Article published In: Applied Pragmatics
Vol. 1:2 (2019) ► pp.93–118
“Put a little bit of humor into it”
Teachers’ humor in the beginning-level Spanish classroom
Published online: 12 November 2019
https://doi.org/10.1075/ap.19003.shi
https://doi.org/10.1075/ap.19003.shi
Abstract
This study examines the use of teacher humor in whole-group interactions in beginning-level Spanish foreign
language (FL) classes. Previous research has focused primarily on student humor and on humor in intermediate- and advanced-level
FL courses. Hence, the goals of the research were, first, to determine whether teachers use spontaneous verbal humor in
beginning-level courses and, if so, in what ways. Second, we considered whether the amount of teacher humor was related to the
amount of student humor. The findings indicate that many of the instructors in the study did, indeed, joke around with their
students. Most teacher humor was affiliative or rapport-enhancing, delivered in the target language, and designed with students’
L2 abilities in mind. Finally, in classes in which teachers joked more often, there was a tendency for students to joke more often
as well, suggesting that teacher humor may encourage student humor.
Keywords: humor, rapport-management theory, Spanish, classroom discourse
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Literature review
- 2.1Theoretical framework: Rapport management theory
- 2.2Research questions
- 3.Method
- 3.1Participants
- 3.2Data collection
- 3.3Data analysis
- 4.Results
- 4.1Research question 1: Humor frequency and teachers’ perceptions
- 4.2Research question 2: Characteristics of teachers’ humor
- 4.2.1Pedagogical contexts for humor
- 4.2.2Language of humor
- 4.3Research question 3: Frequency of student humor
- 5.Discussion
- 6.Conclusion
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