Humor is surprisingly personal, what’s funny in one culture can fall flat in another, which makes this a great topic for sparking real discussion. These questions range from favorite types of comedy to bigger conversations about why we laugh and what that says about us.
Questions are organized by level from beginner to advanced. A printable PDF of all the questions is available at the bottom of the page.
Beginner (A1-A2)
- Do you laugh a lot every day, or not very much?
- What is the funniest animal? (Dogs, cats, monkeys, birds, etc.) What do they do that is so funny?
- Do you like funny TV shows or cartoons? What is your favorite one?
- Who makes you laugh the most in your family? (A parent, a brother, a sister, a cousin, etc.)
- What is a funny word in your language? What does it mean?
- Do you like to make other people laugh? What do you do to make them laugh?
- Do you ever laugh when you are by yourself? What are you usually doing? (Watching something, reading something, remembering something, etc.)
- Can you make a funny face? What does it look like?
- Do you like funny comics or funny books? Tell me about one you like.
- Do you like to tell jokes? What is a joke you know?
- What kind of comedy do you like? (Slapstick, word jokes, silly faces, etc.) What’s a good example?
Elementary (A2)
- What is the funniest movie you have ever seen? What made it so funny?
- Who is the funniest person you know? What makes them so funny?
- What kind of things make you laugh the most? (Funny videos, jokes, friends, animals, etc.) Why?
- When was the last time you laughed really hard? Tell me about it.
- Who is your favorite comedian or funny actor? What do you like about them?
- Have you ever laughed so hard that you cried? What was so funny?
- What is something your friends think is funny, but you don’t?
- Have you ever laughed at something that you probably shouldn’t have? What happened?
- What comedian or funny person do you watch most often? Why do you like them?
- What is the funniest video or clip you have seen recently? Why was it so funny?
- Is there a comedian or funny person from your country that everyone knows? What are they famous for?
- What’s the funniest thing a child has ever said to you or near you?
Intermediate (B1)
- Do you prefer funny movies or serious movies? What’s good about each?
- Do you prefer stand-up comedy or comedy movies? What are the good things about each?
- Are there any types of humor that are popular in your country but confuse people from other countries? Give me some examples.
- Do you think you have a good sense of humor? What makes you say that?
- Do you prefer smart humor or silly humor? Why?
- Do you use humor when you’re nervous or uncomfortable? How does it help?
- Should comedians be allowed to joke about anything, or are some topics off limits? Why or why not?
- Do you think humor is a good way to deal with stress or difficult situations? How so?
- If you could be funny in any way, as a stand-up comedian, a writer, or an actor in comedies, which would you choose? What draws you to that?
- Have you ever been in a situation where a joke caused a misunderstanding or hurt someone’s feelings? What happened?
- Do you think humor is something people are born with, or can anyone learn to be funny? What makes you think so?
- Do you think comedy is getting better or worse over time? Why do you feel that way?
- Do you think humor is important in a relationship? Why or why not?
- If you could be a comedian for one night, what kind of jokes would you tell? Who would be your audience?
- How does humor help people connect with each other? Can you think of a time when a shared laugh brought people closer together?
Upper-Intermediate (B2)
- Do you think it is important to have a sense of humor at work? What are the good and bad sides of a workplace that laughs a lot?
- How has social media changed the way comedy is created and shared? Do you think these changes are mostly good or mostly bad for comedy?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of using humor in advertising? Can you think of any ads that used comedy especially well or especially badly?
- Compare how comedy has changed in your country over the past 20 or 30 years. What topics are comedians talking about now that they wouldn’t have talked about before?
- What are the differences between self-deprecating humor and humor that targets other groups of people? Why do you think audiences react differently to each?
- Why do you think some comedy translates well across cultures while other humor stays local? What makes humor universal?
- How does translating jokes and comedy from one language to another change them? Can you give some examples from your own language?
- What role does comedy play in helping people deal with difficult times like economic crises, pandemics, or personal struggles? How much does it actually help?
- What makes some comedy timeless while other comedy feels outdated after just a few years? Can you give some examples?
- How do comedians influence public opinion on social or political issues? Are they more effective than journalists or politicians at changing minds?
- How do political cartoons and satire affect people’s opinions about politicians and government? Do you think satire is a powerful form of criticism?
Advanced (C1)
- Stand-up comedians often say they need complete freedom to be funny, but audiences increasingly push back on jokes that target vulnerable groups. How do these two forces shape what comedians are willing to say on stage?
- Comedy has historically been one of the few places where people could say things that were considered too uncomfortable or dangerous to say directly. Has that changed, or do comedians still hold that role in society today?
- Comedy that was popular 20 years ago often feels offensive or outdated today. What does this shift reveal about how humor reflects and shapes society’s values over time?
- When people laugh at dark humor, jokes about tragedy, death, or suffering, what does that tell us about how humans use laughter to process difficult emotions? Is there a point where dark humor stops being healthy?
- In many workplaces and schools, humor is used to build connection, but it can also be used to bully, exclude, or assert dominance. How do the same jokes serve completely different purposes depending on who tells them and who is in the room?
- Governments throughout history have tried to control comedy, from banning satirical plays to jailing comedians. Why does humor threaten authority so much more than a serious speech or newspaper article?
- When a joke from one culture goes viral globally, it often loses its original meaning or gets misunderstood. How does humor reveal the limits of globalization and the things that don’t translate across cultures?
- Comedy often depends on stereotypes to get a quick laugh, but it can also challenge and break down those same stereotypes. How does the same tool manage to both reinforce and dismantle the way we see each other?
- AI can now generate jokes and comedy scripts. If a machine can make people laugh, does that change what we think humor is, or does it prove that humor is just a formula that anyone, or anything, can learn?
- Some of the most beloved comedians are also known for being deeply unhappy in their private lives. Do you think there is something about the nature of comedy, finding the absurd in pain, that attracts people who are already struggling? Or is that just a myth?