Dr Reza Arab

I am a lecturer at the School of Languages and Cultures, specialising in linguistics with expertise in Pragmatics, Cultural Linguistics, and Communication. My academic interests also encompass General Linguistics, English as an International Language (EIL), and Persian Language Studies.

My PhD research focused on the historical exploration of valued speech practices in the Persian language, with particular attention to the role of taste-related vocabulary in Persian wit and humour.

Between 2022 and 2024, I conducted research on humour and belonging through two main projects: the use of humour in discourses surrounding prison and incarceration, and humour in Indigenous communities. During this time, I served on the Executive Board and as Chair of the Review Panel for the Australasian Humour Studies Network (AHSN).

In 2025, my primary research interests centre on Indigenous forms of humour/play, intersubjectivity, and metaphors of belonging at the national level.