Jazz Chants

Thanks to our IST-In Service Training, I learned how to make and use Jazz Chants in order to teach English.  They are a big hit with both my elementary school students and adult community class students.

A Jazz Chant is a rhythmic poem you can create in order to teach vocabulary, grammar structures, commands, etc. Verses are often repeated to reinforce the lesson and it is not necessary to make everything rhyme. Students can simply sing the words alone or add clapping, snapping or stop their feet to the rhythm. When students feel comfortable with the vocabulary you can separate them into groups and make a sing-off competition. 

In order to teach Jazz Chants;
1. I introduce the vocabulary or grammar structure by itself. Write it on the board and have students copy the information.
2. I bring a hackie sack with me to every lesson, another great tool. I pass the ball around and quiz the students, then let the students ask each other.
3. I write the new Jazz Chant on the board, which incorporates the lesson into the song and have the students write it in their Jazz Chants mini book.
4. We practice singing! The first couple of times I sing a line and the students repeat.

With younger students I like to make paper bag puppets they can use to sing the song. Sometimes we change our voices to a higher or lower pitch or make dances to go along with the words.

In all cases, elementary or adult, the students have a lot of fun learning the songs and spend the rest of the day singing what they learned.

In my Adult Community English Classes they are learning: introductions, greetings and basic conversations starters. For example: Hello, good morning, What is your name?

Here is of the Jazz Chants I use to teach this subject...

Hello good morning

How are you?

I'm fine, thank you (x2)

Hello good afternoon

How are you?

I'm good and you? (x2)

Hello good evening

How are you?

I'm bad (x2)

GOOD NIGHT!

(students like to shout the last line)

Last night I challenged my students to write their own Jazz Chants using the vocabulary we practiced and any other English words/phrases they know. It was a big success! One group came up with a chant that I think is hilarious!! Here it is...

Hey, good morning

Good morning (x2)

What's your job?

I don't work (x2)

SORRY!

My host brother's group came up with that Jazz Chant. I couldn't be prouder...hehe

I hope they will let me video record some of their songs in the future.