Using humour is a good way to create a positive atmosphere in the primary English classroom and it helps the children to concentrate and to enjoy the lesson. Humour can for example be found in storybooks and is therefore seemingly easily accessible. Yet, it might be difficult for the children to understand in terms of their cognitive development or their cultural knowledge.
This leads to some questions concerning the use of humorous children’s books to teach language and culture of English-speaking countries to German primary school children. Firstly, it can be asked if picture books from different cultural backgrounds and with different kinds of humour can be used in primary school and what are possible difficulties in using books from a culture which is different from the listener’s culture. Furthermore, it can be interesting to look at important factors to consider when using a humorous picture book, like cultural specific humour and children’s humour. Finding approaches to answer these questions will be the focus of this paper. To do so, it shall be looked at theories of humour which will be applied to a German and an English picture book to analyse the humour used in these books.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Definitions of Humour and Laughter
- Children's Humour
- English and German Humour
- English Humour
- German Humour
- Humour in The Queen's Knickers and The Story of the Little Mole who knew it was none of his business
- Humour in The Queen's Knickers
- Humour in The Story of the Little Mole who knew it was none of his business
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper explores the use of humorous children's books in the primary English classroom, specifically focusing on the suitability of these books for German primary school children. It examines the interplay between cultural specific humor and children's humor in picture books from different cultural backgrounds, aiming to shed light on potential difficulties and benefits of using such books for language and culture learning.
- Definitions and theories of humor and laughter
- Characteristics of children's humor
- Cultural differences in humor, particularly English and German humor
- Analyzing humorous picture books for their suitability in the primary English classroom
- Assessing the challenges and opportunities of using humor in intercultural learning environments
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter sets the stage for the research by outlining the potential benefits of using humorous children's books in the primary EFL classroom. It introduces the significance of humor in creating a positive learning environment and fostering motivation for language acquisition. However, it also highlights the complexities of humor in an intercultural context, posing questions about the potential challenges of using books from different cultural backgrounds.
- Definitions of Humour and Laughter: This chapter delves into various theories of humor and laughter, exploring diverse perspectives on the causes, mechanisms, and functions of humor. It emphasizes the subjective nature of humor and acknowledges the lack of a universally accepted definition. The chapter examines concepts like incongruity, the role of social contexts, and the importance of recognizing and understanding cultural nuances in humor.
- Children's Humour: This chapter focuses on the specific characteristics of humor that appeal to children. It challenges the notion that children lack the capacity to understand or produce humor, presenting evidence that suggests even young children exhibit signs of humor. The chapter highlights the unique aspects of children's humor and its developmental stages, providing insights into what makes certain types of humor engaging for children.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This paper explores the use of humorous children's books in primary EFL education, focusing on the cultural differences in humor between English and German. Key topics include definitions and theories of humor, children's humor, intercultural communication, and the suitability of humorous picture books for language and culture learning in the primary classroom.
- Quote paper
- Nina Schütze (Author), 2017, Analysing Humorous Storybooks for the Use in the Primary EFL Classroom, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/437570
