Introduction

=Lighten Up! =

Life is more enjoyable if we can see the humour in everyday situations. Sometimes we laugh at a certain situation or the unexpected. Other times, we find humour in the silly or ridiculous. At other times, we find exaggeration and word play hilarious. Sometimes we enjoy the humour alone and sometimes we can share it with others. A sense of humour and language are linked. Humour is created both with words and without words.

These are some of the big questions we will try to answer in this unit:
 * Do we sometimes take life too seriously?
 * What makes something funny to one person and not funny at all to someone else?
 * Why do people laugh when they have heard a good joke or story of misadventure or misfortune?
 * How do words, punch lines, visuals, movements, gestures and facial expressions create humour?
 * Why is humour often a matter of individual or community preference?