Scott Gardner, College and University Education

English Language and Culture Study through Jokes

11/24 Mon 9:00 Roo 90!
Background
Stimulus-Based Teaching: A generative framework to help you make the most of ANY materials
; Encounter: see it for the first time / slow encounter (hiding & guessing) allows for more language use /
uilds more curiosity
; "nalyse: name the parts (physical characteristics! materials) / create definitions / descrie processes
; #ersonalise: make the o"ect (or something like it) your own in some way / similarities & differences
; "lter: find different uses for it (e#g# how can you use uttons other than as uttons$) / some e%amples:
headlines into stories! past tense into future tense
; Create: e%ample: life of the utton! its high points and low points &&'oodward! ())*
Humor in Language Teaching...
*) is a good vehicle for providing authentic
cultural information
() uilds ridges etween cultures
+) practices language items in genuine conte%ts
,) rings students closer together
-) releases tension
.) develops creative thinking
/) provides memorale chunks of language
0) reinforces previously learnt items
1) generates a happy classroom
*)) enhances motivation
**) enriches te%took&ased courses
*() introduces a refreshing change from routine
language&learning procedures
&&2edgyes! ())(
Three General Areas o Beneit
A# affective enefits 3# cultural enefits 4# linguistic enefits
&&5ardner! last week
!urther "ationale
6inguistic asis for much of veral humor (7askin! *10-; many others)
7iddle studies and their relation to the culture of formal western education (8utton&8mith! *1/.)
9arallels in prolem&solving etween "oke processing and classroom learning (5ardner! ())()
:he positive effects of humor in the classroom (Nunan! *11.; ;illman & 3ryant! *10+; <illeson! *11.; <adley &
<adley! *11.; =oga & 4ane! *11-; =at>! *11.)
?<umor is possily the est source of authentic cultural information aout other peoples#? (2edgyes! ())()
#otential #ro$lems
@iscouragement due to inaility to understand "oke (=ral; *11,)
4ultural or other inappropriateness of "oke (=oga & 4ane! *11-; :rachtenerg! *1/1)
@istraction from lesson content (=oga & 4ane! *11-)
No measurale enefit to learning (3rown & 3ryant! *10+; ;illman & 3ryant! *10+)
1
English Language and Culture Study through Jokes
8cott 5ardner! AA6:())+! 8hi>uoka
"eerences
3rown! @an! & 3ryant! Aennings (*10+)# <umor in the mass media# Bn 9aul C# 2c5hee & Aeffrey <# 5oldstein (Cds#)!
$and%oo& o' (uor researc( (( vols#) (Dol# (! p# *,+&*/()# New York: 8pringer&Derlag#
5ardner! 8cott (())()# :he use of humor in the language classroom# 3ulletin of the Eaculty of Cducation! Fkayama
Gniversity! No# *()! /1&0.#
=ral! :homas (Cd#) (*11,)# )(e lig(ter side o' )E*+: " teac(er,s resource %oo& o' 'un activities 'or students o'
Englis( as a 'oreign language# 'ashington! @4: Gnited 8tates Bnformation Agency#
2edgyes! 9eter (())()# +aug(ing atters# 4amridge: 4amridge Gniversity 9ress#
Nunan! @avid (*11.)# <idden voices: BnsidersH perspectives on classroom interaction# Bn =athleen 2# 3ailey & @avid
Nunan (Cds#)! -oices 'ro t(e language classroo# 4amridge: 4amridge Gniversity 9ress#
7askin! Dictor (*10-)# Seantic ec(aniss o' (uor# 3oston: @# 7eidel 9ulishing 4ompany#
8utton&8mith! 3rian (*1/.)# A developmental structural account of riddles# Bn 3arara =irshenlatt&5imlett (Cd#)!
S.eec( .lay: Researc( and resources 'or t(e study o' linguistic creativity (p# ***&*(+)# 9hiladelphia: Gniversity
of 9ennsylvania 9ress#
:rachtenerg! 8usan (*1/1)# Aoke&telling as a tool in C86# )ES/+ 0uarterly 11(*)! 01&11#
'oodward! :essa (Novemer (1! ())*)# 8timulus&ased teaching# 9resentation given at AA6: Fkayama 4hapter!
Fkayama! Aapan#
;illman! @olf! & 3ryant! Aennings (*10+)# Gses and effects of humor in educational ventures# Bn 9aul C# 2c5hee &
Aeffrey <# 5oldstein (Cds#)! $and%oo& o' (uor researc( (( vols#) (Dol# (! p# */+&*1+)# New York: 8pringer&
Derlag#
Some o the Jokes %sed 2all o' t(ese e3a.les coe 'ro t(e 4nternet, %ut are slig(tly ada.ted5
A 8wiss man on vacation in Cngland walks up to a us stop where two Cnglishmen are waiting# ?Cntschuldigung! kInnen 8ie
@eutsch sprechen$? he says# :he two Cnglishmen "ust stare at him# ?C%cuse>&moi! parle> vous francais$? :he two continue to stare#
?9arlare Btaliano$? No response# ?<alan ustedes espaJol$? 8till nothing# :he 8wiss man turns and walks away! e%tremely disgusted#
:he first Cnglishman turns to the second and says! ?You know! maye we should learn a foreign language#?
?'hy$? says the other# ?:hat guy knew four languages! and it didnHt do him any goodK?
A language instructor was e%plaining to her Erench class that in Erench! nouns have grammatical gender# ?<ouse!? in Erench! is
feminineL?la maison#? ?9encil!? in Erench! is masculineL?le crayon#? Fne pu>>led student asked! ?'hat gender is HcomputerH$? :he
teacher! rather than "ust tell the students! decided to let them decide for themselves# 8he split the class into two groups! men and
women! and asked them to decide whether ?computer? should e a masculine or feminine noun# 3oth groups were reMuired to give
four reasons for their recommendation#
:he menHs group decided that computers should definitely e of the feminine order (?la computer?)! ecause:
*# No one ut their creator understands their internal logic;
(# :he native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensile to everyone else;
+# Cven the smallest mistakes are stored! perhaps forever! in long&term memory for later retrieval; and
,# As soon as you make a commitment to one! you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it#
:he womenHs group! however! concluded that computers should e masculine (?le computer?)! ecause:
*# Bn order to do anything with them! you have to turn them on;
(# :hey have a lot of data ut still canHt think for themselves;
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English Language and Culture Study through Jokes
8cott 5ardner! AA6:())+! 8hi>uoka
+# :hey are supposed to help you solve prolems! ut half the time they A7C the prolem; and
,# As soon as you commit to one! you reali>e that if youHd waited a little longer! you could have gotten a etter model#
:wo American tourists want to visit Datican 4ity in 7ome to see the 9ope# :hey are disappointed when the guards at the gate to
the Datican wonHt let them in ecause they are wearing shorts and dirty :&shirts# 'hatHs worse! the tourists are carrying a ig cooler
full of eer! and the guards wonHt allow any alcoholic drinks in the Datican#
3ut the two tourists refuse to give in so easily! so they hide in a large group from a tour us and slip unnoticed etween the
guards# :hey are in the DaticanK :hey race over to a corner hoping to get a good view# After a few minutes the 9ope appears on a
alcony overhead and egins waving to the crowd# <e speaks for a few minutes! then turns and goes ack inside# :o everyoneHs
surprise! he suddenly appears in the courtyard and egins shaking hands with the crowd on the other side of the courtyard# Fne of the
Americans says! ?6etHs sneak around to the other side and shake hands with the 9opeK? 3ut the other says! ?No wayK Bf those guards
see us weHll get kicked outK 3esides! this spot weHre in now has a great view of everything# Bf we leave weHll lose this viewK?
:he first one says! ?'ell! BHm goingK :his is a once&in&a&lifetime chance! and BHm not going to miss itK BHm taking the cooler with
me to stand on so heHll see me etterK? <e picks up the cooler and walks away into the crowd#
:he other American stays in his place! ut he can see his friend crossing over to get closer to the 9ope# :he guards are neary! ut
they donHt see anything! and suddenly he sees that his friend is almost right in front of the 9opeK <e watches in ama>ement as the
9ope walks up to his friend and lesses him! making the sign of the crossK :hen he sees his friend gra the cooler and rush ack
across the courtyard as fast as he can# 'hen the two friends meet again the one with the cooler says! ?4ome onK 6etHs go ack to the
hotelK?
?'hy$? says the other one# ?@onHt you reali>e that the 9ope "ust lessed you$ :his is a wonderful momentK 'hat did he say to
you when he lessed you$?
?<e said! H6isten! you filthy! gatecrashing drunkK B want you###to take your cooler###and your friend###and get the hell outKH?
)o. 10 Signs 'or *oreigners t(at )(ey,ve 6een in 7a.an )oo +ong:
*)# You catch yourself unconsciously owing to the neighorhood cat#
1# You think that ?4hristmas? has five syllales#
0# You fall in love with the voice recording on the A:2 machine! though you have no idea what sheHs saying#
/# Cighteen dollars sounds like a great deal for a movie! even if you have to stand up in the ack of the theater#
.# You canHt eat a hamurger without green tea and miso soup#
-# You run into a store leaving your scooter on the cur with the motor running#
,# You start uying 4arpenters 4@ singlesLand 7CA66Y en"oying themK
+# You order a pi>>a and ask for raw tuna with e%tra seaweed#
(# You donHt mind finding a coin&operated :D in your N0)/night usiness hotel cuicle#
*# You can instantly tell a childHs age y looking at his or her uniform#
A Sam&ling o Acti'ities
Gender and +anguage
Cnglish doesnHt have grammatical gender! ut letHs pretend for a minute that it does# 'hat do you think would e the
grammatical gender for the following words (weHll compare with Erench):
tale OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
arm OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
mouth OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
land OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
language OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
day OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
night OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
country OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
house OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Now decide if ?computer? would e feminine or masculine in Erench! and try to give some reasons why#
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English Language and Culture Study through Jokes
8cott 5ardner! AA6:())+! 8hi>uoka
" 8o&e 9(ic( is ore li&e a .u::le: A man and his son were driving on a rainy night! when suddenly the man lost control of the car and
crashed into a tree# :he man was killed instantly! ut paramedics were ale to keep the son alive and rush him to a neary hospital#
'hen the oy was put on the operating tale! the doctor looked at him and said! ?Fh my 5od! B donHt know if B can operate on this oy#
<eHs my sonK? 'hat was the relationship etween the oy and the doctor$
Cnglish doesnHt have grammatical gender! ut it has gendered words! words which specify the gender of the things
they name# Fvious ones are ot(er and 'at(er! which refer to the iological conditions and relations of the people
they refer to# 3ut other words attach gender to their meaning even if there is no need to distinguish the iological
gender of the person or thing# 4an you think of some$
waitress
la>y susan
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
;ursery R(yes Greeting Cards
2original5
2ary had a little lam
Bts fleece was white as snow
Cverywhere that 2ary went
:he lam was sure to go
Bt followed her to school one day
And roke the teacherPs rule
Bt made the children laugh and play
:o see a lam at school
2.arody5
2ary had a little lam
Bts fleece was slightly OOOOOOOOOO
Bt didnPt have a father
Aust some orrowed @NA
Bt had a sort of mother
:hough the ovum was on loan
Bt wasnPt so much a ay sheep
As it was its motherPs OOOOOOOOOO
2original5
7oses are red! violets are lue
8ugar is sweet and so are you
2.arody5
7oses are red! violets are pink
Elowers smell good!
3ut you really OOOOOOOOOOOO
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English Language and Culture Study through Jokes
8cott 5ardner! AA6:())+! 8hi>uoka
+ieric&
:here once was a man from @ar"eeling
'ho got on a us ound for Caling#
:he sign on the door said! ?@onHt spit on the floor!?
8o he looked up and spat OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO#
)o. )en +ists
:hink of three items on the following topics to create a class ?:op :en? list# 7ememer to try to make them
funny#
)o. )(ree )(ings <ou Say 4' Scott Catc(es <ou Slee.ing 4n Class:
+# OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (# OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO *# OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
)o. )(ree Signs )(at <our #arents "re Getting /ld:
+# OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (# OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO *# OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Acti'ities or This (orksho&
Bn a small group! try to add three more silly events to the Flympic list#
+# OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (# OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO *# OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Now try to add two more signs for foreigners that they have een Aapan too long#
+# OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
(# OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
*# OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO