Constructing humour through the use of English in Chinese stand-up comedy

Abstract Representing a comedic genre where language, identity, ideology are performed and negotiated through discursive strategies, stand-up comedy provides a socially revealing site for studying humour as a discourse practice. This study focuses on the phenomenon of English as bilingual creativity in Chinese stand-up comedy performances, exploring how it operates as a speech style in the Chinese context. Drawing upon theoretical insights from sociolinguistics, discourse pragmatics and humour studies, this paper examines how the use of English serves as a resource for audience engagement and humour construction in Chinese stand-up comedy discourse. The study identifies linguistic mechanisms and discursive strategies of bilingual creativity featured in the Chinese context. Linguistically, the practice of bilingual creativity includes intra-/inter-sentential code mixing and three types of English usage: unmarked, marked, and referential. These various uses of English perform two major discursive functions: they may function as direct punchlines or discursive mockery to entertain the audience, or they can alternatively deliver judgmental or appreciative comments to align with the audience. Finally, this paper discusses social issues associated with bilingual creativity, such as language style, emotionality, and multicultural identity branding in contemporary Chinese cultural discourse.