Use of Jokes in English - Essay Example

? Jokes in English Table of Contents Introduction 3 Objective of the study 3 Scope of the study 4 Study question 4 Jokes in English 4 Jokes 4 Influence on people 5 Use of jokes in learning environment 5 Jokes to use and jokes to avoid in the learning environment 6 Women jokes 6 Political jokes 6 Ethnic and racist Jokes 7 Conclusion 7 Bibliography 8 Jokes in English Thesis statement: Over time, English Jokes have become the best tools to create a connection between the English instructor and the audience. Aim: The purpose of this paper is to find out the background of English jokes and how they are utilized in today’s learning and social environment. Introduction Currently, English language is almost being learnt in most parts of the world. Following globalization, it has become a norm for most foreign countries to communicate and share information and ideas. One of the main reasons why this is possible is because of the adoption of the English language in various parts across the world. It has therefore become common for most learning institutions to incorporate English as one of the core or optional subjects. Students are required to learn several skills in speaking, reading, listening, and writing in the English language. However, an essential part that every instructor needs to know is that jokes play a very huge part in developing these skills (Sosothikul, 2007). English language and its culture embrace jokes to a high level making them an essential part that is not worth foregoing. It is believed that the best way to understand the English language then one has start reading English jokes as it enables one to practice things such as phrasal verbs and the slang, which is essential for everyday life. Objective of the study The objective of this study is to help English students to understand how they can utilize jokes in broadening their understanding and use of the English language. The study is supposed to come up with informative information on how both instructors and students can understand English jokes and know where to apply them in the course of teaching and learning respectively. Scope of the study One area that the paper touches on is why it may appear difficult for some students to read and comprehend jokes. The study will therefore utilize the various texts and articles available to create a comprehensive understanding of English jokes. Study question The study seeks to answer the question on how are jokes utilized in teaching and understanding the English language? Jokes in English Jokes When it comes to English, there are several sources of short jokes available on the internet, inside English texts, and speeches. Jokes originate from various situations, memories or sometimes converted from one language to another. In his contribution to English jokes, Dundes (1985) tries to explore explores the Jewish folklore which is a rich source of jokes owing to the fact that the Jews are always big on humor. In the article, he identifies how the translation of Jokes to English affects their meaning and if the converted jokes continue to hold the same humor and influence (Dundes, 1985). Jokes in English have become a common way of life and their origins date a long time back in history. John Cleese is a common household name in the UK and various parts of the world. He has had several contributions towards humor and comedy in Britain and across Europe and the United states (Tebbe, 2008). In an article on John Cleese, Tebbe (2008) explains the origins of jokes and their contribution to the comedy industry in the UK. One thing is however evident that the origin of jokes cannot entirely be studied because to an extent we can say that comedy has been there since man existed. Influence on people Jokes have different and varying influence on people across different platforms. A good joke at home would or may have a different impact were it told at work place. This is because the jokes touch on several subjects in people’s lives and some end up being offensive while some end up changing people’s moods on either the negative or positive (Tebbe, 2008). Jokes may touch on tribal lines, people’s backgrounds, marriage, and race, people’s behavior and physical appearance. It is however important to first understand a joke well in terms of its subject and social impact on the audience before letting it out (Dundes, 1985). Jokes told in a social gathering should be distinguished with those used for learning purposes. Although most jokes are told in an offensive theme, one needs to be careful with the audience they are addressing. Nevertheless, the overall influences that jokes are made to impact on the society are positive and relieve tension or create a friendly environment for communication (Lynch, 2002). Use of jokes in learning environment There have been a few studies touching on influence of jokes to the learning environment. In these texts, one common thing is making jokes in English while teaching especially to non-native English speakers; it helps build a connection between the instructor and the audience. The use of jokes in English helps the students to recall and understand the classroom material much better than when the instructor only uses plain language (Snell, 2000). In Lynch’s (2002) collection of articles on humor, there is one particular article named “Beyond the Joke”. This article explores the importance of people to understand a joke and be able to comprehend the meaning behind the joke. In the article, it is explained that a joke sometimes does not only portray the literal meaning that people get to hear in the first instance but some jokes tend to have deeper meanings which can be very helpful in a classroom setting as they help the student jog their mind and be able to understand the English language on a wider scale. However, as much as this may be helpful during teaching the instructor needs to also be careful not give too complex jokes to students especially non-native speakers as they may end up confusing them more than enhancing their learning experience (Pecnik, 2001). Jokes to use and jokes to avoid in the learning environment Women jokes Women tend be in the center of most jokes, however as much as may be humorous to tell jokes with women as the subject in a social gathering, caution should be taken as such jokes are a prejudice and should be avoided in a learning environment. However, sometimes these jokes can be used in a learning environment but depending all on the community’s take on such a subject. For example, in England, many jokes about women mainly focus on the mother-in-law and are meant to correct the unfriendly and harsh mother in law but moving over to Japan such jokes cannot be made because the Japanese highly regard their mothers-in-law (Pecnik, 2001). Political jokes Political jokes can be very educational depending on the context in which they are used and the meaning behind the joke. These jokes also contribute towards shaping the society and educating them on the political scene. Students taking history classes being taught in English tend to understand and recall more when such jokes are used during the learning process (Sosothikul, 2007). Ethnic and racist Jokes The English language again tends to have very many ethnic related and racist jokes that have had a great impact on the society. It is important for an instructor to understand such jokes need not be applied in a learning environment owing to their negative impact on the society (Attardo, 2001). Conclusion From the above analysis and explanations, it is clear that Jokes in English are a better learning tool and can be employed in any classroom setting. From various studies, it has been found that instructors who use jokes when teaching in English tend to have better results than those who only use plain language (Sosothikul, 2007). There are numerous jokes in English available for a wider audience in both print and online sources and these jokes can be put to a fruitful use in terms of providing an avenue for learning. It is also noted that use of jokes needs to be a careful and well planned tool as jokes touch on various subjects in the society and are therefore prone to generate varying results both positive and negative (Attardo, 2001). Bibliography Attardo, S. (2001). Humorous Texts: A semantic and Pragmatic Analysis. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. Dundes, A. (1985). The JAP and the JAM in American Jokelore. The Journal of American Folklore, 456-475. Lynch, O. H. (2002). Humorous Communicatio: Finding a Place for Humor on Communication Research. International Communication Association, 423-445. Pecnik, G. (2001, February 25). Jokes in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. The Weekly Column, pp. 7-9. Snell, J. (2000, June 30). Improving Teacher-Student Interaction in the EFL Classroom: An Action Research Report. Retrieved from The Intrnet TESL Journal: iteslj.org/c/jokes.html Sosothikul, R. (2007). How to improve your reading. Bangkok: Active Print Co. Tebbe, T. (2008). The Funny Side of the United Kingdom. Munich: GRIN Verlag. Read More