Politics and International Relations (Pol & IR) lecturers can capitalise on the established relationship between comedy and political analysis by using humour techniques to enhance the student learning experience and to develop students' critical analysis skills. Using collected data from focus groups with 21 British and International…

This paper aims to study English jokes on Facebook. Since the current generation of our students is often described as Net Geners, learning the English language via jokes posted on social media can be one of the supportive ways for EFL learners to improve their L2 linguistic competence as well as L2 humor competence. The data, or jokes, in this…

From a cultural perspective, humor may be a universal feature of all cultures, but what is considered funny varies greatly from culture to culture. In this article, the authors demonstrate the importance of understanding kinds of humor that differ across cultures and offer clear suggestions for teaching three kinds--verbal irony, memes, and…

Satire, as a mode, is not frequently employed in Chinese narratives. "Cat Country," or "Mao Cheng Ji," written by Lao She (pen name of Shu Qing Chun, 1898--1966) has come under much attack of its literary values. Whereas most critics have no doubt that this work sets out to satirize China through the portrayal of a society of…

Describes features of the successful Soviet humor magazine "Krokodil" and concludes that the secret of its success is that it has evolved a strong, recognizable, appealing character over the years, maintaining its familiar identity while also being innovative and fresh. (GT)

Examines 102 issues (published in 1985 and 1986) of the "Eulenspiegel," the only magazine in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) devoted to humor and satire. Focuses on the "Eulenspiegel's" treatment of the United States to determine the nature of that satire, its purposes, and its effectiveness. (MM)