A short YouTube monologue by Hadar Shemesh reflecting on why people who are funny in their first language often lose humor when speaking English. Shemesh attributes this to cultural differences in what is perceived as funny, linguistic features like wordplay and puns that don't transfer, and a lack of confidence that inhibits comedic expression.
You may be very funny in your first language, but when you shift to English, all that humor disappears. Could be cultural, because different cultures have different humor. And maybe what makes you laugh is not what's perceived funny in English or American culture, British culture, but also maybe it's just you're not feeling confident. Humor is a lot around language, right? Like wordplay and puns and all of that. And maybe you don't feel confident or you don't actually know how to be funny, using the language in a nuanced way. I also think it's a lot about confidence because you cannot tell a joke, or you cannot feel funny and express something in a humorous way if you don't feel super confident and comfortable, because judgment ruins humor and ruins that sense of freedom.
Read Out Loud with me! Dare to Lead by Brené Brown | Pronunciation & Vocabulary practice
