Humor competence in English as a second or foreign language

Abstract

Developing humor competence in a second or foreign language is difficult, but it is very important for successful intercultural communication. The nature of humor and its sociocultural functions make humor competence one of the last hurdles even advanced language learners often struggle to overcome. Since types of humor and attitudes towards joking are different in different cultures and humor comprehension requires a complex combination of linguistic and cultural knowledge, second or foreign language teachers need to help their students with this often-neglected area of pragmatics. In social, academic, and professional settings, humor can relieve tension, exert social control, and enhance social cohesion, delineating who belongs or does not belong in a particular group. As humor can function both as a cultural divide and a unifying factor, the time has come to include some type of humor competency training in second or foreign language education. Based on humor research and research in teaching English as a second or foreign language, more and more educators are beginning to experiment with, document, and evaluate the results of various strategies and approaches to teaching with and about humor in English.