Verbal humor in intercultural workplaces and second language learning: an overview of main research directions in the last 20 years

Abstract

The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the work within the field of intercultural communication which specifically investigates interactions through verbal humor. By the term intercultural we mean encounters by speakers of different languages and we define verbal humor as natural (i.e. not pre–planned or scripted) and expressed via spoken language in face–to–face interactions. We have specifically sought to include studies published within the last 20 years, which rely on naturalistic data (as opposed to experimental data). We found that studies within the areas of workplace interactions and second language learning were the most prominent. We reflect on the reviewed studies and the methods employed. Finally, we suggest avenues for further research