Teaching Linguistic Humour Research Theories: Egyptian Higher Education EFL Literature Classes

“Humour studies” is an interdisciplinary research area that is relatively recent. It interests researchers from the disciplines of psychology, sociology, medicine, nursing, in the work place, gender studies, among others, and certainly teaching, language learning, linguistics, and literature. Linguistic theories of humour research are numerous; some of which are of interest to the present study. In spite of the fact that humour courses are now taught in universities around the world in the Egyptian context it is not included. The purpose of the present study is two-fold: to review the state of arts and to show how linguistic theories of humour can be possibly used as an art and craft of teaching and of learning in EFL literature classes. In the present study linguistic theories of humour were applied to selected literary texts to interpret humour as an intrinsic artistic communicative competence challenge. Humour in the area of linguistics was seen as a fifth component of communicative competence of the second language leaner. In literature it was studied as satire, irony, wit, or comedy. Linguistic theories of humour now describe its linguistic structure, mechanism, function, and linguistic deviance. Semantic Script Theory of Verbal Humor (SSTH), General Theory of Verbal Humor (GTVH), Audience Based Theory of Humor (ABTH), and their extensions and subcategories as well as the pragmatic perspective were employed in the analyses. This research analysed the linguistic semantic structure of humour, its mechanism, and how the audience reader (teacher or learner) becomes an interactive interpreter of the humour. This promotes humour competence together with the linguistic, social, cultural, and discourse communicative competence. Studying humour as part of the literary texts and the perception of its function in the work also brings its positive association in class for educational purposes. Humour is by default a provoking/laughter-generated device. Incongruity recognition, perception and resolving it, is a cognitive mastery. This cognitive process involves a humour experience that lightens up the classroom and the mind. It establishes connections necessary for the learning process. In this context the study examined selected narratives to exemplify the application of the theories. It is, therefore, recommended that the theories would be taught and applied to literary texts for a better understanding of the language. Students will then develop their language competence. Teachers in EFL/ESL classes will teach the theories, assist students apply them and interpret text and in the process will also use humour. This is thus easing students' acquisition of the second language, making the classroom an enjoyable, cheerful, self-assuring, and self-illuminating experience for both themselves and their students. It is further recommended that courses of humour research studies should become an integral part of higher education curricula in Egypt.


Authors:



References:
[1] International Society for Humor Studies (ISHS), ISHS-Website, URL: http://www.humorresearch.org/Teaching_humor.html
[2] P. E. McGhee, The Laughter Remedy: Health, Healing, and the Amuse System, Selfpublished, 1991.
[3] A. Klein, The Healing Power of Humor: Techniques for Getting Through Loss, Setbacks, Upsets, Disappointments, Difficulties, Trials, Tribulations, and All That Not-So-Funny Stuff. Los Angeles: Tarcher, 1989.
[4] P. Derks, L. S. Gillikin, D. S. Bartolome-Rull, and E. H. Bogart, "Laughter and electroencephalographic activity." Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, vol. 10, no.3, pp. 285-300, 1997.
[5] C.A. Ryan, "Reclaiming the body: The subversive possibilities of breast cancer humor," Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 187-205, 1997.
[6] A. McGregor and D. Z. Rose, Laughing Your Way to Passing the Neurology Boards, Medhumor Medical Publications, 2013.
[7] J. Ziegler, “Use of humour in medical teaching,” Carfax Publishing Ltd., Medical Teacher, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 1998.
[8] R. A. Martin, N. A. Kuiper, L. J. Olinger, and K. A. Dance "Humor, coping with stress, self-concept, and psychological well-being." Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, vol. 6, no.1, pp. 89-104, 1993.
[9] D. J. Segrist and S. D. A. Hupp, “This Class is a Joke! Humor as a pedagogical tool in teaching of Psychology,” in OTP online, Office of Teaching resources in Psychology, 2015.
[10] Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (AATH), URL: http://www.aath.org/
[11] Humor Academy, URL: https://aath.memberclicks.net/humor-academy
[12] P. Wooten, Compassionate Laughter: Jest for Your Health!, Commune-a-Key,1996.
[13] R. A. Martin, The psychology of humor: an integrative approach, Burlington, MA: Elsevier Academic Press, 2007.
[14] W. Ruch, The Sense of Humor: Explorations of a Personality Characteristic, Humor Research3, Berlin, NY: Mouton de Gruyter, 1998.
[15] W. Ruch, A. Carrell, “Trait cheerfulness and the sense of humour. Personality and Individual Differences,” GB: Elsewer Science Ltd. Prrson. klirid. LX//, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 551-5.58, 1998.
[16] W. Ruch, "Measurement approaches to the sense of humor: Introduction and overview," Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, vol. 9, no. 3-4, pp. 239-250, 1996.
[17] W. Ruch, and G. Forabosco, "A cross-cultural study of humor appreciation: Italy and Germany," Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, vol. 9, no.1, pp. 1-18, 1996.
[18] P. McGhee, PUNchline How to think like a humorist if you’re humor impaired, New York: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, 1993.
[19] S. M. Sultanoff, Therapeutic Humor with Dr. Steve, Humor Matters, online Bibliography and References, URL: http://www.humormatters.com/bibpsy.htm
[20] C. Davies, Ethnic Humor around the World: A Comparative Analysis. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1990.
[21] L. Dickinson, Humor Across Cultures, ERIC, 1999.
[22] C. Davies, Jokes and their Relation to Society. Humor Research 4, Berlin, NY: Mouton de Gruyter, 1998.
[23] J Barrett, “Dialect, Stereotype, and Humor: Linguistic Variation and its Place in Humor Studies,” unpublished Doctor of Philosophy Purdue University, 2000.
[24] A. Moalla, “Intercultural strategies to co-construct and interpret humor,” in International Journal of Applied Linguistics, vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 366-385, Nov. 2015.
[25] D. G. Holt, Humor as a Coping Mechanism: Dealing with Manifestation of Stress Associated with Children Identified as Gifted and Talented, unpublished Doctor of Philosophy Thesis, 1993.
[26] S. Henderson, Laughter and Learning: Humor boosts Retention. Edutopia, Teaching Strategies, 2015, URL: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/laughter-learning-humor-boosts-retention-sarah-henderson
[27] C. E. Davies, “Humor in intercultural interaction as both content and process in the classroom,” Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 375–395, Aug. 2015.
[28] N. Bell, “How native and non-native English speakers adapt to humor in intercultural interaction,” HUMOR, International Journal of Humor Research, vol. 20, no.1, pp. 27–48, 2007.
[29] N. Bell, S. Attardo, “Failed humor: Issues in non-native speakers' appreciation and understanding of humor, Intercultural Pragmatics, vol. 7, no. 3, pp 423–447, Aug. 2010.
[30] N. Bell, “Using and understanding humor in a second language: a case study. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Pennsylvania, 2002.
[31] A, Carrell, Communicative Competence, Humor, and cultural Literacy: Theory and Application, unpublished manuscript, lecture given at University of Central Oklahoma, 1998.
[32] C.B. Crawford, “Strategic Humor in Leadership: Practical suggestions for Appropriate Use,” a paper presented for the 1994 Kansas Leadership Forum, Salina, KS.
[33] M. E. Hashem, “Play and Humor in the college Classroom: Using play as a teaching technique in interpersonal communication classes,” paper presented at the Central States Communication Association, April 1994, Oklahoma City, OK.
[34] E.E, McDowell and N. Yotsuyanagi, “An Exploratory Study of Communication Apprehension, Willingness to communicate, and Sense of Humor between College Students from United States and Japan,” unpublished report, 1996.
[35] G. Vega, “Humor Competence: The Fifth Component,” unpublished Phd, Purdue University, 1990.
[36] R. J. Hodson, “Teaching ‘Humour Competence’,” in Knowledge, Skills and Competencies in Foreign Language Education: Proceeding of CLaSIC, pp 149-161, 2014.
[37] N. D. Bell and A. Pomerantz, Humor in the Classroom: A Guide for Language Teachers and Educational Researchers, UK: Routlage, Jul. 2015.
[38] E. Reddington and H. Z. Waring, “Understanding the Sequential Resources for Doing Humor in the Language Classroom,” Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, vol. 28, no. 1, pp 1–23, Feb. 2015.
[39] M.Wagner and E. Urios-Aparisi, “The use of humor in the foreign language classroom: Funny and effective?” Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, vol. 24, no. 4, pp 399–434, Sept. 2011.
[40] L. Tekul, “Running head: When students fluently smile in L2: The role of humour in second language acquisition. A graduation paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Dec. 2014.
[41] A. M. A. Shumaila, J. Akhter, “Uses of Humour in an English Language Class,” International Journal of humanities and Cultural Studies, vol. 2, no. 2, Sep., 2015.
[42] B. Andrade, “The role and function of humor in the EFL class: from “Ha, ha!” to “Aha”,” Education & Technology in Brazil, Aug. 11, 2012. URL: http://edutechbrazil.blogspot.com.eg/
[43] D. Korobkin, “Humor in the Classroom: Considerations and Strategies,” College Teaching, vol. 36, no. 4, pp 154-158, 1988, published online Aug 2012.
[44] Tech Crazy Teacher, “Laughter in the Classroom,” online URL: http://www.techcrazyteacher.com/2017/03/laughter-in-classroom.html
[45] E. Reddington, “Humor and Play in Language Classroom Interaction: A Review of the Literature,” Teachers College, Columbia University Working Papers in TESOL & Applied Linguistics, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 22-38, 2015.
[46] E. M. Davis, “Humor in Teaching: An Analysis of the Literature,” in partial fulfillment of the Master Teacher Program, Center for Faculty Excellence, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, 2015.
[47] R. Krause, “Humour – An ‘Important Spice to Use in Teaching’? On Humour and Its Uses in English as a Foreign Language Classrooms,” English Module in University of Berlin, 2015.
[48] S. A. Lei, J. L. Cohen, and K. M. Russler, “Humor on learning in the college classroom: evaluating benefits and drawbacks from instructors' perspectives,” in Journal of Instructional Psychology Publisher, George Uhlig Publisher, 2010.
[49] R. L. Garner, “Humor in Pedagogy: How Haha Can Lead to Aha!.” College Teaching. 2006. Accessed September 25, 2011.
[50] J. Bryant, P. Comisky, and D. Zillmann, “Teachers’ humor in the college classroom,” in Communication Education, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 110-118, 1979, published online: 18 May 2009.
[51] A. Carrell, “ Historical Views of Humour,” in V. Raskin ED, The Primer of Humor Research, Humor Research (HR) 8, Berlin, N.Y., De Gruyter Mouton, pp. 303 -332, 2008.
[52] F. Nasiri1, and F. Mafakheri, “Higher education lecturing and humor: from perspectives to strategies,” in Higher Education Studies, vol. 5, no. 5, pp. 25-31, Sep. 2015.
[53] C. C. Pinheiro, “Laughing your way through Higher Education: the Pros and Cons of using Humor in the College Classroom,” in partial fulfillment of the Master Teacher Program, Center for Faculty Excellence, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, 2016.
[54] R. Stroud, “The Laughing EFL Classroom: Potential Benefits and Barriers,” English Language Teaching, vol. 6, no. 10, Canadian Center of Science and Education Kanagawa University High School, Japan, 2013.
[55] J. Huss and S. Eastep, “The Attitudes of University Faculty toward Humor as a Pedagogical Tool: Can We Take a Joke?” in Journal of Inquiry & Action in Education, vol.8, no.1, pp. 39-65, 2016.
[56] A. Tarvin, “30 Benefits of Humor at Work” online Humor that Works, 2016, URL: http://www.humorthatworks.com/benefits/30-benefits-of-humor-at-work/
[57] T. B. Bitterly, A. W. Brooks, and M. E. Schweitzer, “Risky Business: When Humor Increases and Decreases Status,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, forthcoming posted: Sep 2015 Last revised: 28 Sep 2016.
[58] G. Tait, J. Lampert, N. Bahr, and P. Bennett, “Laughing with the lecturer: the use of humour in shaping university teaching,” Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, vol. 12, no. 3, 2015.
[59] R. A. Shade, License to Laugh: humor in the classroom, Libraries Unlimited, Englewood, CO, 1996.
[60] J. A. Banas, N. Dunbar, D. Rodriguez and S-J. Liu, “A Review of Humor in Educational Settings: Four Decades of Research,” in Communication Education vol. 60, no. 1, pp. 115-144, Jan. 2011.
[61] A. M. Hayati, Z. G. Shooshtari, and N. Shakeri “Using Humorous Texts in Improving Reading Comprehension of EFL Learners,” Theory and Practice in Language Studies, vol. 1, no. 6, pp. 652-661, June 2011.
[62] A. Syafiq, and M. Saleh, “Humorous English teaching material for improving students’ speaking skill with high and low learning motivation,” Language Circle: Journal of Language and Literature, vol.7, pp 45-54, 2012.
[63] R. K. Abdulmajeed and S. K. Hameed, “Using a Linguistic Theory of Humour in Teaching English Grammar,” English Language Teaching, vol. 10, no. 2, Canadian Center of Science and Education, 2017, published online 2017.
[64] J. R. Schmitz, “ Humor as a pedagogical tool in foreign language and translation courses,” HUMOR - International Journal of Humor Research, vol. 15, no. 1, pp 89–113, 2006.
[65] F. Azizifard and S. Jalali, “Context and Humor in Teaching Language Functions,” Theory and Practice in Language Studies, vol. 2, no. 6, pp. 1191-1198, June, 2012.
[66] A. Carrell, “Rewriting the old tales: Audience consideration,” unpublished manuscript, University of Oklahoma, 1996.
[67] “Play and Purpose: Teaching Humor in Introductory Literature Courses,” online course By tefriedman on Feb., 2014, URL: https://humorinamerica.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/play-and-purpose-teaching-humor-in-introductory-literature-courses/
[68] L. I.Rygiel, "Learning through Reading: A Handbook of Literature-based Lessons for ESL," Master's Projects, The University of San Francisco, USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library Geschke Center, 2016.
[69] S. Attardo, Humorous Texts: a semantic and Pragmatic Analysis, Humor Research 6, Mouton de Gruyter, Berlin, New York, 2001.
[70] O.F. Elkommos, “Egyptian Humor: A Pragmatic Analysis of Selected Social and Political Cartoons,” Occasional Papers in the Development of English Language Education, Cairo, CDELT, vol30, summer 2000.
[71] E. B. Wycoff, “Humor in academia: An international survey of humor instruction,” HUMOR International Journal of Humor Research, vol. 12, no. 4, Jan 1999.
[72] J. Morreall, (2009), “Enjoying incongruity,” Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, vol. 2, no.1, pp. 1-18.
[73] S. Attardo, D.H. Attardo, P. Baltes, and M.J. Petray, “The linear organization of jokes: analysis of two thousand texts,” HUMOR International Journal of Humor Research, vol. 7, no.1, pp. 27–54, 1994.
[74] A. Salvatore, Linguistic Theories of Humor, Humor Research1, Belin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter, 1994.
[75] A. Salvatore and V. Raskin, "Script theory revis(it)ed: Joke similarity and joke representation model," Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, vol. 4, no. 3-4, pp. 293-347, 1991.
[76] Y. Zhao, “Deviation Theory for Verbal humor: A study in Linguistics and Beyond,” Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Purdue University, Aug. 1994.
[77] A. Carrell, "Audience/community, situation, and language: A linguistic/rhetorical theory of verbal humor." Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Purdue University, 1993.
[78] eChaucer , Chaucer in the Twenty-First Century The Nun's Priest's Tale http://ummutility.umm.maine.edu/necastro/chaucer/translation/ct/21npt.html
[79] K. Mansfield, In a German Pension 13 Stories, New York: Dover publication, 1995.
[80] A. Carrell, "Humor communities," HUMOR: International Journal of Humor Research, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 11-24, 1997.