Humor can be a very effective tool to make students remember what they should know about the traditions and beliefs, manners and institutions of a culture. The teacher himself should outwardly be the embodiment of the culture which is taught. For example, when a teacher of French walks into the classroom the first day he should introduce himself and shake hands with some of the students. They will laugh but they will remember that French people shake hands at every chance they get. An easy way to acquaint the student with everyday language is the choice of a modern detective story such as one by Simenon or Maurice Leblanc. A more intellectual type of humor is found in books by Raymond Queneau. Students find idiomatic phrases very humorous and assimiliate them very quickly. Introducing tongue twisters offers a good challenge and creates much laughter. A dictation such as "un marchand de foie" with the different meanings and spellings of "fois,""foi," and "foie" can be extremely funny. Humor is the best method to reach the core of the question "What is Frenchness?" and the "Carnets du Major Thompson" is therefore a must in a culture class. Jokes also reflect a particular culture and a specific view of the world. (Author/CFM)