@article{article_1773481, title={WHEN LAUGHTER HURTS: GELOTOPHOBIA AS A SOCIOLINGUISTIC BARRIER IN MULTICULTURAL LANGUAGE CLASSROOMS}, journal={Uluslararası Toplumsal Bilimler Dergisi}, volume={9}, pages={457–472}, year={2025}, author={Nazlı, Kadri and Uzun Seyitvan, Berivan}, keywords={Gelotophobia, Sociolinguistics, Willingness to Communicate, Multicultural Language Classrooms, Inclusive Pedagogy}, abstract={Humor is often regarded as a positive communicative resource, yet its darker dimension—mockery, ridicule, or belittlement—can foster exclusion and psychological harm. This ambivalence provides the conceptual basis for discussing gelotophobia, the pathological fear of being laughed at, within multicultural language classrooms. While gelotophobia has been studied primarily as a psychological phenomenon, this paper argues that it also constitutes a sociolinguistic issue, since laughter and ridicule are socially meaningful responses to linguistic variation such as accent, code-switching, or pragmatic differences. Drawing on psychological research (Titze, 1996, 2009; Ruch & Proyer, 2008) and applied linguistics frameworks on willingness to communicate (MacIntyre et al., 1998; Khajavy, MacIntyre, & Barabadi, 2017), the paper explores how fear of ridicule undermines learners’ self-confidence, limits participation, and reduces opportunities for interactional practice essential for second language development. Gelotophobic learners often avoid speaking, misinterpret laughter as hostile, and withdraw from group tasks, thereby restricting both linguistic growth and cross-cultural collaboration. Beyond conceptual synthesis, the article employs a narrative review methodology, integrating findings across psychology, sociolinguistics, and applied linguistics. It further proposes a conceptual model illustrating the mechanisms through which laughter can affect learners’ willingness to communicate, while emphasizing the moderating role of teacher norms, humor literacy, peer climate, and cultural context. The study highlights not only the theoretical underpinnings of gelotophobia but also its pedagogical implications. Strategies such as small-group activities, explicit discussions of humor, culturally responsive teaching, humor literacy, and awareness-raising among teachers can mitigate anxiety and foster inclusive environments. Ultimately, this study underscores the need to integrate psychological insights with sociolinguistic perspectives to better understand how fear of ridicule shapes communication. By reframing gelotophobia as both an individual and a socially embedded concern, the paper calls for inclusive, empathetic, and culturally sensitive pedagogical approaches that promote willingness to communicate, linguistic achievement, and social belonging.}, number={3}, publisher={Sadık Hacı}, organization={The study received no financial support from any institution or organization.}