LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 11 : 7 July 2011
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.

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The Role of Humour in the English Language Classroom

S. Kumaran, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.

This paper examines how humour in the English classroom can improve learning and teaching English. Instead of analysing theories on humour, this paper tries to bring out the necessity of humour in the classroom through “humorous” exercises.
Humour is not something that induces laughter, rather it acts as a wonderful means to enhance the learning skills of the students. “Humor is the characteristic that makes something laughable or amusing but humor in the English classroom has more than just the 'effect to induce laughter;' it brings together a chain-reaction by increasing the learner's motivation and self-confidence which creates a positive classroom atmosphere for the smooth acquisition of the language” (Chee 2006). Humour helps students to develop their analytical thinking skills and to achieve command over the language in question.

Humour through Definition


Defining a popular term or concept in a manner that is unexpected brings out humour. There is potential for this humour in the features that constitute a concept. However, this potential is not used in day to day language. Even to identify this potential you need some analytical skills. More often than not, we notice this potential in a familiar term only after this potential is revealed through the humorous twist given to the particular word or term.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

S. Kumaran, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of English
University College of Engineering Tindivanam
(A constituent College of Anna University of Technology Chennai)
Melpakkam-604 001
Tamilnadu
India
kumaran_johnson2000@yahoo.co.in




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