Customer Reviews

Small Talk: More Jazz Chants

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I am a Korean MATESOL student studing in the US. I have heard that Grahamn's Jazz chant is very good ESL source,and I have used her chants in my classes in Korea. The Jazz chant is very helpful in teaching rhythm and flow that English cotains. However the Jazz chants I have used before was just chants. They didn't have any guide lines. However,what drove me to attempt to write review of this book is that while I was looking for a book for pronunciation micro teaching, I happened to find this book in the library(Actually I didn't know this book was what my professor recommanded in class until I went over my notebook couple of minutes ago!) This book is very well organized and presents clear lesson points. It is definately wonderful to teach oral skills to English learners with fun. Not only does this book present chants but also has written exercises. I strongly recommand this book to ESL/EFL teachers.

From the first moment I heard these everyday conversations put to classic jazz music, I knew that I would be using Jazz Chants as long as I was involved in ESL. As the author of American Accent Training, I use Jazz Chants in conjunction with Dr. Seuss for a well-rounded accent program. The songs are catchy, and students find that the rhythms and patterns become ingrained in their memories far more effectively than with text study. They are constantly amazed that "Americans really talk this way!" and "I can actually hear the speech music!" Mere words cannot convey what a wonderful series of exercises this is. Carolyn Graham is a musical genius.

These chants not only demonstrate the intonation and rhythm of American English, they are American culture at its best. If you have been speaking American English all your life, you hear yourself and laugh because the small talk chants are so typically American. I have used the chants and worksheets with beginners and intermediate students in the upper elementary grades. The students have enjoyed them and the worksheets that go with them. At first, it's hard for everyone, but the students get the hang of it and look forward to new ones.

I have used various Carolyn Graham books and CD's and they are all great. I am partial to this one-- especially for adult learners. I use the CD with the book.

The way it is structured each chapter has 5 or 6 short chants (conversational readings) about one topic. For example, there is a set of readings on apologizing with appropriate responses from the other person. (e.g. "Excuse me." "That's all right.") The language is varied and very much the way American's speak. There are lots of idiomatic expressions from everyday conversation. The two parts are separated-- one voice indented-- so each can be used by half the class at a time. Or in pairs after they have practiced. I like it for my adult students because the conversations are so practical for them.

These are great for working on pronunciation and chunking words. They are short with suggestions about words or expressions to work on next to each chant. Also at the end of each chapter are listening exercises, mostly dictation (all provided at the back of the book) using the sentences we have just been working on.

I have my students read and practice the chants before we listen to the CD which is great but a little fast for some students without preparation. Usually I read each line and they repeat. Then we divide the class in half and they do them in two parts. Then they practice in pairs. After that we do the dictation with either me or various students reading. This provides extended practice in pronunciation and intonation.

"Small Talk" has less vocabulary than other Jazz Chants books, and thus is good for true beginners. Chants are wonderfully empowering for students; they make students feel fluent right away, as well as starting them down the road of acquiring the rhythmn and intonation so particular to American English. Great concept!