Humour: A Pedagogical Tool for Language Learners

Abstract

“Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.” Victor Borge Researchers have shown that laughter is crucial to our health and that the use of humour in class can do something of a miracle. Teaching experience has shown that humour helps keeping students interested and motivated. Humour and laughter can also help less sociable students in language classes to participate with the group, to feel a part of the peer group, join class activities and group work without feeling exposed or vulnerable. This is of particular importance in a communicative classroom where the emphasis is on veritable oral communication, pair works and interaction. It's a way of getting those students involved in class activities who are worried or nervous to try and talk their minds in a foreign language (Provine, 2000). Kristmanson (2000) emphasizes the necessity of creating a hospitable atmosphere for language learning.The present paper shows the impact/s of using humour and laughter in creating a relaxed and open atmosphere for language learning, to get and hold students’ attention, increase retention of what is learned, foster a constructive attitude towards mistakes, and stimulate both creative and critical thinking during a language classroom. Humour in language classes reduces tension, improves classroom atmosphere, increases enjoyment and has a positive impact on the student-teacher interactions.