英语毕业论文范例-Humor and English Learning

英语毕业论文范例-Humor and English Learning

Recently, the application of humor in English class becomes more and more popular. It can create a positive classroom mood, break up the communicative barrier between teachers and students and attract students to take part in classroom activities. A sense of humor has become one of the characteristics of an excellent teacher. In this part, the author firstly gives a introduction to Affective Filter Hypothesis, then inquires into relevant theories on mood. The author also analyzes the function of humor in creating positive classroom mood.

1.1 An Introduction to Affective Filter Hypothesis

The Affective Filter Hypothesis is one of five proposed hypotheses developed by Steven Krashen. It is an explanation of the relationship between affective factors and language learning. The Affective Filter Hypothesis is particularly appealing to teachers because it provides an explanation to why some learners learn and others do not.

The Affective Filter Hypothesis states the relationship between affective variables and the process of second language learning. Affective variables related to success in second language learning may be placed into one of three categories: (a) motivation, (b) self-confidence, and (c) anxiety. Krashen points to the importance of motivation, self-confidence and anxiety. He holds that these factors are more involved in constructing the acquired system than in learning. They are more strongly related to achievement as measured by communicative tests than by formal language tests. He writes:

The Affective Filter Hypothesis captures the relationship between affective variables and the process of second language acquisition by positing that acquirers vary with respect to the strength or level of their Affective Filters. Those whose attitudes are not optimal for second language acquisition will not only tend to seek less input, but they will also have a high or strong Affective Filter - even if they understand the message, the input will not reach that part of the brain responsible for language acquisition, or the language acquisition device. Those with attitudes more conducive to second language acquisition will not only seek and obtain more input, they will also have a lower or weaker filter. They will be more open to the input, and it will strike “deeper”. (Krashen 1987：

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From this hypothesis, Krashen deduces that:

Teachers have long recognized the need for students to have a positive attitude for learning. Krashen(19

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7) explains that for optimal learning to occur, the affective filter must be weak. A weak affective filter means that a positive attitude towards learning. If the affective filter is strong, the learner will not seek language input, and in turn, not be open for language acquisition. The practical application of the Affective Filter Hypothesis is that teachers must provide a positive atmosphere conducive to language learning. Humor is one method for achieving a weak affective filter and promoting language learning.

1.2 Mood And English Learning

1.2.1 Mood

1.2.2 Classroom Mood and English Learning

As far as we know, teaching and learning never take place in isolation. In this process, many factors are involved, such as teachers, students, materials, environmental factors and so on. Actually, these processes are the interactions between teachers and students, students and students, teachers and materials, students and materials, environmental factors and students, environmental factors and teachers. Therefore, it is impossible to for us to avoid talking about mood when we talk about the teaching methods and skills in foreign language research. We seldom have taken effect of mood into consideration in FL learning and teaching for several decades. Currently, people have come to this aspect, but we still got an ambiguous picture of classroom mood. Chen and Zhang (19

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8) defined classroom mood as a state of feeling or emotion both teachers and students experienced during the process of instruction (teaching and learning), which often monitored instructional activities automatically and had an effect on their happening and development. In fact, it is a certain kind of classroom climate, which will be guaranteed to produce the efficiency of teaching and learning in the classroom. From the perspective of the students, classroom mood mainly refer to the interest, attitudes, values and preferences that students express about a particular subject or course, and that students have about their teacher’s and peer’s personality and teaching and learning competence respectively, and that are associated with teaching and learning environment. The traits of these emotions indicate that such classroom mood is relatively stable, especially for senior students, as their teachers, materials, peers, classrooms and even learning goals are relatively stable. When students are free from disruptive anxieties, fears, anger, boredom and depression, they are more likely to make desirable cognitive and effective gains. Well, what often decides such classroom climate? More than any other person, the way the teachers give a lesson sets the classroom climate.

1.3 Function of Humor Creating Positive Classroom Mood

Humor has the characteristic of making something laughable or amusing, but humor in English classroom has more than just the effect to induce laughter. It brings a chain reaction by increasing the learner’s motivation, reducing anxiety and building harmonious relationship between teachers and students, which all together help to create a positive classroom mood for the smooth acquisition of language.

1.3.1 Increasing Motivation

Motivation may be construed as a state of cognitive and emotional arousal, which leads to a conscious decision to act, and gives rise to a period of sustained intellectual or physical effort in order to attain a previously set goal.

The initial motivation may be triggered by different factors, perhaps the internal ones such as interest or curiosity, and often by external influence such as another person or event. It is clear that motivation occurs as a result of a combination of different influences. Some of these influences are internal, which comes from the inside of the learner, such as an interest in the activity or a wish to succeed. Others are external, for example, the influence of other people. This internal-external distinction is the one that has played a significant part in many current theories of motivation.

According to Li Rumi (1998:3

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4), the use of humor in teaching can help to increase the motivation of the students. As a decision-making teacher, if you add humor to your classes, you can gain the attention of the whole class and keep their interests in the material presented. For the students are more interested in a humorous explanation.

1.3.2 Reducing Anxiety

Anxiety, one of the most prominent and pervasive emotions, was defined as a feeling of uneasy suspense. It was a research focus in many disciplines such as psychology and education. “Anxiety is the subjective feeling of tension, apprehension, nervousness, and worry associated with an arousal of the autonomic nervous system” (Spielberger 1983:5

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7). Not only was it intuitive to many people that anxiety had been found to interfere with language learning, it was logical because anxiety had been found to interfere with many types of learning and had been one of the most highly examined variables in psychology and education.

The application of humor in English class can help to reduce anxiety and help to promote understanding and facilitate memory, which all together help the study of language (陈艳松200

4). Positive humor helps to create a positive classroom mood which encourages the learners’ desire to take part in classroom conversation by decreasing anxiety and stress.

A positive classroom mood coupled with increased motivation encourages the young learners to take risk and participate in the use of English, because there is no fear of criticism or being ridiculed in joyful and non-threatening environment.

1.3.3 Creating Harmonious Relationship Between Teachers and Students

According to Li Rumi(1998:3

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4), the use of humor in classroom can help to create a more positive learning environment by breaking down barriers to communicate between the teacher and the students. There are many differences between teachers and students such as position, title, age and income, which create barriers to communication. Humor is one method that the teachers can use to make their relationship with students closer. When teachers have a sense of humor and are not afraid to use it, students relax and become listeners. Having a sense of humor is an indication that the teacher is human and can share with the group. Humor builds rapport between the students and teachers. Students will be less intimated and less inhibited about asking question or making comments.