Individual variations in British humour appreciation among Chinese–English bilinguals: Role of socialisation and acculturation

Abstract

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions: The primary aim of this study is to investigate individual differences in the appreciation of humour in an L2 with a special focus on British humour. It examined the predictive effects of variables including sociobiographical factors, linguistic profiles, domain-specific communication, and degree of acculturation on L2 (British) humour appreciation among late Chinese–English bilinguals. Design/methodology/approach: This study adopted a quantitative approach and used a video-embedded online questionnaire for data collection. A total of 131 UK-based late Chinese–English bilinguals rated the funniness of two short extracts from British sitcoms and answered questions regarding sociobiographical, linguistic, domain-specific communication, and cultural factors. Data and analysis: Funniness rating scores were calculated for each participant and for each humour extract. Spearman’s rho correlation analysis was used to find out the correlations between funniness ratings and different variables. Other non-parametric statistical tests such as Kruskal–Wallis test, Mann–Whitney U test, and Wilcoxon signed-ranks test were run to compare the differences between variables. Findings/conclusions: Chinese–English bilinguals who were more frequently engaged in humour-specific communication with friends and L1 speakers of British English and acculturated to a higher level tended to perceive L2 (British) humour funnier. Originality: The study highlights the role of humour socialisation and acculturation, along with L2 proficiency, in the appreciation of L2 humour. Sociobiographical factors associated with the appreciation of L1 humour may not necessarily predict the appreciation of humour in an L2. Significance/implications: The study contributes to the literature on the predictive factors for the domain of humour in an L2 among bilinguals and offers implications for both the field of bilingualism and humour.