The effects of nonverbal humor used by a primary English teacher on third-grade English learners

Abstract

Much research into humor has identified that teachers’ appropriate humor assists language learning, and the performance of humor depends on nonverbal cues. This paper explores cases of a primary English teacher’s nonverbal humor to investigate its effects on third-grade learners. The data set included ten periods of videotaped classes and five interviews with the teacher. Applying Creswell’s (2002) data analysis, two themes appeared: the use of nonverbal humor to emphasize and to control. First, the teacher used ludicrous body gestures to reinforce her messages with regards to learning contents. When using such humor, she targeted extroverted and friendly boys who had confidence in English. Second, the teacher mocked some learners’ off-task behaviors in order to control them. She calibrated her humor so that the learners would not feel embarrassed. In particular, nonverbal humor was found to be capable of supporting those with English learning difficulties. As paralanguage can make the verbal explanation easier to understand, young pupils could enjoy the teacher’s humor and focus on what had been highlighted. Based on the findings, this paper suggests pedagogical implications for primary English teachers.