HUMOUR AS A PEDAGOGICAL TOOL (On Humour and Its Uses in English as a Foreign LanguageClassroom)

Abstract

Abstract

Learning a language is not only about soaking up the grammar and nuances of it, but more importantly about learning a foreign culture and further understanding our own. Humor is the key which can bridge a mutual understanding from one culture to the other. In the West, kenyataresearcher believe that our superficial sense of individualism inclines us to forget that people in other countries are generally more easy-going and less worried about offending someone. More importantly, people outside of English-speaking countries love to laugh and be playful. Of course, they are serious about studying, but they expect the English classroom to be fun, energetic, open and engaging. For many students, the EFL classroom is a way for them to temporary escape from the stress, repetition and chaos of life. Therefore, it is creative job as a teacher to minimize discomfort, negativity and frustration in the classroom. In fact, most of being a successful language teacher is merely creating an environment in which the students feel relaxed.

Keywords: Humour, Pedagogical tool, TEFL