Even when advanced ESL learners understand every word they read or hear, American humor is a mystery to them. Plays on words, double meanings, the unspoken cultural background and social tensions go right over their heads.

What's So Funny? helps non-native speakers of English break through the culture barrier so they can begin to understand why Americans laugh at the things they laugh at. It's designed for advanced speakers in conversation or culture study classes. Two hundred carefully-selected, laugh-tested jokes are presented and annotated. Background information is given for many categories of jokes to assure comprehension, and provide insight into the stereotypes, interpersonal conflicts or cultural tensions that underlie the point of the jokes. Difficult words are boldfaced and defined in easy English in the 400-word glossary. Each of the 12 chapters is followed by discussion topics, joke and culture sharing, and self-checking vocabulary-building exercises.

160 pages.

Price:

each

$12.50

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