L’umorismo fraseologico e paremiologico come strumento di apprendimento metacognitivo: il contributo di Pirandello e Calvino

Abstract

Humour education is presented as an innovative teaching methodology capable of promoting cognitive, linguistic, and emotional development in children (aged 8–12), particularly through the strategic use of phraseology and paremiology (proverbs and idioms). These linguistic structures not only enrich the children’s vocabulary but also activate metacognitive reflection processes, which are crucial for understanding the polysemic nature of language and the mechanisms of implicit communication. This study analyzes an educational project that explores how semantic reversal and the re-elaboration of meanings, drawn in particular from the works of Italo Calvino and Luigi Pirandello, contribute to the acquisition of metalinguistic skills. The research is based on the theories of Vygotsky, Piaget, Goleman, Gardner, and De Bono, demonstrating how phraseological humour can enhance lateral thinking, creativity, and problem-solving abilities, as well as develop social and prosocial competencies. The impact of this methodology is assessed through the adaptation of the Humor Style Questionnaire for children (aged 8–12) and the application of an original test (LUSSAC), both developed by the author and Professor Larissa Timofeev Timofeeva of the University of Alicante. The paper offers a critical reflection on the teaching tools used and the pedagogical effects of a humorous approach based on the conscious manipulation of language.