Humor is an effective educational approach and classroom humor has not been adequately studied in teaching Chinese as a second language in universities. This study aims to examine the use of humor in Thai university classrooms teaching Chinese as a second language and to answer four questions: (1) What are the mechanisms for generating humor in Chinese speaking classes? (2) What are the themes of humor in Chinese speaking classes? (3) What are the attitudes of Thai university teachers and students towards classroom humor? (4) What are the functions of classroom humor? The author collected and analyzed data through classroom observation, questionnaires, and interviews, found that Chinese speaking classes in Thailand used superiority theory, relief theory, Incongruity Theory, social theory, and language use theory, etc. The themes of humor are related to subject knowledge, life experience, Thai culture, and social current affairs. Classroom humor can liven up the classroom atmosphere, trigger pleasant emotions, reduce learning anxiety, and enhance motivation. In conclusion, this study contributes to the understanding of the role of humor in second language acquisition and teaching and provides practical guidance for international Chinese language teachers to use humor in universities.
幽默是一种有效的教育方法，在大学汉语作为第二语言的教学领域中，课堂幽默尚未得到充分的研究。本研究旨在探讨幽默在泰国大学教授汉语作为第二语言口语课堂中的使用情况，并回答四个问题：（1）泰国汉语口语课课堂幽默的生成机制是什么？（2）泰国汉语口语课中课堂幽默的主题有哪些？（3）泰国大学师生对课堂幽默的态度如何？（4）课堂幽默的功能有哪些？笔者以泰国一所大学的汉语口语课堂为采样对象，通过课堂观察、问卷调查、师生访谈的方式收集、分析数据。研究发现：在泰汉语作为第二语言的大学生口语课堂中，幽默的生成主要运用优越论、放松论、失谐论、社交论、语言运用论等，幽默主题主要涉及学科知识、生活经验、泰国文化及社会时事等。课堂幽默能活跃课堂气氛、引发愉悦情绪、减少学习焦虑、增强学习动机等，同时师生访谈和问卷调查佐证了课堂幽默可激发课堂交流意愿。总之，本研究有助于理解幽默在第二语言习得和教学中的作用，为国际汉语教师在大学中教授汉语作为第二语言时有效使用幽默提供实用指导。
