When an Instructor Swears in Class: Functions and Targets of Instructor Swearing from College Students’ Retrospective Accounts

Via a communication competence lens, students’ accounts of instructor swearing were inductively analyzed to understand students’ perceptions of the swear word's function and target. Coding revealed seven functions of teacher swearing: emphasize/elaborate, accommodate students, be humorous, show frustration, gain attention, instructor personality/disposition, and accidental. Six targets of teacher swearing were also found: swearing directed toward course content, noncourse content, the self (instructor), students, course assignments, and job tools. Swearing directed at course content, swearing used to emphasize/elaborate, to gain attention, and to be humorous were perceived as more appropriate than other categories. Classroom implications and instructor recommendations are offered.