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The international language of laughter
Humour is commonly cited as the hardest thing to master in a new country
How did you find getting and making jokes in the new country? Was it easy, did it take time? What are the differences between how you express humour where you live now and your home country?
Without directly agreeing with the statement our group hint at some of the barriers they faced when it comes to humour. Some feel humour is universal, others acknowledge that — especially with language — there are cultural differences that can cause difficulties.
Lucy: “Less relevant to my childhood, but living in Cambodia taught me the importance of smiling and laughter when there is a language barrier.”
Methee: “A big barrier for humour in a new country is the language: vocabulary, emphasis and intonation are elements that make a story (or joke) comical. This takes time to learn.”
Jimmy: “Humour is global.”
Austeja: “Humour was hard to understand during my first couple of years. There is definitely a difference in humour.”
“Humour is global"
Third culture kids sections
- Introduction to third culture kids study
- Two sides to every story
- Emotional intelligence
- Adaptability
- Identity and loyalty
- Dealing with narrower minds
- Love and romance
- Staying healthy
- Bilingualism
