Automated Joke Explanation Generation: a Study of Second Language Learning Using Word Ambiguity and Joke Explanation Generation

This thesis presents the study of computer generated explanations of puns to teach second language learners of English. The summer project was part of a Masters course in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Edinburgh. The system creates an explanation to a given joke which is generated by the STANDUP project system, developed at the University of Edinburgh. The explanations aim to give thorough understanding to the student user on why the joke can be considered to be a joke in the English Language. The research presented throughout this report represents a significant stepping stone in the area of 2nd language learning and intelligent computer aided language learning. The program was implemented and applied to explain jokes to 2nd language learners. The results obtained showed the using puns to explain word ambiguity seemed to stimulate learning of English in a creative and innovative way.