HUMOUR
IS IT POSSIBLE TO DEVELOP IT?
preparation
Quizlet
WORK
ON
YOUR
VOCABULARY
https://quizlet.com/ru/527134649/humour-preint-flash-cards/
article
READ
https://www.lifehack.org/584343/having-sensehumor-worse-than-being-boring
(you can find the adapted version of this article
on the last page of the document)
video
LISTEN
https://youtu.be/MdZAMSyn_As
prepared by Anna Lisitsa
@lissitsa_ann
check your
pronunciation
comment /ˈkɒm.ent/ v or n
giggle /ˈɡɪɡ.əl/
sarcastic /sɑːˈkæs.tɪk/
sarcasm /ˈsɑː.kæz.əm/
cheer up/tʃɪərʌp/
appropriate /əˈprəʊ.pri.ət/
inappropriate /ˌɪn.əˈprəʊ.pri.ət/
beneficial /ˌben.ɪˈfɪʃ.əl/
reduce /rɪˈdʒuːs/
offensive /əˈfen.sɪv/
amuse /əˈmjuːz/
hilarious /hɪˈleə.ri.əs/
Yanonis English School
@yanelena_english
1
Question time
What's the funniest film you've ever seen?
What's the funniest book you've ever read?
What's your favourite sitcom?
Do you like stand-up comedians? Who's favourite?
Think of the most hilarious video you’ve ever seen on the internet. Why is it
so funny?
Are you good at telling jokes? If not, why not?
Do you do silly things to amuse your friends? Give an example.
2
Vocabulary
Match the halves to make up collocations.
part 1 click here
1. make
2. try not
3. keep
4. be careful
5. reduce
6. cheer her up
7. take
a) to laugh
b) a joke
c) a practical joke/ comment
d) stress
e) with good memories
f) a straight face
g) not to offend her
part 2
1. a mean
2. dry
3. a sarcastic
4. extremely
5. just for
6. very difficult
7. totally
a) inappropriate
b) to cope with
c) thing to do
d) offensive
e) sense of humour
f) remark
g) a laugh
Explain the meaning of these collocations to your partners. Your partners
should guess what they mean.
3
Vocabulary
Match the sentences to the follow-up comments.
1. She's got a very dry sense of humour.
2. He was giggling uncontrollably and had to leave the room to pull himself
together.
3. Do you think he'll be offended if I say something about his terrible driving?
4. I said, "Look out, the police are coming."
5. He looked offended when you called him middle-aged.
6. He told some really offensive sexist jokes.
a) She's quite sarcastic and always keeps a straight face while joking.
b) I'm sure he hates women.
c) Nah, he can take a joke.
d) And I think that to comment on people's age is inappropriate.
e) But because I love making practical jokes so much, no one believed me.
f) He couldn't stop laughing for 10 minutes I think.
Do any of these sentences describe people you know?
4
Can you relate?
I usually don’t laugh or joke around much with other people.
If I am feeling depressed, I can usually cheer myself up with humour.
If someone makes a mistake, I will often comment on this fact.
I don't have to work very hard at making other people laugh — I seem to
be a naturally humorous person.
People are never offended or hurt by my sense of humour.
When telling jokes or saying funny things, I am usually not very worried
about how other people are taking it.
Sometimes I think of something that is so funny that I can’t stop myself
from saying it, even if it is not appropriate for the situation.
5
Discussion
Read the article from the website www.lifehack.org and answer the
questions:
Is being funny a natural ability or can a person learn to be funny? How
could a person become funnier?
What do you think about the tips from the article?
Which tips would you use in your life?
Everyone has their own brand of humour, you just have to find it
Unfortunately, you can’t just develop a sense of humour overnight, but luckily
there’s a good chance you already have one. You may just not know how to
allow yourself to laugh. The tips below can help you grow your sense of humour
and get you giggling.
•
Laugh at others, but not in a hurtful way. When you laugh at something, it
can sometimes be a domino effect. Allow yourself to laugh at any and
everything you want, just avoid being cruel and mean!
•
Actively look for jokes every day! I know, I know, it sounds like a lot of work,
but it doesn’t have to be. So much humour is all around you if you want to look
for it. If you can force yourself to be actively aware of all the silliness you see
24/7, soon you will be able to laugh passively [8].
Recognize the difference between being funny and having a sense of
humour: If you’re funny, you can express humour. But if you have a sense of
•
humour, you can laugh with others, too!
•
Take cues from those around you: What makes your family laugh? Your best
friend? Try watching moves with all kinds of different humour to determine
what makes you smile and laugh. And remember, the idea is to learn from
people, not copy them.
•
Practice self-love. If you love yourself, you’ll be able to joke at yourself.
Good-humoured individuals realize and admit their mistakes, and even openly
laugh about them. If you can accept yourself for all the good and the bad,
you’re that much closer to having a great sense of humour.
•
Stay Healthy: Humor is beneficial both physically and emotionally. If you
develop a better understanding of humour, you’ll be better at coping at
everything from dealing with pain to reducing your own stress. Giggling can
actually stimulate organs and improve your immune system. Again, it really is
the best medicine!
(from https://www.lifehack.org/584343/having-sense-humor-worse-thanbeing-boring)