Professional Documents
Culture Documents
tl"
Rhythms of American English
for Students of English
as a Second Language
CAROLYN GRAIJAM
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What Is a Jazz Chant?
1X
Horrrr a Jazz Chant Works
THE STRUCTURES The Chants are written in two-part dialogue form, with the
exception of RA/N and, TALL TREES which are both
purely exercises in sound and rhythm.
The dialogues include three basic forms of conversational
exchange:
1. Quesfion and response. This includes Information
Questions (PERSOI/A L QU ESTIONS), Yes/No
Questions @OVE SONG), and questions created by
the intonation pattern alone (JOHN BROWN).
2. Command and response. WAKE UP! WAKE UP!)
3. Response to a provocative statement. (EASY
SOLUTIONS)
The material in the Chants includes the most frequently
occuring structures of conversational American English and
is intended to provide the student with patterns and
vocabulary that he can comfortably use in the world outside
the classroom.
Each of the Chants and poems is accompanied by a
Structure Nole which indicates the specific structural focus
of the material.
THE SOUNDS The material in the Chants and on the accompanying tape
has been developed to give the student the maximum
opportunity to practice the sounds of English within a
meaningful context. In performing the Chants, the students
are actually learning to distinguish difficult vowel and
consonant contrasts while they are actively engaged in a
verbal exchange which can easily be related to their own
experience.
The Chants are particularly useful in developing listening
comprehension skills. A comparison of the written text and
the tape illustrates the striking difference between the
written word and spoken American English. The students
are being trained to comprehend the language of an
educated native speaker in natural conversation.
x
American English stretches, shortens, blends and often
drops sounds. These subtle features of the language are
extremely difficult for a student to comprehend unless his
ear has been properly trained. The sound of, "Jeet yet?" is
meaningless unless one has acquired the listening
comprehension skills necessary to make the connection with,
"Did you eat yet?" Another example of the blending of
sounds is the future with be Soin$ to, as in /'m Qoinf to fo,
reduced to I'm Eonna go. Students should be aware that the
written word gonna would be considered sub-standard
English whereas the spoken form is perfectly acceptable in
American conversation.
Each of the Chants is marked with a Focus which
indicates the specific sounds and intonation patterns
demonstrated in the chants and suggests extra practice on
those sounds which may present particular problems for the
student.
xl
IMPROVISATIONS Many of the Chants lend themselves to role-playing which
enables the student to move from the formal structure of
the Chant to an informal classroom improvisation, using
what he has learned in a situational context.
Chants which are particularly suited to improvisation
include BABY'S SLEEPING, IT'S GOT TO BE
SOMEWHERE and PERSONAL QUESZOIVS.
BABY'S SLEEPING suggests a situation where one
person or group of persons is creating too much noise and
meets with polite and eventually angry complaints.
IT'S GOT TO BE SOMEWHERE may be developed as a
game where one student loses an object and moves
anxiously around the classroom, using such questions as,
Where is it? Do you have it? Have you seen it?
together with appropriate statements such as, f cantt find
it, it's gone etc. The other students offer helpful
suggestions while trying to calm him down: Take it easy, it
can't be lost lVhere did you put it? The game ends
when the object is found and the appropriate language of
relief and pleasure is spoken: I found it! Oh, thank
heavens! I'm so glad etc.
PERSO/VAL QUESTIONS works well as an
improvisation with one student as the subject and the class
as the prompter asking him persona/ questions at random.
The student being questioned must try to avoid giving any
specific information. For example:
Where did you go last night? Answer: Oul
Who were you with? You don't know him.
How much did you pay for that? Too much.
How much do you make? Not enough.
The improvisations not only give a student the
opportunity to speak individually but to make choices of
attitude in his response.
During the role-playing, it is important that the students
retain the rhythm and intonation patterns established in the
Chant.
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Presenting a Jazz Chant
Step-by-Step
STEP ONE The teacher explains the situational context of the Chant.
For example, in BABY'S SLEEPING we are learning the
different ways in which you tell someone to be quiet. In this
case we are asking for silence because the baby is sleeping.
The teacher should clearly explain any vocabulary items or
expressions which might present difficulties, and may wish
to discuss the cultural implications of the material.
STEP TWO The teacher gives the first line of the Chant at normal speed
and intonation. The students repeat in unison. This simple
choral repetition continues for each line of the Chant. At this
stage the teacher may stop at any point to correct
pronunciation or intonation patterns. You may wish to
repeat each line several times in chorus.
STEP FOUR The class is divided into two equal sections. There is no
limit to the number of students in each section' A lazz
Chant can be conducted with two students or two hundred
students. The teacher now establishes a clear, steady beat
and gives the first line of the Chant, using normal speed and
intonation. The firs/ sec/ion repeats the line. The teacher
gives the second line of the Chant. The second section
repeats the line. This pattern is continued for each line of
the Chant, with the teacher's voice providing a model for
the repetitions.
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STEP SIX The class is again divided into two equal sections. The
Chant is now conducted as a two-part dialogue between the
two groups of students without the teacher's model. The
teacher establishes a clear, strong beat. Responding to the
teacher's hand-cue, the frs/ section gives the first line of the
Chant, answered by the second secfion giving the second
line of the Chant. The teacher is no longer providing a
model but is serving as a conductor, keeping a solid,
unifying beat while bringing in the two sections at the
correct time. I would suggest that the students be allowed to
work with open texts for reinforcement. The teacher may
find it helpful to say the lines along with the individual
sections to retain clarity and maintain the tempo.
The poems, like the Jazz Chants, have been written with a
focus on sound contrasts and structures of special interest to
the student of English as a Second Language.
The poems are centered on a variety of situations
designed to provoke classroom discussion. For example,
SALLY SPEAI(S SPAI/ISf,I, BUT NOT VERY WELL
might serve as an introduction to a classroom discussion on
language ability with the students describing their own and
perhaps other students' language skills.
I usually introduce a poem by reading it aloud or playing
it on the tape while the students listen. It is then repeated
line by line with the class in choral repetition. The shorter
poems are easily memorized and may be assigned to
individual students for presentation in class.
You may wish to experiment with assigning one poem to
two students who prepare a joint oral presentation, each
speaking altemate lines. For example, in ON A DIET, the
first student would begin with First she gave up
smoking and the second student would continue with the
second line of the poem, Then she gave up gin. This
pattern is continued for the entire poem.
Students may be asked to prepare a poem for a class
poetry reading and on some occasions students have been
inspired to write and present their own poems.
xiv
Structure Key
Articles FRIENDS 51
a, an
Demonstratives sELF/S// 15
this, that, these, those
Future DEPARTARE 27
will SOIVG
LOVE 55
Past RAIN 7
continuous
Possessives SELFISH 15
TAKING CREDIT 19
xv
Prepositions MEET ME IN THE MORNING t7
in, on, at BANKER'S WIFE'S BLUES 43
THE FRED POEMS 7r
xvl
NOTES Sh! Sh! Baby s Sleeping!
2
Sh! Sh! Baby's Sleepin$!
3
NOTES Big Mouth John Brown
4
Big Mouth John Brown
5
NOTES Rain
6
Rain
Soft rain
Raining, raining
Sweet rain
Raining, raining
Warm rain
Raining, raining
7
NOTES Sally Speaks Spanish,
8
Sally Speaks Spanish, But Not YerylMell
9
NOTES It's Got to be Someurhere
10
It's Got to be Someurhere
11
NOTES Tall Trees
L2
Tall Trees
cHoRas soLo
Tall trees
Tall trees
Big, tall trees.
Tall trees
Tall trees
Big, tall trees.
Tall trees, tall trees The coast of Califorma
Big, tall trees. is a beautiful sight,
Tall trees, tall trees with the tall trees, tall trees,
Big, tall trees. big, tall trees.
Tall trees, tall trees The coast of California
Big, tall trees. is a beautiful sight,
Tall trees, tall trees with the tall trees, tall trees,
Big, tall trees. big, tall trees.
13
NOTES Selfish
CHORUS
Mine
Mine
Mine
Mine
This is mine! Mine
That's yours! Mine
Don't touch mine! Mine
Get your own! Mine
L4
Selfish
This is mine!
That's yours!
Don't touch mine!
Get your own!
This is mine!
That's yours!
This is mine!
That's yours!
This is mine!
That's yours!
That's yours!
That's yours!
Hey, what are you doing?
What are you doing with that?
That's mine!
15
NOTES WhatAreYou Going to Do
at Two?
16
WhatAreYou Goin$ to Do at lbro?
L7
NOTES
18
Talring Credit
19
NOTES ABad Day& More Bad Luck
20
ABad Day
2T
NOTES Personal Questions
22
Personal Questions
23
NOTES DoYou KnorryMary?
24
DoYou KnourMary?
25
NOTES Departure and Return Home
26
Departure and Return Home
Departure
Flave a wonderful trip!
Have a wonderful trip!
Don't forget to call me
when you get back.
Flave a wonderful trip!
Have a wonderful trip!
Don't forget to call me
when you get back.
Flave a wonderful trip!
Don't worry, I will.
Flave a wonderful trip!
Don't worry, I will.
Don't forget to call me.
Don't worry, I won't.
Don't forget to call me.
Don't worry, I won't.
Return
Gee, it's good to see you.
You look wonderful!
So do you!
Ifs been a long time!
It sure has.
It's been a long time!
It sure has.
I missed you terribly.
Me too!
I'm so glad you're back!
So am I.
27
NOTES 0n a Diet
28
0n a Diet
29
NOTES Twelve Cans of Tuna Fish RaS
30
Turelve Cans of Tuna Fish Rag
31
NOTES Panic on Bein$ Late
32
Panic on Bein$ Late
33
NOTES 0uch! That Hurts
34
Ouch! That Hurts
Ouch!
What's the matter?
I stubbed my toe.
Oh, that hurts, that hurts.
I know that hurts.
Ouch!
What's the matter?
I bit my tongue.
Oh, that hurts, that hurts.
I know that hurts.
Ouch!
What's the matter?
I got a cramp in my foot.
Oh, that hurts, that hurts.
I know that hurts.
Ouch! Ouch!
What's the matter now?
I bumped into the table,
tripped on the stairs,
slipped on the carpet,
fell over the chairs.
Gee! You're clumsy today!
35
NOTES Would You Walk to China . . . ?
36
WouldYouWalk to China If You Had the Time?
37
NOTES Major Decisions
38
Major Decisions
39
NOTES I Gave It Away
40
I Gave It Away
I gave it away.
You what?
I gave it away.
What did you say?
I said I gave it away.
Gave it away?
That's what I said.
I said I gave it away.
whv?
Because I wanted to.
You wanted to?
Yes, I wanted to.
Why didn't you sell it?
Sell it?
Yes, sell it, sell it.
Why didn't you sell it?
I didn't want to.
Why not? Why not?
I didn't want to.
Why not? Why not?
I didn't want to.
Why didn't you give it to me?
I didn't want to.
Why didn't you give it to him?
I didn't want to.
Why didn't you give it to her?
I didn't want to.
Why didn't you give it to them?
I didn't want to.
I didn't want to.
4r
NOTES Banker's Wife's Blues
42
Banker's Wife's Blues
43
NOTES Tell MeYourName
Sand
44
Tell MeYourName
Sand
If I were home,
If I were home,
I'd run to thebeach.
take off my shoes
and walk in the sand.
I'd shake the sand out of my shoes.
I'd feel it between my toes.
I'd smell wet sand in my hair.
I'd feel it in my eyes.
My face would sparkle from the sand.
I would say, "I hate this sand."
Back home, the bed would be full of sand
and my clothes, and my hair.
I would wake up and feel the sand in my hair.
Oh, it's been so long
since I have felt sand
in my hair.
45
NOTES Late Again
46
LateAgain
47
NOTES IMarninS
48
IMarninS
49
NOTES Friends
50
Friends
51
NOTES EasySolutions
52
EasySolutions
53
NOTES Love Song
54
Love Song
55
NOTES 0n the Rocks
56
0n the Rocks
57
NOTES The Beaches of Mexico
58
The Beaches of Mexico
59
NOTES I'm Sorry, flut...
60
I'm Sorry, Ilut...
61
NOTES BabyBobby
62
BabyBobby
63
NOTES It's I,ike llllinter lbday
64
It's Like lMinter lbday
65
NOTES MyFbet Hurt
66
MyFbetHurt
My feet hurt!
Take off vour shoes!
My feet hurt!
Take off vour shoesf
My feet hurt!
Take off vour shoes!
My feet hurt!
Take off vour shoes!
It's hot in here!
Take off vour sweater!
It's hot in here!
Take off vour sweater!
It's hot in here!
Take off vour sweater!
My feet hurt!
Take off vour shoes!
It's cold in here!
Put on your sweater!
It's cold in here!
Put on your sweater!
It's cold in here!
Put on your sweater!
My feet hurt!
Take off your shoes.
My hands are cold!
Put on your gloves!
My hands are cold!
Put on your gloves!
My hands are cold!
Put on your gloves!
My feet hurt!
Take off vour shoes!
67
NOTES IYIama Knours Best
68
IVIama Knours Best
69
NOTES The Fred Poems
70
The Fhed Poems
7L
NOTES Big Bill Bell
72
Big Bill Bell
He's here!
Who's here?
Bill's here.
Bill who?
Bill Bell.
Bill Bell? Who's he?
You know him.
I do?
Of course you do.
He's a friend of yours.
IIe is?
Of course he is.
Big Bill. Big Bill Bell.
Oh, you mean Bill!
Big Bill!
That's right, that's him!
You know him very well.
Sure I do!
Big Bill Bell!
Big Bill Bell!
I know him very well.
7s
NOTES Wake Up! IlllakeUp!
74
Wake Up! WakeUp!
75
NOTES Well, He Eatslike aPig
76
Well, He Eatslike aPig
77
NOTES Youre Just LikeYour Mother
78
Youre Just LikeYour Mother
Stop it!
Stop what?
Stop arguing with me.
I'm not arguing with you.
Yes, you are. _
79
About the Author
80
Oxford University Press
ISBN 2LA7 -9
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