Laughing matters: how humour affects pragmatic competence in Indonesian second language learners

Abstract

Humour plays a crucial role in communication, but its complexity poses problems for second-language learners, especially when interacting across cultures. Indonesian English learners often cannot understand humour due to differences in pragmatic conventions, limited exposure to humour, and cultural cues. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of humour on Indonesian L2 (Second Language) learners’ pragmatic competence and the type of humour that best affects their language acquisition. A multi-method approach was adopted, with an initial test and final post-test assessments. Nineteen classroom observations were made during the lessons, and 80 advanced-intermediate English learners were interviewed. During the four-week experiment, participants were exposed to different types of humour: slapstick, wordplay, irony, and sarcasm. The study revealed a significant improvement in pragmatic competence as post-test scores increased from 53.78 to 65.72 (p < 0.001). Slapstick and puns were the most popular forms of humour, while sarcasm and other forms of humour that could not be understood without cultural context caused more difficulty for participants. The study calls for explicit instruction in humour comprehension and real access to actual comic discourse. Although the project has its merits, its short duration and the small number of learners involved suggest that further research should be conducted to validate these findings across various learner populations over time. The present research provides an important reference for introducing humour into language teaching. It offers an innovative perspective on how this can improve L2 learners’ pragmatic competence.