THE USE OF LAUGHTER AS AN EXTRALINGUISTIC STRATEGY IN INTERCULTURAL ACADEMIC COMMUNICATION: A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE ON UZBEK AND JAPANESE STUDENTS

Laughter is usually seen as a reaction to humor, but in reality, it plays a much more complex role in communication. In academic settings, especially in multicultural classrooms, laughter can carry different meanings depending on cultural backgrounds. This paper looks at how laughter is used by Uzbek and Japanese students as an extralinguistic strategy in academic environments. By comparing cultural norms and drawing from existing literature, this study sheds light on the subtle ways laughter helps manage social interaction, express emotion, and maintain group harmony in academic discourse.