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)
A GRADUATING PAPER
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
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
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Bismillahirrohmanirrohim,
Alhamdulillahirabbil ‘alamin, the deepest thanks to Allah SAW, The Most Gracious and 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
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
2014/2015) Faizal Risdianto, S.S, M.Hum
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 doing this study. This study was conducted on May 12th to June 2nd 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 :
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
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
LIST OF TABLES
CHAPTER 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
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
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
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;
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
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
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
observed the same teacher who teaches the 5th grade and 9th 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
often used in classroom of 5th grade and 9th grade. Irony was used in 9th grade while in 5th 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
gain the finding or result. The research was conducted for 5th – 6th 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 learning. 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
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
teacher in teaching the different ages or grades that are 5th and 6th 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
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 ongoing 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
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 viewed 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.
- Catherine Rippenger Fenwick
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. 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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
CHAPTE R III
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
A. Research Methodology
Research or research methodology is the way to find the result of
research problem. According to Kothari (2004: 8), research methodology is the
way to solve the problem systematically. It may be understood as the
knowledge to research on how the research will be done scientifically. In doing
the research, the researcher have to know about how to determine the test, to
calculate the mean, the mode, and median. The researcher also need to know
about the technique that relates to the research and how to indicate the mean.
In this research, the writer use descriptive analysis. According to
Cambridge for Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, Descriptive means to describe
something in interesting way or is understood as research which is based on
saying what its subject is really like, rather than on developing theories about
it. In the research field, descriptive is type of research method to describe the
moment in past or present. Sutama (2011: 38) claimed that descriptive research
has a purpose to describe the way phenomenon or situations are.
B. Research Design
Creswell (2009: 3) states that research design are the plans and
procedures of research that span the decision from broad assumption to detailed
provide the collection of relevant evidences with minimal expenditure of effort,
time and money (Kothari: 2004: 14).
This research is used descriptive qualitative method. It means that the
problem of the research solved through collecting, analyzing and interpreting
data. Descriptive analysis means to analyze the data that have been described.
The source of the data taken from teachers’ utterances of humor in a classroom.
There are some processes of this research:
1. Data Collection: The instrument of the research to collect and elicit the data
are interview, observation, and documentation.
2. Data Analyzing: The data as the result of data classifying will be analyzed.
3. Data Interpreting: Drawing the inferences from the collected facts after
analyzing the data.
C. Respondents of the Research
The object of the research are taken from teachers’ talk about humor in
a classroom during teaching and learning process. The teachers are teaching the
students in the academic year 20014/2015. There are two kind of data in the
research; primary data and secondary data. The primary data means the data
that are taken from the transcript of recording (Class Observation and
interview) and field note. The secondary data comes from books, journal, and
Sa: Laughter, oh
my God, le-le
(expression to call
a little boy in
Javanese
Language).
Funny Comments (A2)
Puns (A3)
Jokes (A4) 1. T2: well, oke. We
will only have two
more meetings
today and next
week. You want
me to make or
reschedule our
meeting? It will be
fine. If you want to
reschedule our
meeting its OK, if you don’t want to Alhamdulillah,
SS: (laughter) deal, deal.
intonation to replace the
but when it is running out, you can’t buy it anymore because you don’t have enough money. This case
B1.6
subject of this research are the teachers and students of International Class
Program in State Institute for Islamic Studies of Salatiga in the academic year
2014/2015.
The list of the subjects is presented in the table 3.2. I only write their
name by initial in order to keep their confidence to give the data.
Table 3.2 List of Subjects
NO NAME NIP/NIM OCCUPATION
1 Mr. N Lecturer
2 Mrs. W Lecturer
3 AMD 113-14-036 Student
4 DAY 113-14-318 Student
5 FWA 113-14-060 Student
6 HJF 113-14-119 Student
7 KFS 113-14-149 Student
8 LTI 113-14-049 Student
9 LSF 113-14-131 Student
10 MAM 113-14-128 Student
11 NPS 113-14-199 Student
12 NAL 113-14-107 Student
D. Technique of the Data Collection
The essential part of research is data collection. In this stage, the
researcher must collect the information to answer the problem of the research.
Data collection begins after the researcher decide and define the research
problem and the research design. In this research, the writer use interview,
observation, and documentation to collect the information and data.
According to Creswell (2009: 48), the researcher collect data on
instrument and test, or seek the information on behavioral checklist. On the
other end of continuum, the researcher might visit the research site and
observing the behavior of individual or conducting the interview. Qualitative
researcher typically gathering multiple form of data, such as interview,
observation, and documentation. This opinion is supported by Sutomo (2011:
92) who states that the technique of data collection is multi instrument. He
writes that data collection can be achieved by observing, interviewing and
documenting.
1. Observation
Observation is a method that is usually used in studying the behavior.
In this observation, the researcher can seek the information about the
respondent without asking the question. Under the observation, the
information that relates to what currently happening can be achieved. The
the researcher observes as a detached emissary without any attempt to her
part to experience through participation what others’ feel.
2. Interview
There are four methods of interview in qualitative research; personal
interviews, telephone interviews, focused interview, and email interview.
This method of interview need to presentation of oral- verbal stimuli and
reply in term of oral – verbal responses (Creswell: 2011: 212). The writer
likes to use focused interview in collecting the data. Focused interview was
explained by Kothari (2011: 7) that it is an interview which the interviewer
focuses attention upon a given experiences and its effects.
3. Documentation
To make a good finding or the result requires a good documentation of
qualitative procedures (Yin: 2003 as cited by Creswell: 2009: 226). The
documentation might be text (journal and notes taking), image, sound, etc.
In this research the writer use the documentation as the evidence of the
research to corroborate the finding and discussion.
E. Technique of the Data Analysis
Data analysis is ongoing process during the research. It involves
analyzing the information from the participant. Kothari (2004: 130) claimed
that analysis means to measure certain indices with the pattern of relationship
the data. Descriptive analysis focuses on the research of distribution of one
variable. The research provide the profile of organization, company, person or
other subject on multiple characteristics.
The steps for analyzing the data, the researcher conducted the interview
and then transcribed them into many codes to identify the themes. The
researcher also will take notes on observation-site. Subsequently, she analyses
the field notes and the information from the interview, then she developed and
write the research narrative.
F. Technique of the Data Interpreting
After collecting and analyzing the data, the writer have to interpret the
data as the result from analyzing. Interpreting is defined as the activity of
drawing the result or inferences then followed report writing. Interpretation
the data may search the broader meaning of research. In this stage, the writer
should do very carefully. If she misleading the drawing of the conclusion, the
whole purpose of the research may get vitiated (Kothari: 2004: 59).
G. Coding
The writer made many codes in this research in order to make the
analyzing easier to be recognized. The first data was taken from the
conversation between teachers and students in the classroom to define and
T1: Teacher 1 (Mr.N)
T2: Teacher 2 (Mrs.W)
SS: Whole Students
Sa: The student named Amira
Sb: The student name Haqiqi
Sc: The student named Yesika
Sd: The student named fahmi
A: Appropriate Humor. There were six kinds of appropriate humor:
A1: Funny Stories. There were found three funny stories during the lesson.
It means A1.1 (for the first stories), A1.2 (second stories), and A1.3
(third funny stories)
A2: Funny Comments
A3: Puns
A4: Jokes. A4.1 The writer found only one joke in the classroom
B1 : Irony. After defining the types of humor, the writer concluded there
were seven irony humors. B1.1, B1.2, B1.3, B1.4, B1.5, B1.6, B1.7
B2 : Sexual Humor
B3 : Ethnic Humor. B3.1 because there was only one kind of ethnic humor
B4 : Aggressive/ Hostile Humor
The second data was taken from the interview with two teachers of EFL
classroom. The first teacher was Mr. N and second teacher was Mrs. W. There were
six questions in interview. For example: A.N.L 3-4 means A: question point A; N:
means the speaker was Mr. N; L 3-4: the positive outcomes found in the line 3-4.
A.W.L 3-4, 13-14: Question point A, Mrs. W. line 3-4 and 13-14
B.N.L 3-4: Question point B, Mr. N. line 3-4
B.W.L 1: Question point B, Mrs. W. line 1
C.N.L 5-7: Question point C, Mr. N. line 5-7
C.W.L 1-3: Question point C, Mrs. W. line 1-3
D.N.L 1-2, 8-10: Question point D, Mr. N. line 1-2 and 8-10
D.W.L 1: Question point D, Mrs. W. line 1
E.N.L 4-5: Question point E, Mr. N. line 4-5
F.N.L 6: Question point F, Mr. N. line 6
CHAPTER IV
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
1. Types of Teachers’ Humor used in Classroom
After finishing the process of Analysis, it can be found that there
were two kinds of teachers’ humor used in the classroom as the tool of
teaching. There were appropriate and inappropriate humor.
A. Appropriate Humor
Appropriate humor that were used by the teachers in teaching
the students of reading and technology of educational
communication are funny stories and joke.
1). After explaining the material and answering the questions
from students, the teacher tried to give motivation to them. The
motivation is about learning English and speaking it up. Then
the teacher begun to retell the story about crazy man in Indonesia
who speaks English fluently.
T2 : “I read on Yahoo there is a crazy man who speaks English fluently. Seriously. “What is your name? “My name, I have many names from my father. My first name is Bapak Tatang Gondana or Gatot Kaca Pringgodani”. Crazy is crazy. But he answers the question fluently in
SAW is my father’s son”. I can’t stand for this jokes. I laugh. My friend said “miss, don’t laugh that the important point is that someone who is clever in speaking English got the crazy nomination.” hehe. So I suggest you to watch it. Then, you will think that you
have to be cleverer than a crazy man in speaking
English.
The teacher suggested the students to watch it on you tube. It is
funny to find a crazy man in Indonesia can speak English
fluently. The teacher expected that her students would have
high motivation to learn English more and more.
2). This story was delivered by teacher when the material is
about monopolistic competition. She retell the story that she
ever got drunk because of coffee. The funny thing in this story
that she is a muslimah and prohibited to drink an alcohol. But
still she ordered the coffee which contains of alcohol. Actually
she didn’t know that matter but when the waitress suggested her
to not order that beverage she refused and drunk it. After a while
she realized she got drunk and she defensed herself by saying
she didn’t know that coffee contains alcohol.
completely drunk, heheh” “ Actually before ordering the coffee, the waitress said “ better for you not to order this one” but I answered “ its Ok. I want to try” and I determined. A while after drinking the coffee my sight
was lost slowly. Then I realized that I got drunk, so that was something I didn’t know then it means it doesn’t matter. Right? Hehe
3). A teacher told a story about her sister who come back from
Disneyland. Actually, the sister and her family are used to go
abroad. Beside telling the story, the teacher encouraged her
students to have a big dream to go abroad. Then story begun
funny when teacher’s son compared his aunty to his Mom
(Teacher).
T2 : My son said “when aunty passed in front of me, I smell a nice perfume. But when my mommy passed in front of
me, I smell the aroma of sun.
SS : Laughter, oh my God, le-le (expression to call a little
boy in Javanese Language)
4). Before beginning the lesson, the teacher want to make a deal
about the schedule of class meeting. That schedule would
replace the previous meeting which was off. The humorous
thing occurred when the teacher advised the students to
reschedule but a while she thanks if they don’t make reschedule.
T2 : Well, oke. We will only have two more meetings today
meeting? It will be fine. If you want to reschedule our meeting its OK, if you don’t want to, Alhamdulillah, SS: (laughter) deal, deal.
B. Inappropriate Humor
The teachers also used inappropriate humor in the classroom.
Inappropriate humor that used by the teachers were irony and
ethnic humor. Here are the example of them:
1).T1 : (After explaining). Any question?
SS: (Silent)
T1: No question?
SS: (Silent)
T1 : understand? Do you understand (Pointing someone)?
It seems that you have a mental burden (Mental
illness)? What kind of burden is it?
SS: Laughter
2). The lesson is about technology in learning. The teacher
explained that todays, learning English is very easy. Because
everyone can learn from online learning. The amusement part
of this text is when the teacher teased the students with their
customs of playing Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc. After
teasing them, the teacher suggested them to learn English
T1 : For example, you have a free time, you sit on the bus
stop while waiting for the bus to come you can just open
your cellphone and instead of playing Facebook or
Instagram or twitter and something, you can learn
English from website that Mr. Aji created
3). The teacher introduced Mr. Aji to the students. Mr. Aji is
someone who can create website or online learning. The teacher
praise Mr. Aji because he want to share his knowledge of how
to create online learning website. While after praising Mr. Aji,
one of the students said abruptly “Check & R-check”. The
teacher looked at the students and replied “what? Check &
R-check. You just know about gossip”. Check & R-check is a show
that contains of gossip of celebrities. This show is really
well-known in society of Indonesia. This show gives the hot news of
celebrities.
T1 : Sharing is giving. The more you share the more you
receive. Take and give. Everyone must do it.
Sa : that is Check & R-check (one of reality show about celebrities’ news).
T1: what? Check & R-check. You just know about gossip.
SS: Laughter
4). When students are discussing the project, the teacher read the
attendant list. Usually, when the teacher call students’ name,
this case, the teacher called someone in a class, but the student
whom called by the teacher only kept silent and looked at the
teacher. Then the teacher needed to look for the student he called
by seeing the entire of students and finally found the silent
student and they looked at each other. Here is the funny thing.
When the teacher said “say I am here. Don’t just sit, you will get
hemorrhoids”.
T1: (reading the attendant lists) Nur fahmi.
Sd: (Silent and looking at the teacher)
T1: say I am here. Don’t just sit, you will get hemorrhoids. SS: laughter
5). That time the teacher ordered the student one by one to make
a presentation about the project of making an interactive
learning tool. There is a girl presented her project. She want to
make a video which contains the material from the book of
“Baina Yadaik”. In that video, the girl intended to record her
voice to make it attractive. The humorous thing occurred when
the girl miss speaking “little brother” becomes “little boy”. The
teacher got confused with term of “little boy” then he asked “ha?
Little boy? Who’s that? Does that mean your boy has a small
body or what?” this question makes the entire of the class
Sc : (Explaining the project about learning baina yadaik
book). I will record my voice in the video
T1 : so you will speak with the different accent and
intonation to replace the speakers?
Sc: No, I will borrow the voice of my little boy.
T1 : ha? Little boy? Who’s that? Does that mean your boy has a small body or what?
Sc: No, my little brother.
SS: laughter
6). The reading material is about the system of Mc Donald
organization. The teacher explained that the systems of Mc
Donald are same. There is no difference between Mc Donald in
America and Indonesia.
T2: You know Mc Donald right? Have you ever go there?
SS: not yet
T2: Not yet? Oh my God. In this era? Where do you go usually?
To Kentuki Pret (Kentucky Fried Chicken)
SS: Laughter
Mc Donald is well-known enough in Indonesia. The teacher
thought that all of her students ever went to Mc Donald but when
she asked about that, the students answered that they were never
went to Mc Donald. So the teacher surprised with the answer.
Today is new era while the students have never gone to Mc
Donald. It is something unbelievable in this era. The humorous
era?” then asked “Where do you go usually? To Kentuki Pret
(Kentucky Fried Chicken”. The teacher intended to miss
spelling of the word “Kentucky Fried” becomes “Kentuki pret”.
The word “Kentuki” in Indonesia is similar to “Kentut” means
Flatus. While the word “pret” here to replace the voice of flatus.
7). All of people like to have a good product. They are willing
to buy an expensive product for their satisfaction. In this case
the teacher explained the material that relates to expensive
product and she related that material by giving a real experience
for them.
T2: Sometimes, you bought an expensive product, but when it was running out, you can’t buy it anymore because you don’t have enough money. This case is usual for students like you
right?
SS: Laughter.
T2: don’t worry, there are many people especially for mothers have that case.
Sa: students are not included, mom.
T2: ow,,, students are not included?
The humorous thing in the text that actually the teacher give an
example of buying expensive product but when he/she needs to
buy it again he/she can buy it anymore. Because students usually
do not have enough money. The teacher tease the students by
is running out, you can’t buy it anymore because you don’t have
enough money. This case is usual for students like you right?”
but then, the students deny for that statement.
8). While the lesson the teacher explained the material and when
she got the difficult word for students, she explained and tried
to make the students understand the meaning of the difficult
word.
T2 : Then chain, what does it mean?
SS: Silent
T2: The symbol of third Pancasila principle.
Sb: Rantai (Chain)
T2: Rantai yes it is, don’t say “bebek nungging ya?
The meaning of chain in Bahasa Indonesia is Rantai. Fortunately
this thing is also one of five symbols in Pancasila principle. The
funny word in that case is when the teacher said “don’t say
bebek nungging ya” for replace the meaning of chain. Actually
the word “bebek nungging” is said by the famous actress in
Indonesia, Zaskia Gothik. At that time, she got the problem
because she tried to amuse the viewer by replacing one of five
symbols of Pancasila principle by “bebek nungging”.
2. The most frequent use of teachers’ humor
After analyzing the data, it can be found that the most frequent use of
Table 4.1 demonstrates that there were two kinds of humor that are used
by teachers in a classroom. There are appropriate and inappropriate humor.
The appropriate humor (33.3%) are funny stories (25%) and joke (8.5%).
While inappropriate humor that are used in classroom include irony (58%)
and ethnic humor (8.5%). Then the result of inappropriate humor is 66.7%.
This amount means that inappropriate humor used most frequently by the
teachers in teaching the students in International Class Program especially
using the irony humor.
3. The Positive Outcomes of Teachers’ humor
The positive outcomes of teachers’ humor can be seen from the result
of interview with two teachers for the subject “reading and technology of
educational communication”. The code after each sentence refers to the
sources in the appendices. For example: A: Question A; (the speaker N line
1-3) it means that the utterances found in question point A with the speaker
N in line 1-3.
A. What is your opinion about the use of teacher humor in a
classroom?
Mr.N: “It is very good. We need some ice breaker sometimes when students are, you know, you don’t make your students fed up with your material or the way you teach. You need ice breaker to make
Mrs.W: “Teacher humor, for me, is very essential to be done in a classroom because strict learning system will reduce the
concentration of the students. So the process of learning and
teaching will achieve the goal by using humor. Because it relates to
the student who will achieve the goal of learning that is usually depending on the way of teachers’ conveying and their humor. It means the teachers understand students’ condition. Actually, how to be a killer teacher is easy but the target or the goal that we want
to reach it will not come true. The students will also feel being
penetrated, then whatever they get to be a must. Not all of the
teachers or lecturers have the sense of humor. That is the point.
Everyone always has his/ her goal and it must be perceived. In my opinion, teachers’ humor is one of tool how to grab the students, how to make them get involved in a classroom”. (A.W.L 3-4, 13-14)
This question is aimed to know teacher’s opinion about humor
that is used in classroom as the tool of teaching. From the interview
above, the writer can conclude that humor is a useful tool of teaching
to grab the students engage in the classroom and make them
motivated again. The teacher humor is important tool because the
teachers usually need the ice breaker to make a tied relationship
B. Do you agree that the use of teacher humor can enhance the
students learning?
Mr.N: “In my opinion, it is not exactly enhancing for the learning but it more likes motivating to students how to learn. You know, when we have high motivated we can learn effectively but if we don’t have high motivated, you know, we can’t learn effectively”. (B.N.L 3-4)
Mrs.W: “Of course yes”. (B.W.L 1)
This writer asked this question to the teachers to dig a deep
information from their experiences in teaching the classroom by
using humor. In the interview with Mr. N, he does not agree that
humor enhance learning process but he replace the word “enhance”
to “motivate” the students for learning in a classroom. While Mrs.
W agreed that humor can enhance the learning process in a
classroom.
C. Could you tell me what the impacts of using humor for the
students and teacher in a classroom are?
Mr.N: “Well, you got to be aware of the word ‘impact’ because the word impact implies something deeper rather than just motivation.
Because it requires like a return if you talk about impact. I am not
sure whether when I use humor then it will give an impact or some
impacts of those learning but at least, I can see that when I use
