Humor in the Language Classroom:

This paper explores the literature on humor in the language classroom and proposes implications for teachers about the use of humor. The features of humor are first presented, and then types of humor in the language classroom are identified. It is commonly accepted that humor functions positively as a safe house, reducing learners’ foreign language learning anxiety. However, humor is also used as a way of demeaning a certain person. Specifically, subversive humor is occasionally found in the classroom situations. Overall, humor turned out to be helpful in language teaching situations. However, for the better appreciation of humor, language teachers’ help would be needed as humor frequently includes cultural connotations. Teachers from some Asian countries are reported to be reluctant to use humor in the class because they are afraid of losing control. Studies on humor in language classes in Korea are rarely found. For the successful use of humor in the Korean primary school English classes, teachers are advised to provide funny examples using humorous activities or introducing interesting cultural information. Based on the findings from the research survey, it is recommended that humor should be lesson-relevant, appropriate to students’ linguistic level, and used in a careful manner.