Submitted by Michaela Matteo on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in London, England sponsored by the Department of Communication…
In my third week, I have discovered the secret to understanding British humor: sarcasm! Whenever I find myself in a restaurant or Tube station when I am conversing with anyone who lives in London, there are many times where certain comments go straight over my head. At first, I would smile and nod and pretend that I understood everything that was going on. After about two weeks of that, I finally gathered up the courage to start asking people when I didn’t understand something. They were more than happy to explain their humor or the story behind it, especially because most people didn’t want to come off rude if people thought they were being serious. Since asking and beginning to understand the “sarcasm” of the British humor, it has become a lot easier to understand when someone is making a joke, even if it sounds serious. This is something that is definitely an issue with cross cultural communication, and can often times go unnoticed and ignored. By trying to understand the people more, it becomes a lot easier to fit in and understand the culture more.