Stress, Intonation, and Rhythm through Jazz Chant

This workshop presented by professor Mary beth Worrilow evolved around the teaching of suprasegmental aspects of pronunciation through jazz chant. The presenter started by establishing the importance of jazz in teaching pronunciation. Her anecdote about learning Spanish helped a lot clarify the point that pronunciation is better learnt through jazz chant. Some of the most effective techniques used in the ELI for improving pronunciation are shadow talking, jazz chant, and poetry. Later, the presenter drew attention to the origin of jazz as a genre of music and its relation to the stress-timed nature of the English language. Some of the pionneers of jazz chant were mentioned by the presenter, such as Dr. Seuss and carolyn Graham. Moreover, professor Worrilow stressed the point that jazz chant can be used to teach vocabulary, grammar, and culture, which are all ingredients of any language class. The second half of the workshop was devoted to practice. The participants worked in groups to creat their own jazz chants and design a lesson plan for teaching them.

Summarised by:

Mohamed ELFATIHI

Moroccan group 2007