The role of humor in language education

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25370718
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: Rucynski John 岡山大学, 言語教育センター, 准教授 (10512741)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): Namba Ayako 岡山大学, 言語教育センター, 准教授 (00638760)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: ユーモア / 異文化理解 / 語学教育 / ステレオタイプの認知

Outline of Final Research Achievements

First, we carried out extensive surveys to measure the perspectives of Japanese students with regards to humor in the language classroom. Second, we also carried out surveys to gain insight into when and how language teachers use humor. Third, investigators made 14 conference presentations during the three-year period, helping to greatly disseminate the results of the research. In addition, the co-investigator published two journal articles and the principal investigator submitted an 8000 word journal article to an international publication. The principal investigator also edited a book with almost 100 lesson plans on how to use humor in the English classroom. Japanese students need a greater understanding of the humor of the English-speaking world in order to improve their cross-cultural communicative competence and assist them in becoming true global citizens. The results of this research project will thus contribute to the fields of humor and foreign language education research.

Free Research Field

語学教育