Language & Society

[oceans]

Came across the article in the Toronto Star Newspaper the other day.
Thought I would share it with you.

Where I work, there has been an issue of students using the words & phrases such as, "you're gay", "you're queer" "fag" etc........

So when I came across this article, I found it to be timely for having recently dealt with this issue of language with a group a teenagers.

http://www.thestar.com/article/350685

Enjoy,

Oceans

[vittoria]

Pretty much.

That about covers it.


V

[**Peg**]

great article! I really like the way the Mom handled it. Very cool (she was)

[Stargazer1417]

I really liked the way she handled her daughters' questions. I dont think there are enough parents like that in the world... or at least not around here.

[oceans]

Had another interesting discussion today with a female student in my geography class today. We were reading an article on different landscapes and river systems and that kind of stuff.

As we were readying a certain word "dyke" was being referred to. The kid stopped reading, paused, hesitated and continued reading. Later on as the class got down to work, the girl who was reading called me over and was hesitant to ask her question..... But she eventually asked "what does that word mean?' So I explained it in relation to geography class.

The same girl looked at me and said "are you sure?". I asked what she was trying to get at and what did she mean. Well, it came down to her basically asking what the true definition of it was, and if it was a bad word, a negative word, because I hear kids calling each other that all the time in the hallways.

So, I answered her question as best as I could, but struggled a little to explain it to her in terms that were at her level and that were not too blunt to shock or offend a 12 year kid. I ended up kicking this scenario around with a co-worker at the end of the day.

She did take me by surprised just a little when she asked, and by her reaction to my response.