{"title":"Translating humorous literature from Vietnamese into Italian language: an empirical study of humour reception","authors":"Thu Hien Le","doi":"10.7592/ejhr2022.10.1.615","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7592/ejhr2022.10.1.615","url":null,"abstract":"The empirical study presented in this article aims to determine some of the linguistic and cultural elements that can influence the production process and the reception of humour and to verify the applicability of the General Theory of Verbal Humor (GTVH) to humorous literary translation. 60 Vietnamese and 60 Italian participants had to read and rate the level of humorousness of excerpts taken from the Vietnamese novel Số Đỏ (Vũ Trọng Phụng, 1936) and its correspondent Italian translation (Il gioco indiscreto di Xuan, 2012). By comparing their feedback, it was possible to observe that one is more likely to appreciate humour when one is not part of the categories subject to ridicule/irony/satire; and that a direct contact with the original language and culture constitutes an important role in humour understanding and appreciating. Also, a comparison between the rating that the Italian participants assigned to the official Italian translation and an alternative version allowed us to analyze the role of Language Knowledge Resource (GTVH). According to the Italian participants, although the two versions of the translation, which share the first five levels of Knowledge Resources, were remarkably similar (as predicted by the GTVH), they were dissimilar in terms of humour and in readers' preferences. I therefore argue that, although the GTVH is a useful tool for analyzing and verifying the similarity between the source and target text, it has proved to be impractical and not always reliable if we want to use it as a parameter of the translation of literary humorous texts.","PeriodicalId":37540,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Humour Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41861271","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Pun-based jokes and linguistic creativity: designing 3R-module","authors":"E. Aleksandrova","doi":"10.7592/ejhr.2022.10.1.622","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7592/ejhr.2022.10.1.622","url":null,"abstract":"The development of creativity becomes a significant issue in the era of automation and information technologies. Linguistic creativity can increase the inventiveness and resourcefulness of the representatives of philological professions. We consider humour as a tool that helps to develop personal creativity. Verbal play as a form of humour is considered as one of the ways to improve linguistic creativity. The 3L-course of linguistic creativity is aimed at developing lingual, localisation & translation, and literary creativity. The 3L-course includes 3R-module designed to improve the ability to recognise, reproduce in another language, and recreate pun-based linguistic inventions and innovations. The 3R-module tasks are based: on the similarity of activity, the similarity of the modality of the stimulus material, the number of languages, and the types of language units. The 3R-module involves the 3T-stage model (transparency, training, and testing).The 3S-test based on sense-finding, solution-finding, and scope-finding tasks revealed that the combination of 3R-module with the 3T-stage model in the scope of the 3L-course would help improve the quantity and quality of ideas and avoid stalemates when creating linguistic inventions. The 3L-course can be useful for philological students, writers, translators, journalists, copywriters, native and foreign language teachers because it helps improve personal creativity and productivity.","PeriodicalId":37540,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Humour Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49502160","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Lexico-semantic means of pun creation in Spanish jokes about La Gomera by Caco Santacruz","authors":"L. Bobchynets","doi":"10.7592/ejhr.2022.10.1.638","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7592/ejhr.2022.10.1.638","url":null,"abstract":"The research note deals with the analysis of lexico-semantic means used in the creation of the pun, such as homonymy, polysemy, and also morphological and syntactical means including re-grouping of syllables inside the phrase. Research material comprises puns by the Spanish author Caco Santacruz about the inhabitants of La Gomera Island. \u0000The aim of the article is to reveal lexico-semantic ways of creation of the author’s jokes based on the use of the pun. Therefore, the definition of the pun in multilingual resources has been analysed. To reveal the ambiguity, the context in which the pun is used is needed, which we define as a communicative situation of ambiguity created by the author to reach the humorous effect.\u0000Most of the analysed jokes contain a dialogue of two people who understand the meaning of the phrase in their own way, creating imaginary misunderstanding based on polysemy or homonymy. The regrouping of syllables and polysemic grammatical meaning of prepositions are among the morphological and syntactical means of pun creation. The means of making a pun used by Santacruz includes pseudo-words, based on the creation of new words on the analogy of word-formation to reach the humorous effect.\u0000Future studies of the use of the pun as a source of humour may be focused on the analysis of linguistic means of pun creation on the material of other European languages in order to reveal the common patterns of pun creation and differences, conditioned by linguistic peculiarities of the correspondent language systems. The term ‘pun context’ may be applied to further studies of ambiguity created by the author.","PeriodicalId":37540,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Humour Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46625691","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"role of humour in tourism discourse","authors":"Jasna Potočnik Topler","doi":"10.7592/ejhr.2022.10.1.639","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7592/ejhr.2022.10.1.639","url":null,"abstract":"This paper focuses on the role of humour as a persuasive tool of tourism destinations' communication and as a means of creating the destination’s image and uniqueness in tourism discourse. According to Aristotle’s appeals, humour belongs to pathos, which is - besides ethos and logos – an essential means of persuasion in successful communication. In the introductory part, the paper offers a short theoretical insight into the functions of tourism discourse and the role of humour in it, further on some examples of online promotional texts about Montenegro are analysed and discussed using discourse analysis. The results, presented in the conclusion, confirm that successful promotion can only occur through the efficient use of tourism discourse which addresses the needs of potential tourists and that humorous texts about destinations are appealing to readers. Based on the analysis, it can be established that branding of tourism destinations, products and services with elements of humour may be outstanding in positive ways, and consequently employed in promotional texts as a successful means of communication.","PeriodicalId":37540,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Humour Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44440824","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R. Taleb, Hadi Itani, S. Itani, Rayane Salameh, Ayad G. A. Ramadan, K. Sidani
{"title":"use of humour in medical education: students’ perspective","authors":"R. Taleb, Hadi Itani, S. Itani, Rayane Salameh, Ayad G. A. Ramadan, K. Sidani","doi":"10.7592/ejhr2022.10.1.637","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7592/ejhr2022.10.1.637","url":null,"abstract":"In early 20th century, Sir William Osler supported the use of humour as an efficacious tool in medical education, which continues to be used today. Despite the abundance of literature delineating this important role, it is often overlooked among medical students. A descriptive cross-sectional study was planned where a total of 295 medical students from the pre-clerkship and clerkship phases at Beirut Arab University Faculty of Medicine were included in the study. A questionnaire was distributed among the participants assessing their perception on the use of humour in medical education. Data were collected, entered, and analysed on SPSS software version 23.1. Results with p-value < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The majority of participants agreed to the implementation of humour in medical education. They supported different forms of humour to be used, and considered mockery, sarcasm, the instructor appearing as a performer, and humour that is irrelevant to the course as inappropriate. Inappropriate humour distracts attention and disrupts the formal atmosphere. Our findings suggest that medical students’ opinions on using humour in medical education are supportive. The findings of this study might be of benefit to assist teachers in using humour to improve the attendance and interest of the students in the class and create an environment conducive to optimal student learning.","PeriodicalId":37540,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Humour Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49005180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Both artistic and comic","authors":"M. Ševčík","doi":"10.7592/ejhr2021.9.4.576","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7592/ejhr2021.9.4.576","url":null,"abstract":"This study examines Louis Cazamian’s considerations on the nature of humour, which were influenced by Bergson’s theory of the comic as a contrast between life and automatism and Bergson’s idea of humour as a specific type of comic linguistic transposition. In this context, the paper draws attention to the critical function of humour in Cazamian’s understanding based on his embracing of Bergson’s conception of laughter as a critique of the automation of life. However, Cazamian’s speculating diverges from Bergson’s thoughts on humour and leads to the creation of an elaborated theory. Cazamian states that humour has an artistic status and attributes characteristics to it that Bergson attributes to works of art. In contrast to Bergson, who emphasises the distinction between art and the comic, Cazamian deems humour’s critical aspect to accord with its artistic status. While humour is attributed artistic status because it suggests the multifaceted or elusive character of reality, humour’s comic character entails ridiculing the inability or unwillingness to respect that reality has a comic character.","PeriodicalId":37540,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Humour Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45477883","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring teacher-initiated humour in Academic English classes","authors":"A. Kholmatov","doi":"10.7592/ejhr2021.9.4.556","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7592/ejhr2021.9.4.556","url":null,"abstract":"As a subject focused on teaching grammar forms needed for academic studies and genres of academic writing, Academic English may seem tedious at times. Sometimes it is a complex subject for students who are fresh to academia and it needs a peculiar didactic approach to provide a smooth transition of students from general to academic English writing at a university level. One of these approaches may be using humour during classes. The current research explores teacher-initiated humour in Academic English classes at the Westminster International University in Tashkent and its effects on students. Besides, it seeks answers to questions as to what types of humour teachers employ during the class mostly, how often they use humour, as well as students’ and teachers’ recommendations given on how to use humour in class. This study uses both qualitative and quantitative data extraction methods in the form of an online questionnaire with students and a semi-structured interview with teachers. Obtained results show that affective and social roles of humour, its quality of lessening anxiety, creates favourable conditions for students and teacher’s connectedness, which outweighs other humour’s roles. Besides, mnemonic and engaging roles of humour received solid support by the respondents. To obtain a more positive effect, it is recommended that teachers, when incorporating humour in class, apply a systematic approach. Humour should be planned beforehand and needs to be appropriate. Moreover, it should be used with moderation.","PeriodicalId":37540,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Humour Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42861653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Humour-integrated language learning (HILL) in perspective, progress and prospect","authors":"M. Heidari-Shahreza","doi":"10.7592/ejhr2021.9.4.557","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7592/ejhr2021.9.4.557","url":null,"abstract":"This research note brings readers’ attention to an extensive, ongoing research project named Humour-Integrated Language Learning (HILL). The project investigates HILL as an innovative approach to language education and humour literacy. Within the limits of this short article, HILL is initially conceptualised, and then, an outline of the project is provided. Then, I describe ongoing lines of the research, giving a snapshot of the preliminary results. Finally, future directions of the HILL project are elaborated on.","PeriodicalId":37540,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Humour Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49192263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}