Have you heard the one …? Jokes in the classroom by Kiss Tamás One of the most readily available sources of language input in the English language classroom is the teacher. Teachers use language to clarify grammar points, teach new vocabulary, or introduce novel concepts to learners. They also model how the English language is used in authentic contexts and show their learners that language is more than a mere subject to learn: it is a way of communication. In doing so, sometimes the language teacher uses jokes in the course of the lesson. Students enjoy jokes and they respond to this kind of ‘input’ positively. However, it is important that we understand what effects jokes may have on the learners and the learning process before we decide to use them. In a simple way jokes are one of those things that make our everyday life a bit more colourful. It is fun to tell jokes and even more fun to listen to them. We use them practically in connection with everything. Teaching is no exception; teachers like to crack the occasional joke in their lessons and research shows that students rank ‘humour’ as one of the top characteristic features of a successful teachers. However, teachers should be careful. A joke can be a very serious issue. It is just enough to think about the mayhem that cartoons about Prophet Muhammad caused when they were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands- Posten in 2006. Although the intentions of the cartoonist might have been good, the consequences were really dreadful.