AN ANALYSIS OF TEACHERS’ HUMOR USE IN EFL CLASSROOM(A Study of Reading and Technology of Educational Communication Classroomsof International Class Program of Teacher Training and Education Faculty Students of IAIN Salatiga in the Academic Year of 2014/20
AN ANALYSIS OF TEACHERS’ HUMOR USE IN EFL CLASSROOM
(A Study of Reading and Technology of Educational Communication Classrooms of
International Class Program of Teacher Training and Education Faculty Students of
IAIN Salatiga in the Academic Year of 2014/2015)
Submitted to the Board of Examiners as a Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for
the Degree of Sarjana Pendidikan (S.Pd) English Education Department of Teacher
Training and Education Faculty of State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) Salatiga
Written by:
Yusi Andriyani
113 12 043
ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF
TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION FACULTY
STATE INSTITUTE FOR ISLAMIC STUDIES (IAIN) SALATIGA
MOTTO
SUCCESS IS GOING FROM ONE FAILURE TO ANOTHER
FAILURE WITHOUT LOSING ENTHUSIAM
(Muhammad Assad)
JIKA ALLAH MENGIZINKAN KITA MENAPAKI SEBUAH
PERJALANAN BERAT, DIA JUGA AKAN MEMBERIKAN KITA
SEPATU YANG KUAT. SETIAP ADA KESULITAN PASTI ADA
KEMUDAHAN. KADANG ALLAH MEMBERIKAN KESEDIHAN
SEBELUM MEMBERIKAN KEBAHAGIAAN
(The Writer)
DEDICATION
This graduating paper is sincerely dedicated to: My beloved parents, Acep Pribadi and Yunani, H. Himawan Prastyo, S.H. and Hj. Robikah
Maskimayah, S.H., there is no a single word can explain my thankfulness and my pride to all of them.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Bismillahirrohmanirrohim, Alhamdulillahirabbil ‘alamin, the deepest thanks to Allah SAW, The Most Graciousand Merciful, so that the writer can be able to finish this graduating paper entitled “An Analysis of Teachers’ Humor Use in EFL Classroom” is presented to the Teacher Training and Education Faculty of State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) Salatiga as one of the requirements for Sarjana Pendidikan (S.Pd). of English Education Department of Teacher Training and Education Faculty of State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) of Salatiga.
However, this success would not be achieved without those supports, guidance, motivations, advices, help, and encouragement from individual and institution. It is an appropriate moment for the writer to gratitude for: 1.
Dr. Rahmat Haryadi, M.Pd. as the Rector of State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) of Salatiga.
2. Suwardi, M.Pd. as the Dean of Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, State Institute for Islamic Studies of Salatiga.
3. Noor Malihah, Ph.D. as the Head of English Education Department of Teacher Training and Education Faculty of State Institute for Islamic Studies of Salatiga.
ABSTRACT Andriyani, Yusi. 2016.
An Analysis of Teachers’ Humor Use in EFL Classroom (A Study of
Reading and Technology of Educational Communication classroom of International Program
of Teacher Training and Education Faculty Students of IAIN Salatiga in the Academic Year of
Faizal Risdianto, S.S, M.Hum
2014/2015)
The objectives of this study is to define the teachers’ humor or kinds of humor that are used by teacher, to describe the most frequent teachers’ humor that occurred in teaching the fourth semester students of International Class Program, and to analyze the positive outcomes of teachers’ humor used by the teachers. The writer used descriptive qualitative as the method of
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doing this study. This study was conducted on May 12 to June 2 2016. The participants of this research was the students of fourth semester of International class Program and two teachers of English as a Foreign Language classroom. The information and the data of this study was taken from observation, interview, and documentation. The technique of analyzing data was descriptive analysis. The result showed that first, there were two kinds of humor used in a classroom; appropriate and inappropriate. These two kinds of humor consist of funny comments and jokes as appropriate. While inappropriate were irony and ethnic humor. Second, the most frequent humor used by the teacher in a classroom was irony. Third, this teachers’ humor give positive outcomes to learning process for students. It makes the relation between teachers and students be more tied.
Keywords :
Teachers’ humor. Learning process. Outcomes. Appropriate and Inappropriate
TABLE OF CONTENT
TITTLE …………………………………………………………………………i DECLARATION………………………………………….………....................ii ATTENTIVE COUNSELOR NOTE…………………………………..............iii PAGE OF CERTIFICATION………………………………………………….iv MOTTO…………………………………………………………………………v DEDICATION…………………………………………………………………vi ACKNOWLEDGMENT………………………………………………………..vii ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………...ix TABLE OF
CONTENT…………………………………………………………x LIST OF TABLES ……..………..…………………………………………….xiii
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Research …………………………………………1 B. Problems of the Research……………………………………………...3 C. Objectives of the Research ………………………………………..…..4 D. Benefits of the Research………………………………………………..5 E. Limitation of the Research ………………………..……………………5
F.
Definition of the Key Terms 1.
Humor …………………………………………………….....6 2. Teacher’ Humor ……………………………………………….7 3. Students’ Responses …………………………………………...7 4. EFL classroom ………………………………….……….…....8 G. Paper Organization …………………………………..……………….9
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK A. Previous Researches …………………………………………………..10 B. Definition of Humor ………………………………………………….12 C. Laughter and Humor …………………………………………………..14 D. Types of Humor Used in Classroom …………………………………..15 E. Benefit of Humor and Laughter ……………………………………….16 F. Nature of Humor 1. Superiority Theory of Humor ………………………………….18 2. Relief Theory of Humor ……………………………………….19 3. Incongruity Theory of Humor …………………………………20 G. Humor in Classroom …………………………………………………..23 CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A. Research Methodology …………………………………………….......27 B. Research Design ………………………….……………………………27
D.
Technique of the Data Collection ……………………………………....38 E. Technique of the Data Analysis …………………………………..…….39 F. Technique of Data Interpreting ……………………………..……….....40 G.
Coding …………………………………………………………………..40
CHAPTER IV FINDING AND DISCUSSION A. Types of Teachers’ Humor Used In Classroom ………………………...43 B. Positive Outcomes of Teachers’ Humor ………………………………..51 C. Most Frequent Teachers’ Humor ……………………………………….53 CHAPTER V CLOSURE A. Conclusions …………………………………………………………… 61 B. Suggestions …………………………………………………………….62 REFERENCES APPENDICES
LIST OF TABLES
Table 3.1 Data Presentation……………………………………………29Table 3.2 List ofSubject ………………………………………………37
Table 4.1 Types of Humor …………………………………………….52CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Research The circumstance in a classroom gives both negative and positive
effects to students’ achievement, motivation and their behaviors in teaching and learning process. They will reach great achievement when they feel happy and comfortable during the lesson in a classroom. The students who perceive good stimulation from the environment, they will be active and creative mentally and physically. The comfort will give their memories a chance to remember and keep many information, whether in short period or long period. The main factor in learning activities is interaction between teacher and students. This interaction will create positive outcomes, happiness, and comfortable.
Teaching is all about relationship. Not only the relation to the learners but also to all teachers, staff, stakeholders, and everyone in charge for the school. Most important relation is relation to the learners (Lowe: 2009:1-23). The way teacher wants to interact with the learners is really essential to be observed. Good interaction between teacher and learners improves the effectiveness of learning in a classroom. As the figure, the teacher should promote or enhance all competencies of the learners. Therefore the learners can
Good teaching and communication are the elements of making the classroom productive. When the classroom has that circumstance, the learners will be motivated to reach a better outcomes of learning (Soares: 2015:24). Using jokes or humor is one way of many tricks to make a good interaction among learners (Lowe: 2009:1-23).
In learning system, learning strategy becomes the most important component. It includes choosing the material, the way of teach the students, and also the evaluation for the whole activities in classroom in a subject. Learning strategy is the way to organize learning in a classroom, conveying the material, and managing the classroom using learning sources to make classroom attractive and efficient. According to AECT (1977), that the components of learning are message, people, material, instrument, technique, and setting. Hence, learning strategy is the important part of techniques and method components in a learning system. There are many strategies in learning activities used by the teachers to make their classrooms more attractive and conducive. Reigeluth (1983: 12) claimed that three aspects of learning strategy are organizing strategy, conveying strategy, and managing strategy.
Berk (1998) as cited by Darmansyah (2002) explained that fun learning strategy is the way which teachers use to apply the methods of conveying the material in order to make it easier to be understood by the students and make by Darmansyah (2000:15) added that fun learning strategy is an ability to change learning community be the place where raise the awareness, hearing potential, participation, giving feedback, and development, which emotion can be worth.
Students expect the teacher profile such jaunty, friendly, honest, mature, health mentally, adaptive, strong personality, interesting and not boring. One way to increase the quality of interaction between teacher and students is using humor in learning activities. Humor is proven by many researches to give positive effects toward increasing the interaction between teacher and students. In another word that humor has an essential role in facilitating students’ attention in a classroom and their learning outcomes.
Based on the explanation above, the writer would like to conduct the research about humor in classroom entitled “
An Analysis of Teachers’ Humor Use in English Foreign Language Classroom ”.
B. Problems of the Research
Based on the background of the research, the writer formulates the
questions of the research as follows: 1.
What kinds of humor are used by teacher in teaching the fourth semester students of International Class Program in IAIN Salatiga?
2. What is the most frequent teachers’ humor which occurred in the fourth semester of International Class Program in State Institute for Islamic Studies of Salatiga? 3. What are the positive outcomes of teachers’ humor use in English foreign Language classroom for the fourth semester students of
International Class Program of IAIN Salatiga? C.
Objectives of the Research
The focus of this research is on the humor used by teachers in EFL classroom and the objectives are listed below:
1. To define kinds of humor that are used by teacher in teaching the fourth semester students of International Class Program in IAIN Salatiga.
2. To describe the most frequent teachers’ humor which occurred in the fourth semester of International Class Program in State Institute for Islamic Studies of Salatiga.
3. To analyze the positive outcomes of teachers’ humor use in English foreign Language classroom for the fourth semester students of International Class Program of IAIN Salatiga.
D. Benefits of the Research
The writer expects that this research would give several benefits theoretically and practically.
1. Theoretical Benefits a.
To produce new knowledge of attractive learning in classroom through implementation of humor.
b.
Becomes a reference for the next researchers whether is similar or different approach.
2. Practical Benefits a.
To the students, the result of the research will be useful for them to get an easy way to learn.
b.
To the English teachers, the result of the research will give them another attractive strategies to improve their teaching in a classroom.
E. Limitation of the Research
The writer limits this research in purpose to specify the problem. The limitation of this research is focused on two teachers’ talk or the humor utterances from two teachers in English Foreign Language Classroom of reading and technology of educational communication classroom of International Class Program of Teacher Training and Education Faculty of IAIN Salatiga in academic year 2014/2015. The writer chose these two classrooms and teachers as the sample of the population.
F. Definition of the Key Terms 1. Humor
According to Abraham, Humor is something funny and amusement that makes someone laughing (Abraham et.al: 2014:1). There is a gap in recent knowledge concerning rhetorical humor that is lack of understanding between humor and persuasive situation. Philips (2007:3) claimed that humor is all linguistic act of the speaker which intended to make an amusement or mirth in the audience.
There are three kind of identification of something amusing and laughing as expected responses. First, risible; all actions that make the audiences amused which the truth the actor does not intend to. Second, humor is all linguistic act that intended to amuse the audience. Third, rhetorical humor is similar to humor but it has a purpose that it can change the attitude or belief (Philips: 2007:3).
Sometimes perhaps it may be something humorous although no body laughing and it often happen when all of people laughing but some of them said that it is not funny. Ross (2005:1-2) claimed that humor is something can make people laugh and smile. There are three theories of humor; Superiority theory which focus on how people feel about something they laugh at, Relief theory is theory that focus on the effect of the humor, while incongruity theory which examines the situation that makes funny or amusing (Philips: 2007:3-13).
2. Teachers’ Humor.
The word teacher means someone whose job is teaching in a school or college. The teacher has an important role in managing the classroom as well as a figure for the learners. The use of humor as the tool of teaching in a classroom will make an inductive environment during the lesson. Humor also facilitate students in attention, motivation and comprehension the lesson during learning process. A review literature reveals and supports many types of appropriate humor can be used in a classroom. the appropriate humor are : puns, story- telling, jokes, self-deprecation, cartoon, riddles, humorous comments, quotes, role play, word play, exaggeration, analogies, metaphor, and spontaneous types of humor (Mantooth: 2010:39).
3. Students’ Responses.
Students means learner or someone who learn something and response is an action to react the stimuli or the result of react to something. Students’ response here means learners’ action toward humor. They might laugh, smile, and mirth. Berk (2001:325) states that humor has two responses; response (mirth) produces psychological effect while physical response (laughter) produces physiological effect to someone. Both responses have its benefits. There are eight benefits of emotional response to humor: humor can reduce anxiety, tension, stress, depression, loneliness, improves self- esteem, restores hope and energy, and provides a sense of empowerment and control. While physiological benefits of humor effect the entire body such smirk, smile, grin, snicker, giggle, chuckle, chortle, laugh, cackle, guffaw, howl, shriek, roar, convulse, and die laughing which involved the central nervous, muscular, respitory, circulatory, immune (Fry: 1992 as cited by Berk: 2001:328).
4. EFL Classroom
EFL is abbreviation for “English as a Foreign Language”. This term is used by people in countries where do not speak English as mother tongue or officially. In short word that English spoken as the third language and more. For instance, Indonesia, Bahasa Indonesia is used by all Indonesian as medium or tool for communication both daily and officially. Indonesia consists of more than a thousand islands and languages, so that, to unity them and to understand each other, Bahasa Indonesia becomes official language. Even so, Indonesia has million professional English teachers.
They educate, teach, drill and evaluate trough learning process in order to make the students mastering English as foreign language and international language. Moreover, English course or English classroom grows undeniably in this country.
G. Paper Organization
In writing this research, the writer divides into five chapters. The systematic organized as follows: Chapter 1 is introduction that consists of background or the research that describes the reason why the writer conducts the research. This chapter also provides questions of the research, objectives of the research, benefit of the research, limitation of the research, definition of key term and also the paper organization.
Chapter II is the theoretical framework. It consists of the underlying theories that include the nature of English Language Teaching and learning, humor and responses.
Chapter III is the methodology of the research. It elaborated the methodology of the research including research method, research schedule, data collecting, the technique of data analysis, and the last is college profiles.
Chapter IV is the result and discussion of research. It consists of data presentation, discussion, observation and reflection, data analysis, and summary.
Chapter V is closure that consists of conclusion, suggestions, and recommendation. For the attachment there are references and appendices.
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK A. Previous Researches Paajoki (2014: 87) has conducted the comparative research of Humor in EFL Classroom.
“A Comparative Case Research between Elementary and Secondary School Lesson” as the title of his research. Conversation analysis and interview are the methods that were used by Paajoki. In this research, he
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observed the same teacher who teaches the 5 grade and 9 grade. He presumed that every teacher has different teaching style. He focused on how teacher act with students with different ages, a more clear view of possible differences in humor used between two grades.
After conducting the research, he concluded that teasing and irony were
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often used in classroom of 5 grade and 9 grade. Irony was used in 9 grade
th while in 5 grade the teacher used teasing and neutral type humor repeatedly.
The effect of humor in classroom was another interest of the research and the result mostly showed the positive effects.
The second previous research is the implications for teachers’ use of humor in classroom which conducted by Rareshide (1993: 3). His research is focused on how teacher opinion about the value of humor, the use of humor in the appropriate types of humor. The researcher used survey as the method to
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gain the finding or result. The research was conducted for 5
- – 6 grades’ teachers.
The result of his research is that most of teachers agreed that one type of humor, sarcasm, should never be used in a classroom. He also concluded that humor in classroom has positive impact for the students. It is also being alternative ways as teaching tool during learning.
The last previous research is written by Blackman (2001: 11-12). His research is about using humor in academic college classroom to address low academic achievement.
In his research he explained that college teachers or lecturers have faced many problem about their academic achievement. It can be seen during learning in a classroom. He also focused on the benefits of humor for teachers and students. The most compelling benefit of humor is that to encourage the student to learn more and more and enjoy the learnin
g. It also can improve the students’ achievement. After he observed the literature review about using humor in a classroom, he suggested the professor to use humor in teaching activities.
The similarities and differences are found by the writer after researching those previous studies. The similarity with Blackman’s and Rareshide’s studies that these studies will focus on the benefit of using humor in a classroom, finding the result of the students’ learning, kinds of humor that used by the teacher in teaching the students in a classroom.
While the differences are found between this research with two of these previous studies that are Pajooki’s and Rareshide’s. Their studies focused on the guidelines of using the humor, and the teachers’ opinion of it.
Moreover, the difference is that Pajooki focused and observed the same
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teacher in teaching the different ages or grades that are 5 and 6 grades. It means that Pajooki compared the learning style used by the same teacher how to act in different ages. While in this research is only focusing on the two teacher female and male who use humor in the same classroom.
B. Definition of Humor
Linguist, Psychology and Anthropology have taken humor to be an all
- encompassing category, covering any event or object that elicits laughter, amuses, or felt to be funny (Attardo: 1992:4). According to Plato, humor is “a mixed feeling of the soul” mixture of pleasure and pain (Piddington (1933:152) as cited by Attardo (1992: 18))
. A set of definition taken from MSN Encarta’s entry on the word ‘humor’ (cited by Jensen 2009: 1) are
1. Funny quality: the quality or the content of something such as story, performance, or jokes that elicits amusement and laughter.
2. Ability to see something as funny: the ability to see that something is funny, or enjoyment of things that are funny.
3. Funny thing that as genre: writings or other material created to make people laugh.
Sheinowitz (1996) explained the definition of humor into many definitions. The quality that makes something laughable or amusing; funniness: could not see the humor of the situation 1.
That which is intended to induce laughter or amusement: a writer skilled at crafting humor.
2. The ability to perceive, enjoy or express what is amusing, comical, incongruous, or absurd.
3. One of the four fluid of the body, blood, phlegm, choler and black bile, whose relative proportions were thought in ancient Greek psychology to determine a person’s disposition and general health.
4. Psychology. (a) A body fluid such as blood, lymph, or bile. (b) Aqueous humor. (c) Vitreous humor.
5. A person’s characteristics disposition or temperament: a boy of sullen humor
6. An often temporary state of mind; a mood: I’m in no humor to argue.
7.
(a) A sudden, unanticipated whim. (b) Capricious or peculiar behavior.
Morreall (1983: 6) explained that laughter as the body phenomenon and amusement as mental effect of humor are quite difference. It becomes essential to be learnt because not all of laughter caused by amusement. There is a very laughter as effect of humor is neither necessary nor guaranteed. Laughter is not related to humor. For instance: someone laughs when his/her body is tickled by another.
C. Laughter and Humor
The explanation of Morreall (1983: 6) about the differences between laughter and humor are very clear. This opinion is also supported by Lovorn (2008: 1-12). Lovorn conducted the research that laughter is the body phenomenon that begins in infant around four months of ages. The baby produces pleasant smile, and voice of friendly face. The next year, this infant produces the laughter more frequently such as if the mother tickles its body.
Many researcher did not consider that these activities of laughter included to humor. Even these activities are not included as humor but it is important that these signs shows the health baby.
While according to Whipple and Calvert (2008:1-3), laughter is biological reaction to humor condition. It is similar to past research that looks that laughter as part of o ngoing stream of social interaction and it’s the impact of humor (Partington: 2006:1-2).
The Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines humor as the ability to find things funny, the way which people see that some things are funny or the quality of being funny.
According many humor researchers that humor is not developed in a children even this children begin to learn walking or toddler. The development of humor adjusts the development of their cognitive and conceptual understanding. The capacity of appreciation and laughter at the incongruity situation or absurdity. When the children around seven or eight of ages, their sense of humor is similar to adults’ sense.
D. Types of Humor Used in Classroom Humor is one kind of useful tools in teaching students in a classroom.
The use of humor in a classroom may give positive and negative effect for students’ learning and communication between teacher and students. Therefore, there are types of humor which is appropriate and inappropriate humor used in a classroom. According to Wanzer et.al (2007: 2-32), there are two types of humor; appropriate and inappropriate.
According to Levine et.al (2000) as quote by Wanzer et.al (2006: 179) “An aspect of appropriateness is meeting social norms. When we violate norms, we are likely to be perceived as behaving inappropriately”. When the humor violates students’ expectancies and causes a negative emotional response may be view ed as inappropriate. On the other hand, it is likely that teachers’ humor attempts will be perceived as appropriate when the incongruity is recognized and resolved and when the target of humor is a disliked other or is not a member actions that are obligatory, permitted or prohibition (Crawford and Ostrom, 1995; Cummins, 1996 as cited by Ostrom, 1999: 15).
Funny stories, funny comments, puns, jokes, riddle, cartoons, and professional humor are kinds of appropriate humor which are used by the teachers as the tools of teaching in classroom. These kinds of humor are considered as positive strategies used in classroom. There are also four kinds of inappropriate humor; sarcasm, sexual humor, ethnic humor, and aggressive or hostile humor. These four types of humor should not be used in classroom (Bryant et.al: 1979 as cited by Wanzer et.al: 2007: 3-4).
E. Benefits of Humor and Laughter
Your body cannot heal without play. Your mind cannot heal without laughter. Your soul cannot heal without joy.
- Many people find that maintaining a sense of humor inside themselves can heal and improve their health. Here are the health benefit of using humor and laughter: 1.
Catherine Rippenger Fenwick
Blood Pressure: When people laugh heartily, they will increase their blood pressure then it will decrease to level below normal.
2. Hormones: Actually, laughter can reduce four hormones of stress in the body such as epinephrine, cortisol, dopamine, and growth
3. Immune system: Laughter can strengthen the immune system by increasing infection- fighting antibodies.
4. Muscle relaxation: When you laugh your muscle will move and then relax after laughing.
5. Brain function: laughter stimulates both sides of the brain to enhance learning. It allows people to get more information.
6. Respiration: it is similar to have a deep breathing.
7. Heart: Laughter, along with an active sense of humor may protect from heart attack.
According to Bell & Pomerantz (2016:12), when the use of humor to probe for and negotiate in group affiliation, humor may be the way to influence the others’ behavior.
The humor process has two effects both psychologically and physiologically. Psychological benefits of humor are reduce anxiety, reduce tension, stress, depression, loneliness, improve self-esteem, restore hope and energy, provides a sense of empowerment and control. While physiological benefits of humor are: improve mental functioning, exercises and relaxes muscles, improves respiration, stimulates circulation, decreases stress hormones, increases immune self’s defenses, and increases the production of endorphins (Berk: 2001: 325-332).
Berk (2014: 82) states that there are twelve benefits of humor when it is used in teaching and learning process. Humor can improve overall functioning mental, reduce the negative emotional consequences of anxiety, stress, and tension, improves performance, enhance creativity, facilitate communication, arouses attention and engagement, improves understanding, retention and memory, improves problem-solving, relaxes students, encourages open- minded, increases instructor-students rapport, facilitate a positive mood and cooperative classroom atmosphere.
F. Nature of Humor 1. Superiority Theory of Humor
This theory looks at our feeling when we laugh at something. It focuses on behaviors of the observer and the condition of observed to explain why it is called as funny. The feeling of superiority over other people or things is being the main focus of the theory. The superiority theory of humor, often referred to derision was first is stated by Plato and he was supported by the others such Aristotle, Hobbes, and Ludovic (Philips: 2007: 4-6)
This theory explained that when the audience watch or hear something and they make it as the basic feeling then they laugh at it. Example: I see someone slipped on banana peel, I will laugh ground. It will be funnier if the fallen person is someone I hate, and it will be less amusement if she/he get more serious injury.
According to Claudia (1986: 26-28), superiority theory of humor claimed that someone get pleasure because the feeling of the superiority rather than other or seeing themselves better than the others. Aristotle, Cicero, Decartes, and Francis Bacon stated that laughter arise caused by deformity is seen in other. This theory seems explain that seeing the problem, lack and the fault from the others as the basic feeling of pleasure is accorded. The teacher did misspells is funnier because she/he larger life than us.
Kulka (2007: 1) stated that superiority theory sees comical is received and felt as the inferior and laughter as the sudden expression of superiority feeling.
‘I wouldn’t say she was pretty and I wouldn’t say she was ugly just pretty ugly’.
- - That is one instance of British humor that shows superiority theory of humor. This humor belongs to mother-in law jokes.
2. Relief Theory of Humor Relief theory looks at the effects caused by humor and laughter.
It explained that when people constrained by the world around them, they will find the way to move. The motion can relieve them from surplus energy which can decreasing the physic tension (Kulka: 2007: 1).
Spencer (1911) as cited by Philips (2007: 20) argued that the necessary discharge in human as the result of all stimuli which build up their energy. This theory used the biology as its basis. Cooper (2008) stated that the relief theory is found by Sigmund Freud who claimed that funny thing, amuse moment, or utterances may produce the pleasant. He also believed that humor is being the way people reduce their stress.
“Mirth is God’s medicine”.
- Henry Ward Beecher Except relieve the stress, humor can also help people to make a deal with reducing the effect of the potential of stressors and reducing the nervous system. In short, humor is the medicine. It is important for our healthy and it help us from being lonely and make us connected to the others who is interested in cheerfulness (Whipple & Calvert 2008: 1-3).
3. Incongruity Theory of Humor
This theory observes the condition of something to be found funny. According to Jonas, this theory is all about an expected action or word that happen. It means it is surprise action and utterance (Jonas: 2004 as cited by Mantooth: 2010: 14). The incongruity can be strength, absurd, unexpected ending of event or utterances. It also can be confusion, unpleasant emotion, or even pain. Therefore, not all of incongruities are amusing. Philips (2007:10) states that incongruity theory of humor focuses on the humor itself rather than laughter and tries to find the humorous condition of what being funny.
Playfulness and incongruity are two foundations and become the basic structure of humor before it happen. The first element is playfulness. Humor cannot exist without it. For instance; when we used humor to mock our rival or when we want to reduce our tension, but playfulness here must be confirmed and communicated by appropriate facial expression. Without playfulness it will hurt the rival instead of making an amusement. Moreover, humor often uses ‘play behavior’ or an action to create humor. If the play behaviors are used more aggressively, it can cause violence, distress or confusion. Therefore, the play signal is very essential to indicate that the play behavior is just a play and not serious. Human signals are smiling and laughter. Without those signal, the rival can be misinterpreting and misunderstanding about the play behaviors used, chasing or beating, by the attacker. The rival may take a revenge for what have happened (Astolfi: 2007: 9) The second element is incongruity. The incongruity theory of humor claims that incongruity things can cause humor happen.
Moreall (1983: 9-11) stated that the situation which is not equal between someone’s perception and someone’s misinterpreting of that perception may cause humor.
There is the most famous jokes as the example of incongruity situation. “Why did the chicken cross the road?” – “To get the other side” (Astolfi 2007: 14). It shows us that the listener expects the surprising answer as the incongruity. After a while tries to figure out the answer, they surprise that there is no incongruity of the answer, therefore it provides another incongruity.
Another examples of incongruity humor is confusion jokes. ‘What’s a baby pig called?’
‘A piglet’ ‘So what’s a baby toy called?’ ‘A toilet’
‘-let’ is one of suffix word that means small. It occurs usually in the final syllable of the word.
G. Humor in Classroom
Since humor gives the benefit of learning for students, many researchers suggest the teachers or lecturers to use humor in a classroom. According to McGrath (2013: 1-3), the use of humor can engage the students, and reduce the distress during the exam. It can help the learners to reduce the anxiety and the nervousness in strange or awkward condition.
The use of humor in a classroom help the students and the instructor or the teacher. Humor give a positive impact for the outcomes of the students. It could be the increase of achievement level. While for the teacher, since students achievements are increasing the teacher evaluation will be easy (Wanzer 2002 as cited by McGrath 2013: 1).
Darmansyah (2002: 2), did research about the students’ perception to teachers who use humor in learning activities. The result is students happy to have teacher who has high sense of humor. The result of research gives the implication in learning process, whether it is from the teachers or their students.
It means that as a teacher should understand what makes students enjoy with the learning in a classroom.
Kottler & Zehm (2000) as cited by McEwan (2012: 71) claimed that based on personal style of teaching, humor is the humane element among the others. Most of teachers who appreciate the humor, are not only tolerate of laughter and happiness in a classroom but also establish and encourage it, will be more relevant and interesting for the students instead of the teachers who looks lurid and not having sense of humor. When the students are asked to fill the survey of teachers’ characteristics, they will mention the sense of humor as one of their characteristics.
This opinion is supported by Walker (2008: 64-67) who stated that there are twelve characteristics of professional and effective teacher; prepared, positive, hold high expectation, creative, fair, display a personal touch, cultivate a sense of belonging, compassionate, have sense of humor, respect to students, forgiving, admit mistakes.
Here are the guidelines of using humor in a classroom according to journal of instructional Pedagogies :
1. The humor must be suitable with the topic and situation.
2. It must be fit with the instructor/ teacher.
3. Avoid sarcasm and put-down.
4. Don’t be afraid being funny and lighten up on yourself.
5. It should never be directed to a group or individual.
6. Don’t be afraid to experiment or even fail.
Guidelines for teaching using humor also stated by Power (2005) as cited by McGrath (2013: 1). Here are the guidelines of applying humor to the classroom: 1.
Humor should not be hurtful or offensive. The instructor should consider the tone, content, intent, and situation.
2. Don’t afraid to be funny. The students usually feel fear and shy.
Then the instructor or the teacher should be the model. If the teacher shows no fear and embarrassment, the students will imitate that attitude.
3. Make humor relevant. Humor will be the most useful tool if it is linked to the content being studied. There are three steps of linking the humor to the content. First, the instructor or the teacher explains the students without humor. Second, give the humorous example or demonstration. The last, the teacher summarizes the information and relates it to the humorous event.
4. Act it out. When teacher teaches without any visual/ audio, the other strategy is act it out.
5. Use clips from movies or television shows.
6. Try music. Use music from time to time can ease the tension to the upcoming classes for students and teachers.
8. Test and quizzes. Use humorous examples in exam and quizzes may reduce tension and anxiety of the students.
9. Use yourself as examples 10.
Use stories and comments from students.
11. Be yourself. It means that the instructor or the teacher should choose the humor which fit with them.
CHAPTE R III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A. Research Methodology