To laugh or not to laugh...in international settings

 

Being funny is a gift and when done well it's an art form. - Craig Fergunson, Scottish presenter

Do you agree? How important is a sense of humour for you?

Is there someone you know who you think is funny? What do they do?  Is there another person who doesn't think they are funny?

Do you use humour in your conversations? How and why?

Have you ever said something tongue-in-cheek but it was taken seriously? 

What are these different types of humour? 

irony / putdown / selfdeprecating humour / teasing / witty wordplay / puns

1 A mother, on seeing her children screaming and making a terrible mess, says with a smile to her visitor, 'Aren't children delightful?" 

2 A: I'm having trouble sleeping 

B: Come and see one of my presentations. That should fix it.

3 You've lost your phone again? You'd lose your head if it wasn't screwed on!

4 A: I'm going to call the guys in IT to help me with my laptop. 

B: Well, whatever you do, don't ask Miles. He's about as useful as a chocolate teapot. 

5 A: How do you find your new boss? 

B: I usually open his office door and there he is!  

What types of humour can you detect in this short excerpt from a TV show?

 

 3 Which types of humour you tend to use and which ones you are not comfortable using?

COMMUNICATION SKILL 

Using humour in international communication Here are some top tips for using humour in international communication: 

1 Think about what is appropriate depending on the context and your conversation partner. 

2 Avoid putdowns (making fun of people), insults and teasing your conversation partner. 

3 Be careful with irony, wordplay and what you assume to be shared knowledge - it might exclude people who don't understand it 

4 Be aware that not every culture sees humour as a good way of coping with nerves and embarrassing situations. 

5 When laughing in a group, be aware that some people might not see the humour in what is said and think they're being mocked. 

6 Listen and get a feel for your conversation partner's sense of humour and adapt where you can.

Clarifying your intentions 

Sorry, I was only joking I didn't mean to cause offence. 

Where I come from, we use humour when (we feel nervous). 

I only tease people I'm close to. And think c of you as a close friend. 

Clarifying your conversation partner's intentions 

Was that meant as a joke? 

I'm sorry but you lost me. Why was that funny? 

Are you being serious, or was that tongue-in-cheek? 

OWN ITI Work in pairs. Choose two scenarios to roleplay

Take turns to be the person trying to be humorous.

Which of the tips could you use?

1. Zhong and Kit were talking about a mutual dancing style Zhong found Kit's behaviour insulting

2. When Naira pointed out that Matteo had booked the wrong meeting room, Matteo laughed and said 'Oh silly me! It's the second time I've done that this month. Naira was appalled that Matteo was taking his mistake so lightly.

3. Tyson asked his friend Rosa if she liked his hair as he had just been to the barber's. Rosa replied, "Yes, it'l be lovely when it's finished' Tyson felt a bit hurt.