Collaborative co-construction of humorous interaction among ELF speakers

Abstract

Abstract This qualitative study analyzes the construction of humor in interactions of two dyads of English as a lingua franca (ELF) speakers who are female graduate students in the United States. Using a sequential analysis, this study closely investigates how these ELF speakers are co-constructing humor in their interactions. In particular, humorous talk including contextual cues such as joint laughing, smiling, and abruptness of talk are examined in sequential contexts. The humorous talk data exhibit the skillful use of humor to achieve and maintain solidarity and to minimize possible disagreement among these ELF speakers. In other words, collaborative co-construction of humorous interactions demonstrates ELF speakers' “complex and skillful accomplishment” (Firth 2009: 158) of communicative success in English.