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University of San Francisco

USING HUMOR TO ENHANCE METALINGUISTIC AWARENESS AND EXPAND CULTURAL COMPETENCE IN ADULT ESL CLASSROOMS

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

<p>Research has shown that there are many benefits to using humor in the ESL classroom. Although this is known, oftentimes humor is avoided. There are a variety of reasons for humor not being incorporated into the ESL classroom. In addition, because much of the research and curriculum development regarding humorous wordplay and its benefits for ESL students has been focused on children, there is a paucity of curriculum, materials, and resources which focus on humor and wordplay relating to adult topics and themes.</p> <p>The purpose of this project is to fill the gap between what is available and what is needed to give ESL teachers in community-based adult education programs and community colleges in the United States a resource and a guide to help them not only incorporate humor into their classrooms, but to also help them help their students increase their metalinguistic awareness through the use of adult related humor and humorous wordplay. Using jokes, puns, and riddles, which are all forms of humorous wordplay, to incorporate humor in the adult ESL classroom will not only create a fun and more relaxed environment, but it will also help ESL students in increasing their understanding of the English language and American culture in ways that they might not get in any other way.</p>

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
Level thesis:degree_level
Project/Capstone - Global access
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Teaching English as a Second Language
Year dc:date.available
2017

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Hilburn, Jean L
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Dr. Sedique Popal

Subjects

dc:subject × 9

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone/492
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:repository.usfca.edu:capstone-1522

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of San Francisco
Base URL
repository.usfca.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Hilburn, Jean L. USING HUMOR TO ENHANCE METALINGUISTIC AWARENESS AND EXPAND CULTURAL COMPETENCE IN ADULT ESL CLASSROOMS. Project/Capstone - Global access thesis, 2017. https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone/492