This article might be helpful to you: http://www.e-journall.org/vol1_issue1_2014/

We also have a book on the topic coming out in July: http://www.tandf.net/books/details/9780415640541/

Good luck!

Hello Azam,

these are  the  publications on teaching humour in

classes:

http://www.hltmag.co.uk/dec11/teach01.htm

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/sense-humour

http://www.tesol.org/read-and-publish/information-for-authors/call-for-new-ways-in-teaching-with-humor

go on the internet and look for Alf Grigg of Canada.

also look at 'humour in the workplace'. There are several authors and you might find some that apply to your research

Have you considered the classical compendium "The Complete Nonsence of Edward Lear"?; cf. http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Nonsense-Edward-Lear/dp/0486201678

'Grammar with Laughter' by George Woolard (LTP, 1999) is a good example of humorous learning materials.

Thanks every one for your answers. What I exactly want to do, is to help my students recognize English humor with any clues possible e.g. structural clues, and introduce a few obvious cultural points such as common targets of the jokes to see if this leads to greater appreciation in the end. 

Dear Azam,

Try: 'Laughing Matters: Humour in the Language Classroom' by Peter Medgyes (Cambridge University Press, 2002). Part of the book is available online here: http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam031/2002073484.pdf

I think this link might be helpful.

http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED419399.pdf

Best regards

Dear Azam Goncheh,

   Actually, I like the idea of adding humour and fun to the English class. I've already included a short account on this in my TESOL/TEFL Methodology course handouts (please see below). But I wholeheartedly think that there's much to see online (as suggested above). Just go to GOOGLE SCHOLAR, for example, and search for keywords such as: humour +English language teaching - adding fun to the English class - fun and homour for English language learning - creating a funny (enjoyable) language learning environment - exploring other possibilities in language learning - frontal teaching is not everything in a language class - humorous language learning - motivating language learning environment - using cartoons in language learning environments...etc.

Here's the account I've just told you about (it was part of an online methodology course written by (as far as I remember) Dr Asmaa Geith, an Egyptian professor of Curriculum & TESOL/TEFL Methodology):

Using humor does not only increase the students’ understanding of unfamiliar words, but it also increases familiarity of the target language. 

It creates a deep common sense knowledge of the target language. This knowledge is a result of the way native speakers think, laugh and act.

This creates a common cultural background for both.

In the learning process, teachers and students almost experience anxiety that has negative effects on the students’ ability to learn, as well as the learning outcomes. 

However, with humor, learning becomes a supportive strategy, as it helps students to get rid of anxiety and overcome stress. According to Morrison (2008).

Significant areas of impact include the ability of humour to:

The Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor staff (2008) emphasize that humor, when used appropriately and sensitively

Reduces stress, anxiety, and tension;

Promotes psychological well-being;

Raises self-esteem;

Improves interpersonal interactions and relationships;

Builds group identity, solidarity and cohesiveness; and,

Enhances memory.

Humour as a dynamic context

Humor proceeds to build up positive aspects of the learning process. Furthermore, using humor can be one of the constructivist learning strategies that positively affect the students’ attempts to build up knowledge on their own. This takes place in a collaborative context in which group dynamics develop side by side with developing individual talents. Through the establishment of strong and healthy relationships, individuals are no longer under stress. This relief motivates each of them to initiate ideas and construct strong relationships through which the opportunity for further development takes place. In this context, language learning, that depends on positive interaction of ideas, promotes the meaning construction process and the interchange of ideas.

According to Morrison, humor has the ability to bring learning to life, e.g. using cartoons with practical examples could be funny and interesting.

Thus, humor can contribute to positive environment for learning.

Learners will not be afraid of taking risk when attempting to learn non-native language.

Thus, a constructive attitude will be domineering in the learning context. 

The following features will be remarkable in the TEFL learning process:

Laughter can be part of the conversation, as it takes place during conversation.

Shy students can act as a part of the class. A learner can get out of himself/ herself and accordingly, attitudes toward language learning are changed.

Using cartoons will promote and develop conversation and dialogue techniques.

Using cartoons can express different feelings and body moves and actions such as anger and happiness.

 Cartoon can be used in activities such as:

Describe what you see

Write the dialogue taking place in this picture

How will you answer this?

Hope that you'll find this useful and helpful!

Best regards,

Mahmoud 

Dear Mr.Abdallah

Thank you very much for your helpful suggestions. 

Dear Azam,

Please see the work by Juan José Martínez Sierra on humour and translation, there some articles online. Based on Zabalbeascoa (1993), an unpublished thesis available in Research Gate, Martínez Sierra classifies all types of jokes and offers potential translation techniques. This way your students can have a useful framework to classifiy jokes, and also will have the possibility to put into practice some translation techniques to transfer those jokes into their target language.

Best,

Frederic

Dear Azam,

An article titled: Effects of humor in language classroom by Lance Askildson from Arizona university can be a good starting point>

Best regards,

R. Biria

I actually think that it can be effective to start with videos that contain almost NO language -- like (perhaps depending on the age group) Shaun the Sheep, or Mr. Bean. With those, you can first concentrate on the aspects of the _humour_. Why might this be funny? Etc. Often humour has to do with subverting social norms and expectations, so this can be a good "interculturality" topic: which norms and expectations (those these are usually implied, rather than explicit, in humour) seem familiar? which seem more alien or inexplicable? Would the same humour work in the learner's "first culture" ("C1")? What would the learner change to achieve something similar in the context of their C1? Can they think of something funny from the context of their C1, and do they think it would work in the cultural context that produced the "C+" ("additional culture") video they were watching? Etc. Then one might look for comic scenes from TV or films that are playing with similar norms and expectations -- and in which the language is not too complicated, and do similar things again now that the language is added to the "humour equation". (One may need to be careful to avoid humour that depends on word-play in English, since this can simply baffle anyone not fairly familiar with the language.)  This approach might not work in all kinds of contexts, or with all kinds of learners -- but I think it can be effective.

I get reading from humorous authors read out by outstanding performers. For Urdu literature it is usually Zia Mohyiuddin who has read Pitras Bukhari etc.

Tariq Rahman

I think there are interesting differences to be drawn between:

using humour as a tool to teach English (or anything else)

teaching humour appreciation in English

teaching aspects and types of humour that are common in English speaking countries (England?), and clarifying whether that is similar or different to "British sense of humour"

Otherwise "English humour" is rather vague and ambiguous. Is there a humour that is specific to people from England, or to people who speak English? Or do you just mean humour in English, aspects and manifestations of humour in the English language (as part of teaching English as a foreign language)? e.g. how punning is achieved in the English language. Jokes based on lexical or syntactic ambiguity, cultural jokes, current affairs jokes, parody and intertextuality, etc. ?

Most EFL textbooks have a several (and sometimes lots of) samples of jokes. You could collect these. However, they are often presented independently from the teaching point of each unit. I do not know of any EFl textbook that uses humour as a structural ingredient, though I would love to see it one day!

actually, i don't want to teach English using humor. I want to teach humor itself or at least introduce it's indicators, common topics, cultural aspects, etc.; because I want to help learners distinguish humorous from serious texts in the first place. Then, i believe, by increasing learners' cultural knowledge and intercultural competence (as one of the important factors), we can help them appreciate English humor.

Here is a link that might be useful to you, then.

https://www.academia.edu/3239448/Humor_and_Translation_an_Interdiscipline

Though often (commonly in English-speaking cultures, though certainly not uniquely to them!) humourous texts are also "serious" -- in the sense that humour is often used to make points about important topics.

Many a serious thing is spoken in jest ,  Dear carl

Dear Carl, for many, that is the difference between humour and comedy. But the original question was asking for "English humour", not English comedy, so, it is not so much a question of humorous texts v. serious texts, but rather, humour as a potential feature of many different text types.

I suggest you use a cartoon. I have done this with my English classes many times. Usually I do not show the whole cartoon, but reveal pieces of it little by little. Guessing is such a great way to get your students talk. I found some videos you could use

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KFftnivzp0&feature=share&list=PLhHl1G7ZuSQKdabhNpBiWtE_-f7gqaqoh

I think Judith idea is right. However, you have to ensure the tools actually fit into the aspect you are teaching at  a time.

Hi,  

Have a look at my hilarious cartoon book Strategic Humour @ www.strategichumour.com 

Thanks

Rajesh

thanks Rajesh

i'll sure check that

THE LANGUAGE OF HUMOR: AN INTRODUCTION (Cambridge University Press, 2019, by Alleen and Don Nilsen. Here is the PowerPoint for Chapter 1:

Dear Azam Goncheh

I'm writing my bachelor thesis about teaching British humour in the ESL classroom. First of all, thank you for the discussion that you started! I could find some useful materials for my paper here. I also wanted to ask if you recommend me any further materials or sources on the topic?

Thank you in advance!

Summer-2021 Humor Webinars sponsored by the International Society for Humor Studies: http://www.humorstudies.org/ .

On another note, Alleen and Don Nilsen’s The Language of Humor (Cambridge University Press, 2019) is hot off the press. We have developed a PowerPoint to accompany each of the twenty-five chapters of the book as follows:

Chapter 1: Introduction & Humor Theories Chapter 2: Humor in Anthropology & Ethnic Studies Chapter 3: Humor in Art Chapter 4: Humor in Business Chapter 5: Humor in Computer Science Chapter 6: Humor in Education Chapter 7: Humor in Gender Studies Chapter 8a: Humor in Geography I (International Humor: Books, Conferences and Organizations) Chapter 8b: Humor in Geography II (International Humor: Examples and Discussion) Chapter 9: Humor in Gerontology Chapter 10: Humor in History Chapter 11: Humor in Journalism Chapter 12: Humor in Law Chapter 13: Humor in Linguistics Chapter 14: Humor in Literature Chapter 15: Humor in Medicine and Health Chapter 16: Humor in Music Chapter 17: Humor in Names and Naming Chapter 18: Humor in the Performing Arts Chapter 19: Humor in Philosophy Chapter 20: Humor in Physical Education Chapter 21: Humor in Politics Chapter 22: Humor in Psychology Chapter 23: Humor in Religion Chapter 24: Humor in Rhetoric and Composition Chapter 25: Humor in Sociology We’re sending you a PowerPoint indicating how humor is important to your particular discipline. Please let us know if you would like to receive any of our other humor-related PowerPoints (see above). Thanks. Don and Alleen Nilsen [email protected] [email protected] .