Hi Shannon! :) I have to wonder if a non-native speaker truly understands the sound they are making. Pick any obscene word: It's a foreign sound to them. Stringing together sounds when you learn a language is just going with the motions sometimes.

Whenever I hear a foreigner speaking English and they overuse "sh**" at every turn, I have to wonder if they really understand what that sounds like to us [native speakers]. To them, it's a sound, and they know it's supposed to mean something at a certain moment. They may even understand that it's profane. But do they really? Overuse becomes a crutch, and the speaker doesn't even realize they're doing it.

This is why to me it's foolish. There are more intelligent ways to express one's self without using profanity as a crutch all the time.

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I'm also a native English speaker, and I happen to be married to a non-native so I see him trying to use profanity where it doesn't really belong haha. I agree 100% about using profanity sometimes coming off as disrespectful, but I'd say the thing I find most disappointing is when learners assume that simply learning the slang and profanity gives them more fluency. If anything, I'd say that misuse of profane vocabulary actually takes away from their perceived skill. I'd say this mostly because of the fine social nuances that go along with the use of these more "crass" and abrasive words. When used wrongly, the learner can risk being seen as rude, disrespectful, not genuine, and lazy. This may result from profane vocabulary being learned from popular media and usually without context explanation, especially in sarcastic tones. Overall, I would absolutely share your opinion about learning profanity.