“Exploring Humor in Social Communication: Implications for L2 Language Teaching”

This study examines humor as a multifaceted phenomenon with significant cognitive, social, and pedagogical implications. Drawing on the superiority, relief, and incongruity theories, alongside Attardo and Raskin’s General Theory of Verbal Humor (GTVH), it analyzes the mechanisms underlying humorous text and discourse and underscores the importance of linguistic, cultural, situational, and intellectual resources in the production and reception of humor. Particular attention is then given to the communicative functions of humor, emphasizing its dual capacity to foster social cohesion and to generate conflict. The analysis further considers the inherent ambiguity of humor, which allows for subtle negotiations of meaning but also heightens the potential for miscommunication, especially in an intercultural context. In its final section, the study turns to the educational domain, investigating the pedagogical advantages of employing humor as a teaching tool (teaching with humor) and humor competence training (teaching about humor). It also addresses the attendant risks and challenges, offering practical advice to language educators seeking to integrate humor into second language teaching.