Learning a few simple jokes in English will deepen your understanding of the language and increase your ability to communicate in English. With jokes, you can break the ice at a party and get others to listen to you. Often, humour is the only way to start a conversation with your compatriots in a foreign language, so you can practise the language in normal conversation.

 

Some English words just sound funny when said on their own, others are more likely to make people laugh as a complete phrase. You have to decide for yourself which jokes you personally find funny and want to learn.

To learn the humour in the English language and some standard jokes, you should watch comedy series or stand-up comedy. As you watch, make a note of what you particularly liked or which jokes went down well with the audience, even if you don't quite understand them.

Later you can analyse the jokes to understand why they are funny to English speakers. Pay particular attention to the introductory sentences to the jokes, which you can later use yourself. After the introduction comes the background story of the joke, followed by the punch line. The punch line is what makes the joke funny.

 

English humour is not a laughing matter for everyone. Try to get the jokes across to the right people.

Avoid vulgar humour or typical American toilet and faecal humour if you want to make sure the jokes are well received. Humour can be very subtle and can be misinterpreted if not told with the right tone of voice. Rather rely on classic set-ups with introduction, middle section and punchline until you are confident enough with the English language. This way you avoid unintentionally offending others.