Linguistic features of English humor and their pedagogical potential in teaching language and literature

Abstract

In the pedagogical context, the study of the linguistic features of English humor opens up new opportunities for the development of students' communicative and cultural competencies. The research focuses on the forms of the comic (irony, sarcasm, satire, black humor) and the linguistic means of their creation in literary texts, emphasizing their role in stimulating critical thinking and intercultural understanding. The relevance of the topic is due to the need to integrate humor into educational programs to increase students' motivation to study language and literature, where it serves as a tool for analyzing cultural codes and stylistic techniques. The purpose of the work is to identify the mechanisms of humor and propose methods of their application in teaching for the formation of skills in interpreting subtexts and adapting to a foreign language environment. The methodological basis includes aesthetic, literary and hermeneutic approaches, with the analysis of the texts of Ch. Dickens, O. Wilde, J. Joyce and others. Receptive methods were used for the pedagogical bias: students analyzed puns, oxymorons and the grotesque in excerpts, created their own humorous texts and discussed cultural nuances in groups. The study covered phonetic, lexical and textual levels adapted to language lessons at levels B2-C1, with elements of project activities for the development of speech and writing. The results demonstrate that English humor relies on language games (ambiguity, alogisms, contrasts) reflecting the national mentality: restraint, self-irony and satire on social norms. It is revealed that black humor enhances criticism through absurdity, and irony through subtexts, with examples from Joyce's Ulysses and Thackeray's Vanity Fair. In the pedagogical aspect, such elements contribute to the understanding of cultural differences, where humor acts as a catalyst for the analysis of stereotypes. The discussion emphasizes that the integration of results into pedagogy forms key competencies: communicative (through dialogues and translations of jokes), cultural (analysis of national traditions) and critical (recognition of subtexts). It is recommended to use humor in interactive lessons to reduce the language barrier, increase emotional engagement and prepare for real communication. The study offers a model for courses where humor turns learning into a creative process, enhancing motivation and tolerance, which is especially important for philologists and teachers.