this category...but they often are. They must be taboo or at least =
make some=20
people very uncomfortable due to the fact that both have so many slang =
words=20
attached to them. When was the last time you hears anyone refuse to call =
their=20
arm anything but a woogie or ..well you get the picture. In my opinion, =
one of=20
the jobs we should tackle is confronting such things and exposing our =
students=20
to a more educated way of looking at them. I can think of a few words =
that I=20
would rather not hear and especially not in the classroom and am not =
sure how to=20
go about teaching such words. It seems somehow that those =
&quot;taboo&quot;=20
words teach themselves...at least through the spoken word. I know a lot =
of=20
toddlers that are living proof of that! </FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 solid 2px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: =
5px">
    <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>-----Original =
Message-----</B><BR><B>From:=20
    </B>Daphne Greenberg &lt;<A=20
    =
href=3D"mailto:ALCDGG@langate.gsu.edu">ALCDGG@langate.gsu.edu</A>&gt;<BR>=
<B>To:=20
    </B>Multiple recipients of list &lt;<A=20
    =
href=3D"mailto:nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov">nifl-womenlit@literacy.ni=
fl.gov</A>&gt;<BR><B>Date:=20
    </B>Wednesday, April 17, 2002 10:28 AM<BR><B>Subject:=20
    </B>[NIFL-WOMENLIT:2131] &quot;taboo&quot;=20
    words/phrases<BR><BR></DIV></FONT><FONT face=3DTahoma size=3D2><FONT =
face=3DTahoma=20
    size=3D2>
    <DIV>I recently gave a talk at a state adult literacy conference on =
health=20
    and literacy issues. I discussed various issues as they relate to =
health and=20
    literacy, including different types of cancers, birth control, =
fevers, sore=20
    throats, and aids prevention. In my speech, I used the words=20
    &quot;vagina&quot; and &quot;penis.&quot; After my talk, comments =
were made=20
    to me that this was the first adult basic education speech that they =

    heard&nbsp;those words&nbsp;spoken out loud. This comment made me =
think=20
    about the following and I am wondering if anyone else has =
thoughts/comments=20
    that they would like to share:</DIV>
    <DIV>a. Are there &quot;taboo&quot; words/phrases in adult education =

    classes?</DIV>
    <DIV>b. How do our learners learn to read these &quot;taboo&quot;=20
    words/phrases, if they are not exposed to them in the adult literacy =

    classroom?</DIV>
    <DIV>c. How do our nonnative speakers of English learn these=20
    &quot;taboo&quot; words/phrases if they are not exposed to them in =
the adult=20
    literacy classroom?</DIV>
    <DIV>d. If you are involved, or have been involved in classrooms =
where=20
    &quot;taboo&quot; words/phrases are voiced, how did this come about =
and what=20
    happened?</DIV>
    <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
    <DIV>Daphne Greenberg<BR>Associate Director<BR>Center for the Study =
of Adult=20
    Literacy<BR>Georgia State University<BR>University Plaza<BR>Atlanta, =
GA=20
    30303-3083<BR>phone: 404-651-0127<BR>fax:404-651-4901<BR><A=20
    =
href=3D"mailto:dgreenberg@gsu.edu">dgreenberg@gsu.edu</A></DIV></FONT></F=
ONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_001C_01C1E610.593CB320--



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Fri Jan 17 2003 - 14:45:43 EST