"Cunt": On the Perception and Handling of Verbal Dynamite by L1 and Lx Users of English

Autor/in	Dewaele, Jean-Marc
Titel	"Cunt": On the Perception and Handling of Verbal Dynamite by L1 and Lx Users of English
Quelle	In: Multilingua: Journal of Cross-Cultural and Interlanguage Communication, 37 (2018) 1, S.53-81 (29 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0167-8507
DOI	10.1515/multi-2017-0013
Schlagwörter	Language Usage; English (Second Language); Native Language; Antisocial Behavior; Correlation; Profiles; Interpersonal Competence; Personality Traits; Age Differences; Educational Attainment; Gender Differences; Language Proficiency; Oral Language; Language Research; Extraversion Introversion; Personality Measures; Statistical Analysis; Sampling; Questionnaires; Language Attitudes; Eysenck Personality Inventory + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Sprachgebrauch; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Korrelation; Charakterisierung; Profilanalyse; Interpersonale Kompetenz; Individual characteristics; Personality characteristic; Persönlichkeitsmerkmal; Age; Difference; Age difference; Altersunterschied; Bildungsabschluss; Bildungsgut; Geschlechterkonflikt; Language skill; Language skills; Sprachkompetenz; Oral interpretation; Mündlicher Sprachgebrauch; Sprachforschung; Statistische Analyse; Fragebogen; Sprachverhalten
Abstract	"Cunt" is currently one of the most offensive words in the English language and is usually censored in the English press and media. The present study looks firstly at differences between 1159 first (L1) and 1165 foreign (LX) users of English in their perceived understanding of the word, its perceived offensiveness and their self-reported frequency of use. Secondly, it considers the relationships between the dependent variables and a number of psychological, sociobiographical and linguistic profile variables. The findings suggest that LX users are less sure about the exact meaning of the word, underestimate its offensiveness and use it less frequently than L1 users. Links between understanding of the word and its perceived offensiveness vary for L1 and LX users. High levels of Extraversion, Neuroticism and Psychoticism were linked to more frequent use of the word, as were lower levels of education, a younger age, being a male and working in a swearing-rich environment for both L1 and LX users. Variation in the group of LX users was linked to age of onset of acquisition of English, context of acquisition, self-reported oral proficiency, frequency of use of English and having lived in an English-speaking environment. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01