An English Learning Activity Welcomed by Students--Jokes

The first time I used this activity, I told my students, "A joke a day keeps the doctor away."  They laughed.  I started by writing the vocabulary words on the blackboard and pre-taught them.  Then I told the joke.  Sometimes I read a joke from a book or a magazine, such as Reader's Digest. 

Of course there were times when students didn't laugh at my punchline.  If there were still students who I spotted smiling, I would invite them to re-tell the joke, either in English or in Chinese.  If too many students remained puzzled, I would repeat the joke, slower.

There is a variation to this activity.  We can ask students to tell jokes in turn throughout the semester, one for each class.  It ensured the fun of the joke because students will choose the jokes they themselves laugh at.

As the saying goes, "Laughter is the best medicine."  English teachers might like to collect jokes and enliven the class atmosphere with them.  Reader's Digest and some joke websites are good sources.