Investigating The Power Of Using Humor As A Pedagogical Tool In Efl Education: Case Study Of First Year Students At Abbes Laghrour University

Résumé: Abstract The current study looks at the potential of humor and its significance, as well as its function as a pedagogical tool in EFL classrooms. This study employed a mixed-methods research design where both qualitative and quantitative approaches were combined. Semi-structured interviews and extensive questionnaires were designed for two samples. The students’ questionnaire was distributed to a sample of fifty first-year EFL students, and the teachers’ questionnaire was distributed to a sample of seven teachers at the department of English, University of Khenchela. To further strengthen the validity of our investigation results, an interview with five teachers, an interview with a group of five students, and a classroom observation were also conducted. The findings showed that EFL students' opinions about employing humor in English classes were significantly favorable. Furthermore, students believed that humor was a powerful pedagogical strategy that could improve student-teacher interaction while also increasing students' focus and interest in the course. On the other hand, the results demonstrated that teachers are generally confident in the relevance and potency of humor as an essential educational tool. Moreover, teachers believed that humor was a supporting teaching strategy that could decrease students’ stress and make them more involved in the class. Finally, the results confirm our hypothesis, which indicates that humor is most likely perceived as a positively powerful pedagogical tool whose appropriate use in the EFL class creates a favorable classroom context that fosters learning outcomes and instructional effectiveness

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