The topic explained
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CULTURE SPOT
- Understand how humour differs between other cultures.
- Understand how cultures influence what we find funny.
Why can the British never stop joking?
Have you ever been baffled by a comedy from a different country? Have you ever watched a Japanese or UK comedy series which shows audiences in fits of laughter, but leaves you waiting for a punchline? You’re not alone.
The hard part is spotting that a joke has been made.
Understatement and self-deprecation
Humour is universal, but every culture tells it differently
Stand-up, sitcoms and lost-in-translation jokes
WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH
All of this makes jokes hard to carry from one language to another.
Warm-up questions (pair talk)
1 In pairs, answer the questions. Then read the article and compare your answers.
Which type of humour is it?
2 In pairs, match the types of humour from the box with examples 1–5. Sometimes more than one answer is possible.
1 I see you’ve finished then. (piles of work still on desk)
2 I think it might be a bit busy today. (queues of people waiting outside shop doors)
3 I hear the police station got robbed last night.
4 A Where can you find a prehistoric moose? B I don’t know. A At the back of Mummy’s fridge.
5 A You must have caught that passing shower they were talking about. (friend is soaking wet) B Ah – yes – very dry!
Read again: six questions on the article
3 Read the article again and answer the questions.
1 Why might the British themselves not understand some humour?
2 What examples does the writer give of understatement and self-deprecation?
3 Why are British people good at using understatement in jokes?
4 What influences what we find funny?
5 Why are some topics funny to us, whereas others are not?
6 What is the purpose of the article? How well do you think the writer succeeds? Say why.
Collocations: grab, howls, punchline, straight, world
4 Complete the collocations with one word in each gap.
1 You need to ___ an opportunity to enjoy life whenever you can.
2 There’s a ___ of opportunities for young comedians who want to go professional.
3 Sometimes I don’t get the ___ of a joke and have to ask for an explanation.
4 The comedian manages to be funny while keeping a completely ___ face.
5 The story had me in ___ of laughter by the end.
Expressions: bring, lighten, mood, put
5 Complete the expressions with the correct forms of the words from the box.
1 I’m not in the ___ for going out this evening, I’m afraid. I’m a bit too tired.
2 I’ve got some news that will ___ a smile on your face. You’ve won a prize.
3 There’s one moment in the comedy show that ___ tears to my eyes – I really got the giggles and couldn’t stop laughing.
4 With all this terrible weather, we just need to ___ up a bit. Let’s watch some comedy!
Reflect: your humour and the British
6 REFLECT | Culture In pairs, discuss the questions.
