English language classwork help

[MrTiddlesTheCat]

My class at school (all adults, I'm a student too) wants to look at the English language through comedy. This is because it's harder to get comedy if it's not in your native language. What they're after is classic comedy from different English speaking countries.

As the only native English speaker I've picked the Two Ronnies Four Candles sketch as a classic example of English comedy.

What would you pick as a prime example of comedy from your English speaking country?

Another uk example....Vicar of Dibley...at the end where she tells Alice a joke then has to explain it.
I think the problem is understanding the different types of comedy and cultural references contained within.

If it helps, I've shown clips of Airplane to students and some bits we're funny.

How about Friends or The Big Bang Theory for sarcasm?

So two Ronnies For Candles is about puns / wordplay.
Then you need sarcasm.
Situations
etc

'class' - eg The Frost Report 'I look down on him' sketch

I'd forgotten that one. Brilliant.

Blackadder has some good examples.
Especially with cunning plans.

Are they native English speakers? If not, what level are their language skills?

Mind Your Language from 1970s...completely politically incorrect these days, but could be a springboard to talk about stereotypes and the practice of teaching and learning english. Lots of silly humour involving misunderstandings too.

No they're not. I think their English is very good as they're taught it from birth. But these are adults who didn't pass at school and are now trying to get a grade. Their biggest problem with English is confidence.

So I now have 2 clips

England - two ronnies sketch
Australia - guy gets shocked by electric cow fence

Yes Prime Minister - the 'for and against National Service' clip. Very funny but also clearly demonstrates how the use of language can dramatically influence a person's opinion one way or another.

Father Ted

The "this one is small, that one is far away" sketch?

Morecambe & Wise with Glenda Jackson as Cleopatra.

Michael McIntyre 'My name is Five Spice!'.

They‘ll need to be at a secure C1 plus to get wordplay and understatement. I‘ve used Mr Bean for split viewing exercises for lower levels (B1-B2), as well as Wallace & Gromit. You can also do prediction exercises (and the difference between will and going to) with unpredictable comedy sketches (Victoria Wood‘s two soups sketch is a classic for this) Or practise a structure like used to with the 4 Yorkshiremen (Monty Python).

Anything Vic and Bob for northern english humour

I have no idea what C1 plus or B1-2 means. Whatever that system is, it's not used here. Plus I'm not the teacher, I'm in the same class. It's just that my group look to me in group work as I'm a native speaker.