Cross Train: Humor and New Language

In Doug Barna’s video about cross-training skills - I remember a cross training concept that helped me learn a new spoken language: humor.

English is my native tongue and when I understood humor in English, I applied the same concepts from humor when I learned another language.

I didn’t take jokes that were funny in English and just translate them to the new language. I understood humor from reading Comedy Writing Secrets.

Understanding humor isn’t readily apparent in helping learn another language - one can say that humor in different languages depends on the culture. What can be funny in one culture can be an insult in another.

What I did find out by using humor to learn new languages: people use language to communicate with each other. Humor is a way to connect with people in a fun way.

When I incorporated humor into the new language, with only the most basic parts of speech of the new language, I mastered those basic parts of speech quicker than just by rote memorization.

Why?

I wanted to be funny and I had limited language tools - I maximized the tools I had.

If I took the other route and had the listener understand my language - they may or may not find the humor, because I would have to depend on their language capability in a language I am a master of.

Also, it’s not so fun to always speak in my native tongue when I’m in another country.

Not only did using humor with my limited selection of new language tools help me understand the language better, I connected with other people in the new country in a way that is positive and helps them bear with my limited language.