while i mostly agree with meancreak i have reservations towards leaving this completely out. if we must break language into these categories, which the nature of the topic unfortunately requires, i don't think they are mutually exclusive categories regarding which words to know. of course if its all they can utter, well that's about as lame as only knowing any combination of 7-10 words - regardless of thier category. as for the word "non-standard" i think thats a bit of a misnomer. how could the word "fuck" be considered non-standard when students are regulary asking "i hear the word 'fuck' all the time, in the movies, etc, what does it mean?"
but yes, such language can create negative impressions. but so would many things students say in class, like going into vivid detail regarding their recent illness. in which cases i think its best to be clear about the specific language they could use to describe it acurately, and the language they would usually use to generalize it in common conversation. so likewise with this censored language?
formal language is good in many public uses. but in the private conversations that take place, especially in business environments, censored language is quite common and effective - as taught in many business courses. i've personally been exposed to this type of language used by professors, and my own bosses. but my jobs have never been quite as 'white-collar' as that of my more adult relatives, and friends' relatives. even i have been in shock at times at the prolific use of this language in their written and oral communication. especially in times of crisis, when "shit hits the fan", and they want to know which "fucker to tie up by his nuts", because its "his ass on the line" when "all hell breaks loose". Some "shit-for-brains" did something stupid, "and now these guys have me bent over just waiting to stick it in".
but of course its use is debatable and relative. so my stance is that students should be exposed to it if they so choose, and it should be emphasized that understanding these words is important (because they will come up), but using them should be limited.Â
ignoring the language will only eliminate the teacher's control over its use. like refusing to discuss certain issues with children. and then being surprised that kids are doing drugs and having unprotected sex.
i think especially for students who mis-use the language it would be shitting embarassing, for fuck student to hell up explitives in conversation.
sorry for the ranting "stream of consiousness approach", in a bit of a hurry. to summarize. i agree largely with meancreak that these words are not a standalone vocabualary. but believe they are important, if not for use, then certainly for understanding when others use them. and that ignoring this subset of vocabularly is limiting the teacher's influence regarding usage and may lead to the students learning this language elsewhere and improperly using it. i might modify this later for clarity. but i guess that's the basics of my view. i guess i'm supporting a 'middle-ground' approach.