Comparisons Between Native English Speakers and Taiwanese College Students in English Joke Appreciation and Comprehehension

• Main Authors: Chia-ying Chen, 陳佳吟
• Other Authors: Ling-zu Yang
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2008
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/17193602359985473251

碩士 === 國立高雄師範大學 === 英語學系 === 96 === The purpose of this study is to make comparisons between native English speakers and Taiwanese college students in English joke appreciation and comprehension. Besides, the joke attitude differences between the two groups are also taken into account. The subjects consist of two groups: 69 native English speakers and 74 Taiwanese fourth-year college English majors at National Kaohsiung Normal University. In total, 143 subjects participated in this study. The instrument is a questionnaire called the English Joke Measurement developed by me and consisting of three parts: the Background Information, the English Joke Test, and the Joke Attitude Test. The 16 jokes constituted in the English Joke test include 8 linguistic and 8 cultural jokes. The eight linguistic jokes were subcategorized into two morphological, two phonological, two lexical, and two syntactic jokes. The eight cultural jokes were subcategorized into two religious, two political, two sexual, and two stereotypical jokes. By way of t-test and Chi-square test, the results of this study were analyzed quantitatively. To compare the reasons from both groups in joke appreciation and comprehension, the results were also analyzed qualitatively. The major findings of this study are summarized as follows: First, the results of the comparisons between the native English speakers (NSs) and the college English majors (CEMs) in the top three funny jokes and in the top three unfunny jokes in linguistic jokes are that (a) Syntactic Joke 8 was favored by both groups; (b) Phonological Joke 3 was not favored by both groups; (c) the two Phonological Jokes were are not appreciated by the NSs; (d) Lexical joke 15 is not favored by the CEMs, but is appreciated most by the NSs; and (e) Morphological Joke 5 is not appreciated by the CEMs, but is favored by the NSs. The results in cultural jokes are that (a) the two Sexual Jokes are appreciated by both groups and (b) the two Political Jokes and Religious Joke 2 are not appreciated by both groups. Second, the results of the comparisons between the NSs and the CEMs in the top three easy jokes and in the top three difficult jokes in linguistic jokes are that (a) the two Syntactic Jokes are easy for the two groups to comprehend; (b) Lexical Joke 10 is comprehended least easily by both groups; (c) the two Lexical Jokes are hard for the CEMs to comprehend; and (d) Phonological Joke 3 is comprehended most easily by the NSs, but less easily by the CEMs. The results in cultural jokes are that (a) the two Sexual jokes are easy for the two groups to comprehend, (b) Religious Joke 2 and Political Joke 11 are difficult for both groups to comprehend, and (c) the two Political Jokes are difficult for the NSs to comprehend. However, the correct rates of the NSs in the top three difficult linguistic and cultural jokes are still high, indicating that the NSs do not find any linguistic and cultural jokes particularly difficult. Third, as for the reasons for Unfunny, in addition to “I have read/heard it before” (Option 1), “Compared with what I have read/heard before, this one is nothing special” (Option 2), and “I don’t understand it” (Option 3), the reasons in “Others” (Option 4) show 13 characteristics. To be precise, a joke is unfunny when it is (a) too simple or childish, (b) too long or complex, (c) unattractive in its content, (d) obscene, (e) offensive, (f) prejudiced or disparaged, (g) it is not stimulating, (h) simply a word play (a pun), (i) predictable, (j) old-fashioned, (k) just not funny, (l) unknown to people who lack the background knowledge of this joke, or when (m) the readers was unable to make connection right away as shown in Joke 4 (politics). The characteristics from (a) to (h) and (m) were collected from the NSs, while the rest of the characteristics were from both groups. Fourth, most CEMs who did not understand the joke were due to their incomprehension of certain words either appearing in the punch line or in the set-up of a joke. In addition, not all native English speakers comprehended the 16 jokes. Specifically, in Political Jokes 4 and 11, many non-Americans reported that they were unfamiliar with American politics. In addition, the reasons of Choice 4 (Others) show two characteristics. Firstly, the readers just did not understand it without any reason. Secondly, the readers might bear the linguistic or cultural background knowledge of the joke, but were unable to connect it with the punch line right away. Fifth, most of the NSs and the CEMs hold a positive view on learning and teaching of English jokes in an EFL classroom to improve students’ English ability of humor. Besides, the ability to tell jokes is considered to be an advantage to a person, and telling jokes to express humor is part of American culture.