Kang Guru Connection Pouch - January-March 2006

Suggestion for Club Activity

Jazz Chants

Jazz Chants are rhythmical poems and rhymes that can be said with a swinging rhythm. It’s a lot like rapping. Jazz Chants help students of English learn the stress in English sentences. Indonesian students often find sentence and word stress in English very difficult to learn. Jazz chants help students learn the stress, rhythm and intonation patterns by “doing” them. It’s a very effective and enjoyable way to learn. They also reinforce structure and revise vocabulary. The great thing is students may perform these jazzy poems in small or large groups - it’s great for large classes and clubs.

One really fun and effective way of doing chants is for one group to read the poem or rhyme while another group chants a melody or rap. This is like a musical descant which is the highest melody sung above, or super-imposed, against the main musical text. Students can use their hands to clap the beat, or they can drum on the desks, stamp their feet, snap their fingers, tap on glasses of water…or if you have some instruments you can use those too.

Steps in teaching a jazz chant:

Be sure students know all the key vocabulary.
Write the chant on the board.
Read the entire chant to the class.
Read one line at a time and have students repeat the line until they can say most of the words.
Add the rhythm (clapping, marching, pounding the table or a drum).
Let the class do the rhythm and say it at the same time.
Let “soloists” (pemain solo) say it while everyone else claps or stamps their feet, et

Example:

Group 1:	I went to Costa Rica one fine day. I went to Costa Rica one fine day.
Group 2:	And what did I find? What did I find?
Group 3:	Warm, loving people with hearts so kind, Warm, loving people with hearts so kind.

KGRE Radio Highlights for January - March 2006

Radio Program 5001

Unique Aussie Animals - the platypus
Interview with Sean Patrick Bergin – AusAID Nurse Trainer
Motorbike Safety in East Java
KGRE Friends in Bima, Sumbawa

Radio Program 5002

KGRE Listeners Top Tips for Staying Healthy
Slice of Life – Chandra in Bandung and his Yayasan Peduli Hemophilia
AusAID in Indonesia – Avian Flu

Radio Program 5003

Surfing is my Life with Tipi Jabrik Pt 1
Surfing is my Life with Tipi Jabrik Pt 2
Music - ‘Powderfinger’

Radio Program 5004

A Simple Quiz and Literature Review with Oceana
AusAID in Indonesia – vaccinations in Indonesia

Radio Program 5005 - Careers in Indonesia

Australian Artist - Christine Anu
Music - Christine Anu
Idioms Inggris with Sonja from the Dec Magazine
The World Around Us – Torres Strait Islands
TWFAF – KGRE and TNI

Radio Program 5006

WSLIC 2 in Sumbawa – helping villagers.
‘Slice Of Life’ - English Teachers in Papua
AusAID in Jayapura.
Music by Aussie Idols - Ricki Lee Coulter and Shannon Noll

Be sure to listen to KGRE every week. GET INTO THE HABIT!

For full details of all programs check the KGRE website -
http://www.kangguru.org/englishradio.htm