MEMOIRE DE FIN D’ETUDE POUR L’OBTENTION DU

CERTICAT D’APTITUDE PEDAGOGIQUE DE L’ECOLE NORMALE SUPERIEURE

(C.A.P.E.N)

ADAPTING CAR OLYN GRAHAM’S JAZZ CHANT

FAIRY TALES FOR PLAY PRODUCTIONS TO HELP

STUDENTS PERFORM RHYTHM IN ENGLISH CLUBS

Presented by: Avosoa Noella RANAIVONAVALONA Dissertation Advisor: Mrs. Mirany RAMINOARIVONY

Academic year: 2015-2016 Dissertation defense: December, 23rd 2016

UNIVERSITE D’ANTANANARIVO ECOLE NORMALE SUPERIEURE

************************ DEPARTEMENT DE LA FORMATION

INITIALE LITERAIRE CER LANGUE ET LETTRES ANGLAISES

N° D’ORDRE : …. ************************

i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ........................................................................................................... viii

GENERAL INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................1

Reasons for the choice of the topic ..................................................................................................1

Objective of the work ......................................................................................................................2

Scope and limitation of the work .....................................................................................................2

Outline of the work .........................................................................................................................3

PART 1: THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS ................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................4

1.1 ON JAZZ CHANT FAIRY TALES ...........................................................................................4

1.1.1 What are Jazz Chant Fairy Tales? .......................................................................................4

1.1.1.1 Background .....................................................................................................................4

1.1.1.2 Definition and presentation of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales ......................................................6

1.1.1.3 Structure of a Jazz Chant Fairy Tale .................................................................................6

1.1.2 Jazz Chant Fairy Tales – to be adapted into play productions ..............................................7

1.1.2.1 Play productions as part of Drama ....................................................................................7

1.1.2.2 Applicable approaches for the use of play production .......................................................8

1.1.3 Advantages of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales in the teaching and learning of English.....................9

1.1.3.1 Advantages of using Jazz Chant Fairy Tales for teachers ..................................................9

1.1.3.2 Advantages of using Jazz Chant Fairy Tales for students ................................................ 12

1.2 ON RHYTHM ................................................................................................................... 15

1.2.1 The place of pronunciation in the teaching of English ....................................................... 15

1.2.2 Rhythm or Sentence stress – a pronunciation component .................................................. 15

1.2.2.1 Syllable.......................................................................................................................... 17

1.2.2.2 Word-stress .................................................................................................................... 17

1.2.2.3 Rhythm or sentence stress .............................................................................................. 18

1.2.3 The importance of stress and rhythm in communicating in English ................................... 20

1.2.3.1 Importance on listening .................................................................................................. 21

1.2.3.2 Importance on speaking ................................................................................................. 21

1.3 ACQUISITION OF RHYTHM THROUGH JAZZ CHANT FAIRY TALES ..................... 23

1.3.1 Points to consider for students who learn pronunciation .................................................... 23

1.3.2 Principles students should acquire when learning rhythm .................................................. 24

1.3.2.1 Acquisition of English syllable principles ....................................................................... 24

1.3.2.2 Acquisition of English word-stress principles ................................................................. 24

1.3.2.3 Acquisition of English rhythm principles........................................................................ 25

1.3.3 How do Jazz Chant Fairy Tales impact on the acquisition of rhythm? ............................... 25

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1.3.3.1 The Jazz rhythm ............................................................................................................. 25

1.3.3.2 The rhythmic clapping in the audio version .................................................................... 26

1.3.3.3 The repetitions in the script ............................................................................................ 26

1.3.4 How can learners acquire rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales? ................................... 26

1.3.4.1 Imitation ........................................................................................................................ 27

1.3.4.2 Repetition ...................................................................................................................... 27

1.3.4.3 Reproduction ................................................................................................................. 27

1.3.5 Impact of learning rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales in communicative skills .......... 27

1.3.5.1 Impacts on listening and on loud reading ........................................................................ 28

1.3.5.2 Impacts on speaking ....................................................................................................... 29

1.3.6 The influence of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales on students’ motivation....................................... 31

1.3.6.1 Extrinsic motivation ....................................................................................................... 31

1.3.6.2 Intrinsic motivation ........................................................................................................ 31

1.4 TEACHING OF RHYTHM THROUGH JAZZ CHANT FAIRY TALES .......................... 33

1.4.1 Points to consider for teachers who teach pronunciation .................................................... 33

1.4.2 Aspects to be taught when teaching rhythm....................................................................... 34

1.4.2.1 Teaching about English syllable ..................................................................................... 34

1.4.2.2 Teaching about word-stress ............................................................................................ 34

1.4.2.3 The teaching of rhythm .................................................................................................. 34

1.4.3 Useful teaching aids for the acquisition of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales’ scripts ......................... 36

1.4.3.1 Mimes and gestures........................................................................................................ 36

1.4.3.2 Pictures and images........................................................................................................ 36

1.4.3.3 Videos ........................................................................................................................... 37

1.4.4 Strategies for the teaching of rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales ................................ 37

1.4.4.1 Guiding student’s recognition of rhythm in the script ..................................................... 37

1.4.4.2 Monitoring students’ imitation of the script’s audio version ............................................ 38

1.4.4.3 Targeting at similar reproduction of rhythm as in the script’s audio version .................... 38

1.4.5 Strategies and procedure to teach listening and reading comprehension ............................. 39

1.4.5.1 Pre-listening/reading ...................................................................................................... 39

1.4.5.2 While-listening/reading .................................................................................................. 39

1.4.5.3 Post-listening/reading..................................................................................................... 40

1.4.5.4 Difference between listening and reading ....................................................................... 40

1.4.6 Teaching play production ................................................................................................. 41

1.4.6.1 Choosing the play and teaching it ................................................................................... 41

1.4.6.2 Preparing the public performance ................................................................................... 42

1.4.7 Class management ............................................................................................................ 42

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1.4.7.1 Managing individual work ............................................................................................. 42

1.4.7.2 Managing competitive work ........................................................................................... 43

1.4.7.3 Managing group work .................................................................................................... 43

Conclusion to Part 1 ...................................................................................................................... 45

PART 2: REALITIES ON THE TEACHING OF RHYTHM IN CLASSES ...................................... 46

INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 46

2.1 QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS .................................................................................... 46

2.1.1 Presentation of the questionnaire....................................................................................... 46

2.1.2 Analysis of the collected data from the students’ questionnaire ......................................... 47

2.1.2.1 Question N°1 ................................................................................................................. 47

2.1.2.2 Question N°2 ................................................................................................................. 48

2.1.2.3 Question N° 3 ................................................................................................................ 50

2.1.2.4 Question N°4 ................................................................................................................. 51

2.1.2.5 Question N°5 ................................................................................................................. 52

2.1.2.6 Question N°6 ................................................................................................................. 53

2.1.2.7 Question N°7 ................................................................................................................. 54

Conclusion to the questionnaire for students .............................................................................. 55

2.2 QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS.................................................................................... 56

2.2.1 Presentation of the questionnaire....................................................................................... 56

2.2.2 Analysis of the collected data from the teachers’ questionnaire ......................................... 57

2.2.2.1 Question N°1 ................................................................................................................. 57

2.2.2.2 Question N°2 ................................................................................................................. 58

2.2.2.3 Question N°3 ................................................................................................................. 59

2.2.2.4 Question N°4 ................................................................................................................. 61

2.2.2.5 Question N°5 ................................................................................................................. 62

2.2.2.6 Question N°6 ................................................................................................................. 63

2.2.2.7 Question N°7 ................................................................................................................. 64

2.2.2.8 Question N°8 ................................................................................................................. 65

2.2.2.9 Question N°9 ................................................................................................................. 66

Conclusion to the questionnaire for teachers .............................................................................. 67

2.3 CLASS OBSERVATIONS AND INTERVIEWS .................................................................... 68

2.3.1 Presentation to the class observations and interviews ........................................................ 68

2.3.2 Report of the class observations and the interviews ........................................................... 69

2.3.2.1 Class observation and interview N°1: The impact of students’ level on the learning of pronunciation ............................................................................................................................ 69

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2.3.2.2 Class observation and interview N°2: Teachers’ non-mastery of rhythm – a principal reason which restrain them not to teach it.................................................................................. 70

2.3.2.3 Class observation N°3: The contribution of a whole session of pronunciation to students’ awareness of how English is pronounced ................................................................................... 71

2.3.2.4 Class observation N°4 and interview N°5: The influence of the official syllabus to the teaching of rhythm ..................................................................................................................... 72

Conclusion to class observations: Realities on the teaching of rhythm in classes ........................ 73

Conclusion to interviews: Teachers motivation concerning the teaching of rhythm and the problems encountered in this field ............................................................................................. 73

Conclusion to Part 2 ...................................................................................................................... 74

PART 3: CONTRIBUTION TO THE TEACHING OF RHYTHM THROUGH THE PERFORMANCE OF JAZZ CHANT FAIRY TALES ...................................................................... 75

INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 75

3.1 SUGGESTED LESSON PLANS AFTER EXPERIMENTATIONS ........................................ 75

Introduction to the experimentations .......................................................................................... 75

3.1.1 Experimented lesson plans n° 1 based on the tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears ........ 76

3.1.2 Experimented lesson plans n° 2 based on the tale of The Three Little Pigs......................... 82

3.1.3 Experimented lesson plans n° 3 based on the tale of Chicken Little ................................... 88

3.1.4 Experimented lesson plans n° 4 based on the tale of Little Red Riding Hood ..................... 92

Conclusion to the experimentations ........................................................................................... 96

3.2 MORE SUGGESTIONS ON THE OVERALL PRINCIPLES AND ORGANIZATION ON THE TEACHING OF RHYTHM THROUGH THE PERFORMANCE OF JAZZ CHANT FAIRY TALES ......................................................................................................................................... 98

Introduction to the suggestions ...................................................................................................... 98

3.2.1 Schedule on the teaching process ...................................................................................... 98

3.2.1.1 When to teach rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales? .................................................. 98

3.2.1.2 When to start teaching play production or doing the rehearsals? ..................................... 99

3.2.1.3 When to perform it in front of a public? ......................................................................... 99

3.2.2 Suggested ways of teaching play production ..................................................................... 99

3.2.2.1 Settling the “I amness” of the students.......................................................................... 100

3.2.2.2 Favoring a relaxed atmosphere ..................................................................................... 100

3.2.2.3 Adopting the “magic if” ............................................................................................... 101

3.2.2.4 Making use of observation ........................................................................................... 102

3.2.3 Tasks’ sharing between teacher and students for the needed materials ............................. 102

3.2.3.1 Stage decoration........................................................................................................... 102

3.2.3.3 Costumes ..................................................................................................................... 103

3.2.3.4 Sound system ............................................................................................................... 103

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3.2.4 Making a video project rather than a play production project........................................... 103

Conclusion to the suggestions for the use of jazz chant fairy tales to teach rhythm ................... 104

Conclusion to Part 3 .................................................................................................................... 105

GENERAL CONCLUSION............................................................................................................ 107

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND WEBOGRAPHY ......................................................................................... i

APPENDICES .................................................................................................................................. iv

vi

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Carolyn Graham...................................................................................................................5

Figure 2: features of pronunciation .................................................................................................... 16

Figure 3: Students' oral English quality ............................................................................................. 48

Figure 4: Students’ reasons about the impact of pronunciation on their oral English .......................... 49

Figure 5: Students’ reasons on the importance of learning pronunciation ........................................... 51

Figure 6: Results of the test for students declaring to know about rhythm .......................................... 52

Figure 7: Students motivation to be part of a play project .................................................................. 54

Figure 8: Teachers’ experience in the teaching of English ................................................................. 57

Figure 9: Degrees of the investigated teachers ................................................................................... 58

Figure 10: Frequency on the teaching of pronunciation ..................................................................... 59

Figure 11: Teachers’ goals when teaching pronunciation ................................................................... 60

Figure 12: Possible reasons that may push teachers not to teach pronunciation .................................. 61

Figure 13: Pronunciation elements mostly taught in classes ............................................................... 63

Figure 14: Drama activities commonly used in classes ...................................................................... 64

Figure 15: Seats’ arrangement during the rehearsals ........................................................................ 100

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Details on the investigated students ..................................................................................... 47

Table 2: Students’ self-estimation on their pronunciation .................................................................. 50

Table 3: Details on the investigated teachers ..................................................................................... 56

Table 4: Summary on the class observations...................................................................................... 68

Table 5: Details on the experimentations in English clubs ................................................................. 76

Table 6: Limits of the experimentations and their solutions ............................................................. 106

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This research work could not have been accomplished without the help and support of many people.

To begging with, we would like to thank and give glory to God for His constant presence and unconditional love, which gave us strength to face all the challenges encountered all along our research.

We also benefited greatly from guidance, advice and comments by our dissertation advisor Mrs. Mirany RAMINOARIVONY. To her are due our sincere gratitude.

Our gratitude is also due to Mrs. Christiane RANDRIAMAMPIONONA and Mr. Tantelinirina TEFINJANAHARY for accepting to be part of the jury, having read carefully our dissertation and giving us feedbacks for its improvement.

A number of teachers and students generously gave their contribution during our field investigation and experimentations. We would like to acknowledge them for their cooperation and hospitality.

We have been blessed for the support of our close family, relatives and friends. Our heartfelt thanks are due to them for their prayers, advice, and all kinds of help they could offer.

Avosoa Noella RANAIVONAVALONA

1

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Reasons for the choice of the topic

Due to many existing factors, the teaching of rhythm in English classes is quite rare. As a result,

many students are not aware of it. They most of the time speak unclear English, do not

understand good English or native speakers, and are not able to read texts appropriately. So,

communication may disrupt. We think that Malagasy students deserve to know about rhythm,

for it does not only contribute to the clearness of one’s speech and the understanding of good

English, but it is also one of the identities of the English language. Moreover, rhythm may

increase students’ motivation in the learning of English subject by its participation to the

improvement of their oral English quality. Indeed, teachers do the necessary, even their best in

improving students’ communicative skills, but we find that teaching rhythm lacks in the

domain. That is why we felt the need to teach rhythm to Malagasy students.

Carolyn Graham’s jazz chants, including her Jazz Chant Fairy Tales, are well known for the

teaching of rhythm. These are efficient tools, as they are for all ages and levels, and easy to

acquire. Jazz Chant Fairy Tales can ease the learning of rhythm, for they present aspects which

can enhance the acquisition of rhythm. Furthermore, Jazz Chant Fairy Tales can provide relaxed

atmosphere to the learning because they are tales which can be adapted into play productions.

Play productions could interest and motivate students. In this way, students’ affective filter is

lower, as they can learn with fun. Jazz Chant Fairy Tales then facilitate the learning of rhythm

for these reasons and many others which will mostly be developed in the first part.

Adapting Jazz Chant Fairy Tales into play production consists in learning and performing the

language. In other words, we start from the teaching of rhythm via the tales, and we end with a

performance in front of an audience. The learning of rhythm, the preparations and rehearsals

until the public performance may take considerable time, so time may not allow us to deal with

it in classes. Therefore, we have chosen English clubs as the study area for our topic. All in all,

the present work consists in adapting Carolyn Graham’s Jazz Chant Fairy Tales for play

productions to help students perform rhythm in English clubs.

2

Objective of the work

As mentioned above, many factors may cause the lack of the teaching of rhythm in classes.

However, rhythm is worth having its place in English language teaching because it participates

in ameliorating students’ communicative skills. As a matter of fact, we mainly target at

suggesting solutions to lycée teachers so that they can teach rhythm with less difficulties.

First of all, we would like to give them necessary information about rhythm in order to reinforce

their knowledge and consideration of it. Then, we would like to propose Carolyn Graham’s Jazz

Chant Fairy Tales as materials to ease their teaching of rhythm and to suggest English clubs as

places where we can deal with it. We also aim at introducing some techniques and

recommendations which could help the teachers. In short, the present work is based on

facilitating teachers’ tasks concerning the teaching of rhythm in order to reach better efficiency

in the subject.

Scope and limitation of the work

Given the time constraints of the usual school schedule, it is quite difficult to adapt this work

in classes. So, only students members of English clubs could benefit from it. In this case, only

few numbers of students can take advantage of the opportunity because not all lycées have

English clubs. Even if there are English clubs in some schools, not all of the students attend

English clubs. Difficulties may also be met in areas which have some electricity problems, as

Carolyn Graham’s Jazz Chant Fairy Tales are not only written supports, but they also have

audio versions.

Nevertheless, we can still remedy the problems citied beforehand. As a saying goes: “When

there is a will, there is a way.” It is possible to insert it in “classe de seconde” and “classe de

première”, for they do not face any official exam. The learning process can be done during

warm-up or follow up activities. Then, the rehearsals for the play productions can be

accomplished during the students’ free time. Concerning the public performance, it is preferable

to plan it at the end of the first term (before going on Christmas holidays), or at the end of the

school year, or when there is an opportunity like school anniversary and so on. For the problem

of electricity, affordable and practical devices are now accessible in the country sides, such as

“radio cartes” for the listening of audio versions of the Jazz Chant Fairy Tales. In clear, the

present work is limited in English clubs, but it does not restrain interested teachers from

adapting it in their English classes by means of good organisation.

3

Outline of the work

This work will be divided into three big parts. In Part 1, we will talk about theoretical

considerations on the topic through the literature review we have accomplished. In Part 2, we

will try to find the main problems about the teaching of rhythm in classes through investigations

in some lycées of Antananarivo and in other province of Madagascar. In Part 3, we will bring

our contribution to the teaching of rhythm through the performance of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales.

PART 1

4

PART 1: THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS

INTRODUCTION

The Part 1 of the present work is intended to demonstrate theoretically how using Carolyn

Graham’s Jazz Chant Fairy Tales can help students learn rhythm in English clubs. Thanks to

our literature review, we could collect necessary information on Jazz Chant Fairy Tales and

rhythm, which constitute the skeleton of our topic. Additional information were also collected

in the area of drama and English Language Teaching (ELT) to complement our research so that

the skeleton of the theoretical considerations can be fleshed out and constitute a whole body

capable to stand for the demonstration of our intention mentioned above.

In order to demonstrate the relevance of our topic, we have divided the Part 1 into four sections.

Each section is interdependent. The main objective of the four sections targets at proving the

pertinence of “Adapting Carolyn Graham’s Jazz Chant Fairy Tales for play productions to help

students perform rhythm in English clubs”. The four sections deal respectively with theoretical

considerations on:

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales

Rhythm

Acquisition of rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales

Teaching of rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales

1.1 ON JAZZ CHANT FAIRY TALES

The present section is devoted to the introduction of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales. It aims not only at

presenting what Jazz Chant Fairy Tales are, but it also points out to the importance of the latter

for teachers and learners of English: to what extent they ease the process of teaching and

learning, and to what extent they are efficient tools for the learning of English.

1.1.1 What are Jazz Chant Fairy Tales?

1.1.1.1 Background

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales belong to the range of Jazz Chants, which were made popular all around

the world by Carolyn Graham. This popularity is the result of her creativity to combine natural

spoken English with the musical genre jazz, which are the main constituents of Jazz Chants.

The following quotation provides us clearer definition: “Jazz Chants are Carolyn Graham's

5

snappy, upbeat chants and poems that use jazz rhythms to illustrate the natural stress and

intonation patterns of conversational American English.” (https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/teaching_with_jazz_chants_0.pdf)

Carolyn Graham is a musician, writer, teacher and teacher trainer. She was a Master Teacher

of English as a Second Language (ESL) at New York University, a Teaching Fellow at Harvard

University and has trained teachers in the art of Jazz Chanting throughout the world. Her

musical background began when she was only four. She became a singer, songwriter and

worked in the piano bars in Manhattan for twenty years. During the day she taught ESL at New

York University but at night she was Carolina Shout, playing and singing in piano bars. The

picture of Carolyn Graham is presented below.

Figure 1: Carolyn Graham

https://www.google.mg/search?q=carolyn+graham&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=923&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwib7_mlveXMAhXDVhoKHVrHDDsQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=xK3TBmDwo2bVPM%3A

It was this combination of the job of teacher and musician which led her to the discovery of

jazz chants. One evening after her performance in a bar, someone came to her and made a

remark: “Gee, it’s good to see you. You look wonderful!” She replies: “So do you!” Thanks to

that conversation, Carolyn Graham became aware of the similarity of spoken English rhythm

and that of the musical genre jazz. Thus, Graham said: “I heard potential chants everywhere.

Almost everything began to sound like a possible jazz chant.” (Tang and Loyet, 2003) Carolyn

Graham started then to write chants concerning everyday life situations. She wrote a wide range

of books, such as Jazz Chants (1978), Jazz Chants for Children (1979), Small Talk: Functional

Chants (1986), The Electric Elephant Chant (1982), Jazz Chant Fairy Tales (1988), Grammar

chants (1993), Mother Goose Jazz Chants (1994), Holiday Jazz Chants (1999), and Jazz Chants

Old and New (2002).

6

1.1.1.2 Definition and presentation of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales

Researchers support the idea that fairy tales were created by anonymous authors, for they were

transmitted around families and communities in oral forms without knowing their very sources.

Now, we can notice many fairy tales becoming popular all over the world, such as Cinderella,

Snow White, and Little Red Riding Hood to name a few. Those fairy tales were not only

circulating all around the world by oral forms, but they were also adapted by various writers

who in their turn publish them through books so that fairy tales touch a huge number of public.

Among the writers who adapted some world-known fairy tales is Carolyn Graham via her book

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales (1988) which is accompanied with the tales’ audio versions. The latter

last for about 10 minutes each.

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales is a lively collection of eight internationally known fairy tales written

in the author’s original jazz chant style, which are: Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and the

Three Bears, Rumpelstiltskin, Chicken Little, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Three Little

Pigs, The Little Red Hen, and The Fisherman and His Wife.

Peck (2001) gives more detailed definition: “Graham’s Jazz Chant Fairy Tales (Graham 1988)

are dramatic retellings of favorite fairy tales by a chorus and individual parts. They are suitable

both for a mixed-level or a homogeneous class. (…) Children enjoy the rhythmic language, the

repetition, and the call and response structure of the dialogue. Many adults enjoy the jokes and

productions. Graham has embroidered the fairy tales with her sense of rhythm.”

1.1.1.3 Structure of a Jazz Chant Fairy Tale

A Jazz Chant Fairy Tale is enlivened by individual parts (for the main characters), a narrator

and a chorus. The narrator always starts the story. Then, the main characters interact among

themselves. The chorus takes turn frequently through lively repetitions of some key words,

phrases, or sentences all along the tale.

When the narrator introduces the tale, (s)he gives the general idea of it. That is to say, (s)he tells

what the tale is about and introduces the main characters. The narrator sometimes takes the

floor when something new happens in the tale. The narrator also generally ends the tale. The

main characters on their side play the introduction told by the narrator. The chorus speaks in

some parts of the tale to alternate the turn taking between the narrator and the main characters.

7

1.1.2 Jazz Chant Fairy Tales – to be adapted into play productions

In the “preface” of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales (1988) it is mentioned that the tales in it are

ultimately to be performed as play productions. We will develop some points worth being

known concerning the adaptation of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales into play productions. We will see

first to what discipline play productions belong to. We will afterwards develop about adequate

approaches for the teaching and learning of play production.

1.1.2.1 Play productions as part of Drama

Play productions belong to the drama discipline. Drama refers to a theatrical performance which

reflect people’s culture (language, behavior, etc.) preceded by preparation and rehearsal in order

to present the performance as an art. Actually, Dr Imhoof (1973) considers drama as an artistic

work. He said that drama is a literary form that structures human behavior and speech into art.

In other words, Imhoof views drama as a literary work which illustrates the way human beings

behave in an artistic way.

There are various drama activities which can be done in classrooms or English clubs such as

role-playing dialogues, improvised conversations, play-reading groups, and play productions,

to name a few. All of these require preparation and/or rehearsal before the students are able to

perform them in front of their mates or an audience. Students simply perform in front of their

mates when they deal with role-playing dialogues, improvised conversations, and play-reading

groups. Play productions; however, are meant to be performed in front of a larger audience and

require longer preparation, a lot of rehearsals, and organization so that students can present an

artistic performance.

There is a difference between a play and a play production. A play is merely a tool for play

production. It is the written text to be learned and remembered for the stage presentation. As

we can find in Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 7th edition (2006): “A play is a piece of

writing performed by actors in a theatre or on television or radio.” This written text can also be

called script. Scripts can be exploited for the learning of English, including pronunciation.

8

1.1.2.2 Applicable approaches for the use of play production

According to Harmer (2001), “An approach describes how people acquire their knowledge of

the language and makes statements about the conditions which will promote successful

language learning.” Many groups of people have settled one after the others their theories on

language learning through decades. They are applicable depending on the teacher, the learners,

and the learning context … Here, we will present some applicable approaches when dealing

with play production.

The Natural Approach

Belonging to the Natural Approach, the input hypothesis was proposed by Krashen (Du, 2009).

The input hypothesis is the process of allowing learners comprehend and internalize the

meaning of the script they are listening. This theory proposes that comprehension should go

before production. For this theory, comprehensible input is strongly required because it helps

the learners to understand well and internalize the meaning of the present words they are hearing

long before they produce and use them in context. According to Krashen and Terrell, allowing

such a delay of production will eases true language acquisition.

Another hypothesis of the Natural Approach is the fact of reducing what Krashen calls the

affective filter. Affective filters refer to anything that creates mental barrier to a language learner

like boredom or any difficulty matters. Jazz Chant Fairy Tales contribute in the affective filter’s

reduction because they enable students to produce the language without frustration thanks to

the relaxed atmosphere and the comprehensible in-put they provide.

The Audio-lingual Approach

As its name indicates, the Audio-lingual Approach or the Aural-Oral Approach involves

students in listening first and then speaking. It refers to the Behaviorist model of learning that

uses Stimulus-Response-Reinforcement. It generally consists in exposing students to an aural

model (stimulus) and guiding them to repeat the model (response). The repetition may take

several times and can be accompanied with teacher’s intervention if mistakes occur. Once

students respond correctly, the response can be reinforced by the teacher’s positive feedback

(reinforcement).

9

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales adapted into play productions can be used for the Audio-lingual

approach. During the rehearsals, students can be motivated to repeat the chants over and over

rather than repeating lists of lessons. The present approach helps students a lot in the

internalization and mastery of the script and its performance.

The Direct Approach and Total Physical Response (TPR)

Both the Direct Approach and the Total Physical Response facilitate and quicken students’

understanding and acquisition of the target language. For the Direct Approach, teacher should

associate meaning and the target language directly when students are facing new vocabulary.

That is why, we demonstrate meaning through the use of realia, pictures, and pantomime …

Translation therefore should not take place. The Direct Approach views language as primarily

spoken not written. Pronunciation also receives attention right from the beginning of a course.

(Freeman, 1986) The Direct approach is then applicable for the adaptation of Jazz Chant Fairy

Tales into play productions, for students face new vocabulary items in the script. They speak

the language through performances, and pronunciation is the learning focus for our topic.

The Total Physical Response (TPR) makes the learners produce gestures related to the

vocabulary. Asher believes that learning a foreign language can be conducted as the way

children learn their native language. Teacher commands and students perform. Students then

learn by doing. Teachers can teach and evaluate their students by using Direct Approach and

Total Physical Response. These two approaches can be adapted for any level, especially with

the beginners. These approaches are easy to use and quicken the process of both teaching and

learning of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales’ script.

1.1.3 Advantages of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales in the teaching and learning of English

When linked audio and still visual materials like Jazz Chant Fairy Tales are used in appropriate

ways, they become beneficial for teachers and learners. They facilitate teachers’ work as they

are practical tools for many reasons. Students can benefit from comprehensible and interesting

input, and their personality can be developed by means of play production.

1.1.3.1 Advantages of using Jazz Chant Fairy Tales for teachers

Many people may argue about the disadvantages of the teaching through songs and chants. We

can say that one of the common reasons why English teachers and school administrators do not

use songs and chants in class is because of lack of technical equipment due to cost. They also

may think that using songs are not serious ways of teaching. In addition to that, some teachers

10

may think students have different musical tastes. Teachers may hesitate in using them, for they

do not like singing or are not musical. (Murphey, 1992) However, they can really ease the

teaching process. Regarding Jazz Chant Fairy Tales, they are ready-made teaching materials

which facilitate teachers’ tasks in many ways.

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales as teaching materials

Compared with their former fellows, English teachers nowadays have much more materials at

their disposal thanks to the technology. For instance, they can have access to what Ellington

and Race (1993) call printed and duplicated materials, audio materials, and linked audio and

still visual materials.

Ellington and Race define those three categories of materials as the following. Printed and

duplicated materials include “all textual and handout materials to be used by students or

trainees which can be run off in large numbers by printing machines, photocopiers and

duplicators.” Audio materials on their side are “all various systems whereby straightforward

audio signals can be played to or listened to by a class, group or individual.” We refer to linked

audio and still visual materials when “audio and visual materials are combined to form

integrated instructional systems, and include a number of media that are particularly suitable

for use in individualized instruction.”

Linked audio and still visual materials are then the combination of both Printed and duplicated

materials, and audio materials. Jazz Chant Fairy Tales belongs to the class of linked audio and

still visual materials because it is not merely a book with fairy tales but it is also accompanied

with audio versions.

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales – materials which facilitate teachers’ tasks

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales ease the teaching of English. Jazz Chant Fairy Tales facilitate teachers’

work as their audio versions can replace well the teacher. They are even better than teachers if

the latter are non-native speakers because Jazz Chant Fairy Tales expose students to native

ones. Teachers do not have to talk all the time. Teachers just need to handle well their machine

and can replay the Jazz Chant Fairy Tales as much as necessary without any other efforts. As

asserted by Dawson (1984): “Their audio versions give teachers’ overworked voice a rest. They

can be played many times giving exactly the same stress and intonation every time.”

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Jazz Chant Fairy Tales do not require any expensive devices. Teachers do not have to possess

computer or any other expensive materials for Jazz Chant Fairy Tales’ teaching. Nowadays,

“radio cartes” and USB keys are affordable, easy to handle, and can be used in countryside

where power cuts often occur. First of all, teachers need to go on the Internet and download

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales. Their audio versions can be downloaded on

http://www.myfreesongs.cc. The written ones can be obtained on “Scribd” if you have a mobile

phone or a tablet with “Android”, or you can just listen to the audio versions and take down the

lyrics. Once the downloading finished, we need to record the audio versions in a USB key.

Then, we can plug it with a “radio carte” for the listening. The written versions can be printed

and duplicated for the students.

Moreover, Jazz Chant Fairy Tales are wealthy materials which provide language elements and

can be exploited for the development of students’ communicative skills. Teachers can take

advantage of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales to teach language elements. We can exploit them to teach

vocabulary items, language functions, structures and pronunciation, for example. Jazz Chant

Fairy Tales also integrate listening, reading and speaking skills. That is to say, the audio

versions can be adapted for listening activities. The printed versions can be used for reading.

The repetition of the audio versions is for speaking. Therefore, teachers can develop students’

communicative skills through teaching Jazz Chant Fairy Tales.

Last but not the least, Jazz Chant Fairy Tales do not require any musical ability. In fact, we do

not need to be musical when learning Jazz Chant Fairy Tales. They are done for people who

lack confidence in their singing because they are like songs without a singing melody. If we

chant them without the jazz rhythm, we sound like people speaking natural English. So, there

is no reason to worry about adapting them in classrooms or clubs.

We should not then be sceptical towards the use of songs and chants in classrooms or clubs, for

it can be useful for the teaching of English. Teaching English through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales

facilitate teachers’ tasks as they are ready-made and available materials on the Internet. They

help at the teaching of language elements and communicative skills. We can listen to them by

using non-expensive devices, such as “radio cartes” and USB keys. We do not need to be good

at singing when using them. All of these are the advantages of using Jazz Chant Fairy Tales for

teachers.

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1.1.3.2 Advantages of using Jazz Chant Fairy Tales for students

Using Jazz Chant Fairy Tales is not only beneficial for teachers but also for students. They

bring a high memorization influence to learners. They give the latter opportunity to learn

language elements and develop their communicative skills through stories they already know.

Students can overcome their shyness thanks to the adaptation of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales into

play productions. Students then can at the same time learn English and develop their personality

through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales.

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales promote high memorization

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales bring a high memorization influence to learners because they are

comprehensible and interesting input. In an article entitled “The Ecstasy Hypothesis” on

http://peerspectivesonline.org., Krashen (2015) talks about the "Din in the Head" defined as

“involuntary mental rehearsal of language that is a result of obtaining comprehensible and

interesting input.” Dins in the head can be resulted by comprehensible and interesting reading

passages, visual materials or melodies and so on. These different Dins discussed here have a

similar basis. They produce involuntary mental activities that can be pleasant and even ecstatic.

For the case of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales, the creativity of Carolyn Graham by combining jazz

rhythm with known tales using fun repetitions and humor results involuntary mental rehearsal

which contribute a lot in high memorization. Maley, in the book of Murphey (1992) Music &

Song, also stated: “whatever the reason, songs and music ‘stick’ in the head.”

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales help the learning of language elements and the development of

communicative skills

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales give learners opportunities to learn language elements and develop their

communicative skills through stories they have already known. Most of the fairy tales of

Carolyn Graham are well known by everybody, especially children and youths because

different cartoon versions on them have already been broadcasted on TV channels. They exist

in printed versions too, such as strip cartoons or tale books. Therefore, learners can be motivated

to learn English by means of known materials which are familiar storytelling.

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Jazz Chant Fairy Tales help on the learning of structures

Students can learn grammar structures through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales. For instance, in the story

of Little Red Riding Hood, they can learn about “yes or no question”. Below is a passage

containing “yes or no question”:

NARRATOR: Little Red Riding Hood was a good little girl, most of the time.

CHORUS: Was she good? NARRATOR: Yes, she was.

CHORUS: Was she very good? NARRATOR: Yes, she was

CHORUS: Did she listen to her mother? NARRATOR: Yes, she did. Graham (1988)

Students can also learn about the simple past tense, for Jazz Chant Fairy Tales tell stories.

Learners have advantages of memorizing the preterit and the past participle of some irregular

verbs they can meet in Carolyn Graham’s fairy tales. These are just samples of structures met

in Jazz Chant Fairy Tales, but there are more than these.

Thanks to the repetitions and the melodies in the audio versions, students can internalize

consciously or unconsciously the grammar patterns presented in the tales. Students can be made

aware of the existing grammar patterns and asked to listen and repeat via drills. In so doing, the

patterns can be stuck in their head and come out of their mouth automatically when they speak

English.

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales help on the learning of vocabulary items and pronunciation

Apart from grammar, learners can learn other elements of English language. They can learn

new vocabulary items like to huff and to puff (in the story of The Three Little Pigs); nouns of

poultry: chick, hen, cock, duck, goose, turkey (in the story of Chicken Little); type of food:

porridge (in the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears)…

In addition to the repetitions and melodies in the audio versions, the humor and the manner the

characters play their roles are real dins for learners. Learners can understand some vocabulary

without asking the teacher the meaning because the manner they tell the story is

comprehensible. For example, even if they do not know what a duck is, they can understand it

through the voice of the character. For the vocabulary items which are not comprehensible at

the listening, teachers can present the vocabulary and learners can practice them through

repetition of the script over and over.

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Regarding pronunciation, students can particularly learn about rhythm and intonation thanks to

some aspects in the audio versions. The main aspect which impact rhythm and intonation

acquisition is the jazz rhythm. The latter helps learners to maintain their English accent. That

is to say, spoken English is like singing with the combination of intonation and rhythm, and the

jazz rhythm and melody work as support to keep the appropriate accent. Other pronunciation

elements, such as articulation and word stress can also be learned through the considerable

repetitions in the audio versions.

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales help on the development of communicative skills

Students’ communicative skills can also be developed via Jazz Chant Fairy Tales. They can

have listening or reading comprehension by means of their audio and printed versions. Teachers

need to prepare in advance some comprehension questions according to their students’ level.

For students with lower level, reading and listening can be integrated for better comprehension.

Students’ reproduction of the script during rehearsal and performance on the stage become a

speaking activity. It is to be emphasized that speaking through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales is limited

on repeating and reproducing the script. As such, they just learn how to speak English and get

prepared in their later speaking productions.

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales help shy learners to develop their personality

Last but not least, adapting Jazz Chant Fairy Tales into play productions shapes students’

personality. More precisely, it helps shy ones to get rid of their shyness. Shy students hide their

timidity behind the role they are playing. Moreover, students’ motivation arises as they feel like

playing but not really studying. Students easily become attracted to it by the ambiance it causes.

Self-confidence then results from it.

So far, we have developed about Jazz Chant Fairy Tales and the advantages of using them for

teachers and learners of English. Now, let us develop about rhythm preceded by two other

pronunciation components worth being presented before tackling with rhythm itself. Then, we

will demonstrate to what extent rhythm impacts in communicating in English.

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1.2 ON RHYTHM

This section will talk about rhythm. It targets at giving the main principles that constitute

English rhythm starting from syllable and word-stress principles to that of rhythm. Then, we

also aim at developing the importance of rhythm in English communication. That is, the roles

it brings to the effectiveness of communicating in English.

1.2.1 The place of pronunciation in the teaching of English

Many students of English as a Second or Foreign Language find difficulties in English

pronunciation, yet the appropriate use of it contributes in the clearness of one’s speech. The two

situations below illustrate that.

“I feel that I am judged by my way of talking English. In other classes, teachers often treat me

as inferior or academic disability because of my muttering English.” Undergraduated students

in an ESL pronunciation course (Goodwin, 2001)

“Sometime when I speak to native American, I guess because of my Chinese a sense or mis-

pronunciate the word, they ask me what did you say, can you repeat, or I beg your pardon.

Sometime my face turn red, and become so embarrassed in front of them. I remember once my

tears were in my eyes.” Graduate student in an ESL pronunciation course (Goodwin, 2001)

Even though a student speaks English accurately, he or she may communicate ineffectively

because of mispronunciation; that student utters bad speeches. Jones (1956) states: “ ‘Good’

speech may be defined as a way of speaking which is clearly intelligible to all ordinary people.

‘Bad’ speech is a way of talking which is difficult for most people to understand. It is caused

by mumbling or lack of definiteness of utterance.” Realizing this problem, we should not

neglect the teaching of pronunciation to students for them to communicate effectively. Gimson

(1980) urges us: “any teacher or learner must consider how much of the time given to the

acquisition of another language should be devoted to pronunciation and what level of

performance is necessary for efficient communication.”

1.2.2 Rhythm or Sentence stress – a pronunciation component

English pronunciation is constituted by various components, including rhythm. Other

researchers call rhythm “sentence stress” or “stress-timing”, but we have chosen to use the word

“rhythm” in this work because we are more familiar to it in our everyday life. In order to

understand how English pronunciation works and where rhythm or sentence stress is classified,

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it is useful to break pronunciation down into its constituent parts. The diagram below shows a

summary of the main features of pronunciation.

Kelly (2000)

Figure 2: features of pronunciation

Through the diagram above we can see that English pronunciation is divided into two big parts:

phonemes and suprasegmental features. Kelly (2000) explains that phonemes are the different

sounds within a language. The set of phonemes consists of two categories: vowel sounds and

consonant sounds. Consonant sounds may be voiced or unvoiced. Vowel sounds are all voiced,

and may be single (like /e/, as in let), or a combination, involving a movement from one vowel

sound to another (like /e/, as in late); such combinations are known as diphthongs. Single vowel

sounds may be short (like //, as in hit) or long (like /:/, as in heat). Suprasegmental features,

as the name implies, are features of speech which generally apply to groups of segments, or

phonemes. The features in this part are stress and intonation. Stress is focusing on one syllable

in a word which sounds more prominent than the others, that is called word stress; and stress

gives rhythm (sentence stress) to speech. Intonation, on the other hand, is the way in which the

pitch of the voice goes up and down in the course of utterance.

English is a stress-timed language; that is, its words and sentences are specified by stresses.

This specificity is worth being taught to Malagasy students. Our ultimate goal is to help students

learn rhythm or sentence stress, but before that, they need to know first about English syllable

and word-stress respectively.

Phonemes

Consonants Vowels

Unvoiced Voiced

Short Long

Single vowels Diphtongs

Suprasegmental features

Intonation Stress

Word stress Sentence stress

Features of pronunciation

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1.2.2.1 Syllable

A word consists of one or more syllables. For further understanding Jones (1956) gave us the

following explanation: “In every word made up of more than a single sound at least one of the

sounds is heard to be more ‘prominent’ than the other(s). If there is only one such ‘prominent’

sound, the sequence is said to consist of a single syllable. If there are two, three, or more sounds

which stand out more prominently than their immediate neighbours, the sequence is said to

consist of two, three, or more syllables.” In clear, a syllable is a unit of human speech that is

interpreted by the listener as a single sound.

Let us take the following words as examples, “love”; “father” and “computer”. The first word

is uttered in a single sound, so it just constituted by one syllable. Whereas the second is

articulated in two sounds; that is, it has two syllables. The last word has three more prominent

sounds. It consists then of three syllables. There are also words constituted by more syllables

which can also be called multi-syllabic words, such as “hydrodynamic”, “metacognition” and

“supernatural”.

1.2.2.2 Word-stress

In an English word, not all the syllables are stressed. Words with two or more syllables will

always have one primary stress. This pronunciation principle is called word-stress. “The

situation of the strong stresses in words is called word-stress.” (Jones, 1956) Stresses in words

do not take the same places. The stressed syllable is either on the first syllable or in the middle

or at the last one. That is illustrated in this example: photograph, photographer, photographic.

In event and afternoon, the stress is at the last syllable. There is only one stress for words with

one syllable: love, time, milk...

“Multi-syllabic words can also have more than one stressed syllable, but one of those syllables

receives primary stress.” (Goodwin, 2001) There are two degrees of stressed syllable, one is

primarily stressed and the other one is secondly stressed. We mark the primarily stressed

syllable or strongly stressed syllable with “ ' ” which is placed in front of the syllable in

international phonetic transcription. The words father and opportunity are therefore written:

/'fɑ: ðǝ/, /ɔpǝ 'tju:niti/. The secondly stressed syllable or medium stressed syllable is marked by

“ˌ”. A word may contain both primarily and secondly stressed syllable like /ris ˌpɔnsi 'biliti/

(responsibility), /iɡ ˌzami 'neiʃn/ (examination).

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Goodwin (2001) provides us rules which ease students’ task in memorizing word stresses. 1. Stress falls more often on the root or base of a word and less often on a prefix:

Believe, predict, complain

2. Compound nouns tend to take primary stress on the first element and secondary stress

on the second:

AIRPLAN, BUS STOP, computer DISK

3. Suffixes can either

a. Have no effect on stress

Beauty beautiful

Deliver deliverance

Perform performer

b. Take the primary stress themselves (many of these are from French):

Picturesque, trustee, engineer, balloon

c. Cause the stress pattern in the stem to shift to a different syllable:

Period periodic

Sequence sequential

Organize organization

Goodwin (2001)

1.2.2.3 Rhythm or sentence stress

Not only words contain stresses but phrases and sentences as well. Rhythm or sentence stress

is based on stressed words or syllable in sentences. The alternation of stressed and unstressed

words or syllable in sentences is referred as rhythm. “Just as longer and shorter notes make up

a musical measure, longer and shorter syllables occur in speech. (...) English speech rhythm is

usually referred to as stress-timed, i.e., with stresses or beats occurring at regular intervals”

(Goodwin, 2001). In other words, rhythm is defined similarly for both music and speech which

is the variation of strong and weak elements of sounds.

Our work focuses on speech, so let us consider Mortimer (1976) definition: rhythm is “the beats

or stress pulses in connect speech follow each other at roughly equal intervals of time”. The

beat is set by the number of stresses, not the number of syllables.

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Consider the following sentences: (each line takes approximately the same amount of time to

say)

Kids play ball.

3 syllables/3 stresses = 3 beats

The kids play ball.

4 syllables/3 stresses = 3 beats

The kids are playing ball.

6 syllables/3 stresses = 3 beats

The kids are playing with the ball.

8 syllables/3 stresses = 3 beats

The kids have been playing with the ball.

9 syllables/ 3 stresses = 3 beats

(https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/teaching_with_jazz_chants_0.pdf)

In these sentences, we notice that some words are stressed and others not. In fact, there is a

general rule about stresses in sentences. We generally stress on words according to their

classification. “Content words” (which are in bold type in the illustration above) are stressed

and the “function words” are unstressed. What are then “Content words” and “function words”?

How do we utter the unstressed words? We are going to answer to those questions in the

following sections.

Content words

Content words provide the most information; these words are nouns, main verbs, adjectives,

adverbs, interjections, question words, and negative auxiliary. Thus, they are usually strong

and stressed. “Kids” in the illustration is stressed because it is a noun. Likewise, “play” and

“ball” are stressed, as they are respectively main verb and noun. For the content word “playing”

consists of two syllables, we emphasize on the first syllable where the primary stress is placed.

In the story of Chicken Little of Carolyn Graham, there is this passage of Foxy Woxy, the fox:

FOXY WOXY: Ah ha! What’s this coming down the road? It looks like a tasty Sunday dinner. [Mmmm, mmmm, I can’t wait.]x2

Graham (1988)

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The stressed words here are main verbs: coming down, looks, and wait; nouns: road and dinner; adjective: Sunday; adverb: tasty; interjection: Ah ha! question word: What; negative auxiliary: can’t.

Function words

On their part, function words are usually weak or unstressed. They make sentences

grammatically correct. The function words are articles, prepositions, pronouns, auxiliary verbs,

and conjunctions. In the sentence “The kids have been playing with the ball”, the article “the”,

the preposition “with”, the auxiliary verbs “have” and “been” are unstressed. We can see in the

extract of Goldilocks and the Three Bears below that the conjunction “but”, the pronouns

“there” and “it”, the article “a”, and the preposition “with” are weak because they are all

function words.

NARRATOR: But there wasn’t a bear, it was a little girl; a little girl with golden hair.

Graham (1988)

Unstressed words

In unstressed words and unstressed syllables, the vowel sounds are reduced and often move

to “schwa”. That is to say, “This is the vowel you make when your mouth is completely relaxed

with no particular effort to raise or lower your jaw or to spread or round your lips.” (Goodwin,

2001) For instance, in “an excellent photographer” an, pho and pher are reduced into “shwa”.

Other ways to weaken unstressed syllables or words are to utter them quickly or to shorten

them. These can be done by means of using contracted forms, such as hasn’t, won’t instead of

has not and will not , or we can say you’re, she’s instead of you are and she is. In doing so, we

maintain a more or less regular interval between stressed syllables. In clear, the alternation of

content words and function words forms the rhythm in a speech or a sentence.

1.2.3 The importance of stress and rhythm in communicating in English

Knowing only how to read and write English is not sufficient to communicate. Reading and

writing are artificial skills in a language, but the natural and spontaneous ones are listening and

speaking. Students will find difficulties in communicating if they do not use these skills

appropriately. “We have at some time all experienced, as language learners, difficulties with

the sounds of a foreign language both when listening and when speaking.” (Greenwood, 1981)

They need to be taught how to become good listeners and speakers of English. Making them

aware that stress and rhythm impacts on listening and speaking may help them to be so.

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1.2.3.1 Importance on listening

As mentioned earlier, incorrect word-stress or sentence stress can affect one’s understanding of

a message. In the other way around, a good use of these elements of pronunciation helps a

listener to understand the speaker’s message. It is then crucial for students to be taught stress

and rhythm in order to be good listeners of good English.

For native English speakers, stress is key to meaning. It is by means of the stresses we are

listening to which help us to understand a speaker, to know what the focus of his message is.

Stress affects meaning at phrase and sentence level. Let us consider that a customer orders two

large muffins, but that person complains. The customer can state three different problems.

Example:

1. Customer: Excuse me, I asked for two large muffins.

2. Customer: Excuse me, I asked for two large muffins.

3. Customer: Excuse me, I asked for two large muffins. (https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/teaching_with_jazz_chants_0.pdf)

In the first one, the problem is on the number. Whereas the second talks about the size, and in

the last one the customer complains about the food he or she has been given, which are not

muffins but something else. By taking into account the stressed words, the listener can

understand the speaker’s message.

1.2.3.2 Importance on speaking

Stress in English impact meaning at word level. For example, if a speaker wants to say the

adjective “important” which means having value and significance, and that person misplaces

the stress and puts the stress at the beginning of the word, he will utter a very different word

“impotent”, an adjective to indicate men who are unable to perform sexual intercourses. In other

words, misunderstanding can take place if the stress was incorrect even though the speaker uses

the correct word. Apart from that, in some words, nouns and verbs are differentiated by the

place of the stress. For instance, Conduct is the noun but to Conduct is the verb. Likewise

Desert (noun) but to Desert (verb), Present (noun) but to Present (verb).

All of these bring us to draw that a message can be clumsy and misled because of incorrect

place of stress. If learners are not aware of the impact of stress and rhythm in communicating

in English, he or she will fail in understanding a speaker’s message.That is why teachers should

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not take the teaching of stress and rhythm for granted. They should make their students aware

of it and let them learn about it so that they become clearer when speaking English.

To sum up, we showed in this section the place of rhythm in English pronunciation. Then, we

developed about the other pronunciation components worth being known when talking about

rhythm, which are English syllable and word-stress. We also demonstrated the importance of

being aware and knowing how stress and rhythm work in order to have efficient

communication. In the following section, we will see how learners acquire rhythm through Jazz

Chant Fairy Tales by taking into account learners’ attitude toward the learning process, the steps

to follow for the acquisition of rhythm, the aspects of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales which affect

rhythm, and learners’ motivation.

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1.3 ACQUISITION OF RHYTHM THROUGH JAZZ CHANT FAIRY TALES

This section will develop about the acquisition of rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales. Here,

the objective it to show that students can benefit from Jazz Chant Fairy Tales in their learning

of rhythm. We will try to answer the following questions in this section: How do Jazz Chant

Fairy Tales impact on the acquisition of rhythm? How can learners acquire rhythm through Jazz

Chant Fairy Tales?

1.3.1 Points to consider for students who learn pronunciation

It has been mentioned previously that problems with pronunciation can affect the

communication. Therefore, one cannot deny the relevance of learning it in order to have an

effective communication. Rhythm represents an important part of pronunciation which is worth

being acquired because problems of rhythm might cause misunderstanding of phrases,

sentences, and even a whole conversation.

Learning pronunciation is not however a piece of cake for learners as Grant (2001) affirms:

“One of the most difficult aspects of learning another language is mastering the pronunciation.

Many of you can read, write, and understand American English well, but you may face

situations in which your pronunciation interferes with clear and effective communication.” That

is why she suggests a few points to consider for students who learn pronunciation.

As far as she is concerned, mistakes are a natural, necessary part of the process of improving

pronunciation skills, so students should not be afraid of them. In addition to that, students will

not probably eliminate their native accent. Therefore, they need to be realistic with their goal.

The ultimate goal which should be taken into account is to change the aspects of students’

pronunciation that interfere with their ability to be understood clearly. They do not need to

sound like a native speaker of American English to be fully and easily understood. Moreover,

students should always be motivated to improve if they are to see progress in their learning.

Grant also urges students to practice their English outside the classroom and in real speaking

situations so that they improve in pronunciation.

If students consider these few points, they will become less frustrated to face learning with

mistakes allowed and reachable objective. They will be more motivated and ready to start

learning, for they have a clear view of the process of pronunciation learning. What are then the

points that students should acquire when learning rhythm?

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1.3.2 Principles students should acquire when learning rhythm

Students will be better able to acquire rhythm by following three crucial steps. First of all, they

have to acquire about how English syllables work. Afterwards, knowledge about English word-

stress needs to be learnt. Only all the two steps completed, students will be ready to learn about

English rhythm. Each step is tightly linked with one another. That is to say when learning

rhythm efficiently; those three progresses should be learnt interdependently.

1.3.2.1 Acquisition of English syllable principles

A syllable is “a vocal sound or set of sounds uttered with a single effort or articulation and

forming a word or an element of a word; each of the elements of a spoken language comprising

a sound of greater sonority (vowel or vowel-equivalent) with or without one or more sounds of

less sonority (consonants or consonant-equivalents); also, a character or set of characters

forming a corresponding element of written language.” (The shorter oxford English Dictionary

third edition, 1964)

Therefore, students have to understand the definition of syllable first. They have to understand

that a syllable equals a single sound consisting of one or more vowel sounds, either alone or

combined with the sound of one or more consonants. They also need to understand that a word

consists of one or more syllables. They need to practice exercises of recognising numbers of

syllable(s) in various English words afterwards. Finally, students should produce words with

required syllable numbers for them to assess if they have really acquired about English syllable.

In clear, students need to understand how English syllables work, recognise numbers of

syllable(s) in some English words, and produce words with required syllable numbers when

they learn about English syllables.

1.3.2.2 Acquisition of English word-stress principles

It was mentioned earlier that while pronouncing an English word it is not all the syllables in it

which are emphasized but only one or a few (case of multi-syllabic words). We defined word-

stress as the following: “The situation of the strong stresses in words is called word-stress.”

(Jones, 1956) We also introduced some practical rules about English word-stress which help

learners to memorize various categories of stresses in English words.

So, students need first to understand the definition of word-stress above. They can always look

up their dictionaries to be sure of the place of stress in words they learn, but it will be necessary

too if they learn some rules about English word-stress in order to ease their memorization of

various categories of stresses in English words. Then, they should be able to recognize the

25

places of stress(es) in some English words and to produce themselves various words with their

right stresses. Students will acquire English word-stress in so doing.

1.3.2.3 Acquisition of English rhythm principles

Once students acquire about syllable and word-stress, they are ready to learn about rhythm.

Jones (1956) defines rhythm as “The manner of giving appropriate degrees of stress to words

in sentences”. Students need to know that like words, sentences too contain stresses, and that

stresses in sentences work as providing the speaker’s meaning in his message. They need to

know that when we talk about word-stress the focus is on words whereas rhythm focuses on

sentences.

In order to facilitate the task of acquisition, rules were settled on what word to stress and on

what not to stress in a sentence. Content words are the ones usually stressed and function words

are unstressed. So, students have to know that content words are nouns, main verbs, adjectives,

adverbs interjections, question words, and negative auxiliary. Function words are articles,

prepositions, pronouns, auxiliary verbs, and conjunctions.

After acquiring the definition, the function, the categories of words in content and function

words, students should be able to recognize the places of stress(es) in some sentences and to

utter sentences with their right rhythm. Students can achieve the acquisition of rhythm by

learning respectively about English syllable, word-stress and rhythm.

1.3.3 How do Jazz Chant Fairy Tales impact on the acquisition of rhythm?

Like any jazz chant, Jazz Chant Fairy Tales are “rhythmic presentation of natural language,

linking the rhythms of spoken American English to the rhythms of traditional American jazz”.

(Graham, 1998; cited by Tang & Loyet, 2003) The strong beats in the Jazz Chant Fairy Tales

are sometimes connected with clapping. Significant repetitions on words, phrases and sentences

too occur in the scripts. All of these aspects bring to the efficiency of the learning of rhythm

through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales.

1.3.3.1 The Jazz rhythm

The rhythmic presentation of the natural language by means of jazz rhythm is the key to success

for Jazz Chant Fairy Tales, especially when learning rhythm. Jazz is “a type of music with

strong rhythms, in which the players often improvise” (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary,

7th edition, 2006) The combination of jazz rhythm with that of the natural language implies an

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accentuation to the natural spoken rhythm via the strong rhythms of the musical genre jazz. In

this way, learners will not only acquire the natural spoken rhythm easily, but also memorise

English rhythm without any effort. As Hara (2003) (cited by Tang & Loyet, 2003) said: “The

rhythm of jazz chants is “a powerful memory aid” ”

1.3.3.2 The rhythmic clapping in the audio version

The effect doubles when movements are added to strong beats of jazz rhythm. The rhythmic

clapping in the audio versions emphasizes the spoken language rhythm, which works as a

memory aid for learners as well. Teachers can engage learners to clap their hands along with

the audio versions to help them internalize quickly and effectively the language rhythm.

Richards (2010) affirms that as soon as learners are able to maintain the appropriate rhythmic

patterns in chants they can engage in physical movements to accompany action chants by

clapping, (…) to the beat as they chant. In so doing, learners can learn, memorize and reproduce

English rhythm effectually.

1.3.3.3 The repetitions in the script

“Chants usually contain lyrics with considerable repetition of words, phrases, and sentences.”

(Graham, 2008; cited by Richards, 2010) The repetition of words gives learners the opportunity

to learn, practice and reproduce word-stress. On the other hand, repetition on phrases and

sentences level influence on the learners’ rhythm. In short, the repetitions in Jazz Chant Fairy

Tales work as drills. Drilling through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales presents fun to the students

because of the rhythm the musical genre jazz provides.

1.3.4 How can learners acquire rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales?

Learners acquire rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales quite unnoticed. The reason of such

acquisition is resulted by the fact that they just have to follow three steps (imitation, repetition,

reproduction) without too much effort. That is to say, Jazz Chant Fairy Tales are

comprehensible inputs and the learning atmosphere lowers any kind of anxiety which promote

the easiness of the acquisition steps. Learners then can acquire rhythm by imitating, repeating

and reproducing the Jazz Chant Fairy Tales audio versions.

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1.3.4.1 Imitation

The first stage in learning rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales is to bring learners imitate

their audio versions. Palmer & Palmer (1959) stated that we may conveniently call the Imitation

Phase, the Phase during which we are able to utter a word or chain of words more or less

accurately in imitation of what we have just heard. Therefore, the ultimate goal of the imitation

phase is focused on imitating the audio versions as close as possible. Furthermore, Acquiring

rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales gives learners of either lower or advanced level

opportunity to imitate good English with the right pronunciation, including the correct rhythm,

as they are exposed to native speakers. The imitation phase “is clearly important in developing

proficiency in pronunciation” (Lightbown and Spada, 1999).

1.3.4.2 Repetition

After the imitation phase, learners continue with practicing what they have imitated by

repeating it over and over. This practice through repeating with the right rhythm helps them to

utter correctly the passage they learn with automaticity. Lightbown and Spada (1999) affirm

“the development of automaticity through practice”. This works as drills too. “Drilling aims to

help students achieve better pronunciation of language items, and to help them remember new

items.” (Kelly, 2000)

1.3.4.3 Reproduction

Learners do not have to receive any help from anyone or anything in the reproduction stage, as

the latter is the fruit of memory work. “The final phase of learning a Speech-Unit is that in

which we are able by dint of memory to reproduce (after a more or less considerable lapse of

time) a given word or chain of words previously perceived, recognized and imitated.” (Palmer

& Palmer, 1959) In other words, learners store in their memory what they have learnt. Then,

they reproduce it from their short or long term memory. This stage starts during the rehearsals

until the public performance. Thanks to the reproduction stage, we can evaluate the learners’

acquisition of rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales.

1.3.5 Impact of learning rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales in communicative skills

Beginner to more advanced level students can learn and perform Jazz Chant Fairy Tales, but

the learning process of each level differs from the activities used by teachers. Jazz Chant Fairy

Tales integrate the skills of listening, reading, and speaking. Learners can listen and read the

script at the same time, or they can just be engaged in listening activity or reading activity

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depending on the level of the group. When students repeat the script and perform it in front of

a public, the activity becomes speaking.

1.3.5.1 Impacts on listening and on loud reading

While communicating, misunderstanding may occur to students who have not enough listening

practice at school. One of the existing reasons is their unfamiliarity to the sound of English

words. In English, we do not pronounce words as they are spelt. So, if they only know how to

spell words, they will not recognize the same word uttered by a good English speaker. That is

why they need to listen to correct pronunciation of English words if they are to communicate

efficiently.

Regarding the learning of rhythm, students can learn it thanks to the jazz rhythm that Jazz Chant

Fairy Tales provide. Let us consider the learning to ride a bicycle as a metaphor. When children

learn to ride a bike, they cannot ride it right away but they need the supports (two little wheels)

at the back in order to keep them in balance. Once they are used to riding bike with those

supports, learning to ride it without them will not be a great deal anymore. Likewise in the

process of listening, the jazz rhythm in Jazz Chant Fairy Tales is the support which helps the

students to learn the natural spoken English. Once they are used to and internalize how stress-

timed the English language is then, they are ready to listen to and understand natural spoken

English. As RANDRIANASOLO (1996) affirms in her CAPEN dissertation: “If a listener

knows about English stress patterns (s)he would easily understand what (s)he has heard.”

Learning rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales impacts on students’ loud reading as well. The

impact on loud reading is quite the same as that of listening. Students should not only know

how to spell words or how to write sentences correctly, but they need to be able to read with

the right pronunciation. Reading with the appropriate rhythm contributes in students’

understanding of a reading passage. Teacher can evaluate students’ understanding of a text

through the manner they read it. For example, their emphasis on the important words shows

how well they understand it. Jazz Chant Fairy Tales are appropriate tools for the improvement

of students’ loud reading because they can imitate the audio versions when they are reading the

script.

The Jazz Chant Fairy Tales can also be adapted as listening and reading activities. Listening

and reading activities help teachers in checking students’ understanding of the passages. That

is to say, students will be involved in listening or reading comprehension by means of questions

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in order to verify their understanding. Teachers can combine the listening and reading of the

script. Another alternative is just adapting it as a listening or just a reading activity depending

on the level of the group. Teachers, however, need to prepare in advance the steps which should

be exploited in order to facilitate the learners’ tasks in the activities.

1.3.5.2 Impacts on speaking

Speaking functions in various ways, but researchers found two common functions that can

enclose the reasons why a speaker speaks. These are transactional and interactional functions.

“Transactional talk is produced in order to get something, or to get something done.

Interactional language is produced for social purposes.” (Nunan, 1999) In Jazz Chant Fairy

Tales, students can develop learners’ speaking skills regarding the two functions above because

they contain transactional talks and interactional ones.

We entertain transactional talk, for example when we tell children to get ready for school, call

a pizzeria to bring us some pizzas, discuss holiday plans with family, call our mother to ask her

to pick up the dry cleaning, order a new passport... All of these require something to be done

because we either ask people to do something for us or we involve ourselves in a talk so that

something is done. Whereas interactional talks are entertained when we greet the others, chat

with a neighbour about the nice weather, gossip with friends about a common acquaintance,

ask about the others’ feelings... What makes these talks common is that they are all for social

purposes; that is, to merely maintain relationships.

Nunan’s extracts below can help us to understand the two functions well.

Extract 1:

Store attendant: Morning.

Customer: Morning.

Store attendant: Nice day.

Customer: Uh-huh. Can you give me

two of those?

Store attendant: Sure.

Customer: Thanks.

Extract 2:

Father: Morning, Darling.

Daughter: Morning.

Father: Sleep well?

Daughter: Uh-uh. The thunder woke me up.

Father: Loud, wasn’t it. And the lightening ...

What are you doing?

Daughter: I’m going to finish watching that...

Father: Well, don’t have it on too loud. Jenny’s

still asleep.

Nunan (1999)

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In Extract 1, the store attendant has an interactional talk with the customer by greeting him or

her, and talking about the weather. Then, when the customer starts ordering goods their talk

becomes transactional. On its part, the Extract 2 starts with an interactional talk via greetings,

asking about how well the daughter slept and discussion about the previous night’s weather.

The father proceeds afterwards with a transactional talk with his daughter by telling her to

decrease the volume of what she is watching. We can see that a conversation can be combined

with both transactional and interactional function.

In Jazz Chant Fairy Tales; for instance, we can find in the story of Little Red Riding Hood a

transactional talk between Little Red Riding Hood and her mother. The latter asked her to eat

her breakfast, to visit Granny and to bring cookies for her.

MOTHER: Please sit down. Eat your breakfast. These cookies are

for Granny. She’s home alone and sick in bed. Please visit her this

morning.

Graham (1988)

We also find transactional talk in the story of The Three Little Pigs when Baby Pig wanted to buy some raw materials to build their house.

BABY PIG: Good morning, sir. May I buy some straw? I need

some straw to build a house, to keep the wolf away.

Graham (1988)

We can find interactional talks in all Carolyn Graham’s Jazz Chant Fairy Tales. In the story of

Chicken Little, we can find an interactional talk when Henny Penny greeted and asked for

Chicken Little’s destination.

HENNY PENNY: Good morning, Chicken Little. Where are you

going? What’s your hurry? Chicken Little, what’s your hurry?

Can’t you say hello?

Graham (1988)

In the story of Goldilocks and The Three Bear too we can find an interactional talk as the

following:

Chorus: What’s your name?x2

Goldilocks: Everybody calls me Goldilocks.

Chorus: What did you say?

Goldilocks: Goldilocks

Chorus: Goldilocks?x2 Say it again.

Goldilocks: Goldilocks

House: What a beautiful name!

Graham (1988)

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1.3.6 The influence of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales on students’ motivation

Harmer (2001) defines at its most basic level that motivation is some kind of internal drive

which pushes someone to do things in order to achieve something. There are two kinds of

motivation: extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Abbott (1981) also stated: “Unmotivated

children may (deliberately or unwittingly) make your job difficult, and you will have to build

motivation into your lessons.” That implies that the amount of attention learners will give

depend largely on their motivation. So, we must consider motivation when teaching them. Jazz

Chant Fairy Tales on their side influence on learners’ extrinsic and intrinsic motivation.

1.3.6.1 Extrinsic motivation

Concerning our topic, Jazz Chant Fairy Tales are meant to be performed as play productions.

Many of the learners may be interested in being part of a play project, performing in front of

audience and succeeding in the project. Therefore, motivation is created in them. In this case,

their motivation comes from outside factors. “Extrinsic motivation is caused by any number of

outside factors, for example, the need to pass an exam, the hope of financial reward, or the

possibility of future travel.” (Harmer, 2001) That is why we have mentioned previously that

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales influence on learners’ extrinsic motivation.

Extrinsic motivation has however its limit. Learners are just instrumentally motivated to learn

English because without the existence of rewards, performances and so on they can abandon

the learning process or can be discouraged easily. Of course, the extrinsic motivation is

sometimes useful and can contribute in a successful acquisition. Nonetheless, most researchers

and methodologists have come to the view that intrinsic motivation is especially important for

encouraging success. What is intrinsic motivation? To what extent does it encourage success?

1.3.6.2 Intrinsic motivation

Learning rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales also develop learner’s intrinsic motivation. It

provides a positive experience, for they learn rhythm in an unusual way by means of jazz

rhythm. A feeling of competence is also raised in them because Jazz Chant Fairy Tales are

comprehensible inputs and the acquisition steps do not demand too much effort. So, they feel

the enjoyment of the learning and success become easy to achieve. The source of their

motivation comes from internal factors. Harmer (2001) affirms: “Intrinsic motivation, by

contrast, comes from within the individual. Thus a person might be motivated by the enjoyment

of the learning process itself or by a desire to make themselves feel better.” An explanation was

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added by Nunan (1992) that positive experiences and the feeling of competence which engender

the feeling of success will increase the learners’ intrinsic motivation.

It can happen that the original reason for taking up a language course is extrinsic, but the

chances of success will be greatly enhanced if the students come to love the learning process.

It is then preferable that learners are oriented to intrinsic motivation all along the learning

process in order to obtain better results.

It was presented in this section the attitudes to be adopted and principles of some pronunciation

components to be acquired for students who are learning rhythm. Then, the various aspects of

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales which will bring success in the acquisition of rhythm were developed.

In short, we have focused on the acquisition stage. To complement what has been said, we are

going to concentrate on the teaching aspect of rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales in the

following section.

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1.4 TEACHING OF RHYTHM THROUGH JAZZ CHANT FAIRY TALES

The last section will talk about the teaching of rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales. We will

talk about the teachers’ roles and tasks for the teaching of rhythm, the script of Jazz Chant Fairy

Tales, and the class management. All of these intend to the efficiency of the teaching of rhythm

through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales.

1.4.1 Points to consider for teachers who teach pronunciation

All the aspects of English pronunciation are worth being taught to learners of English as Second

or Foreign Language, especially if some of them really differ from that of the learners’

language. English is a stress-timed language. That is, it is characterized by stresses at word and

sentence level. Not all languages are stress-timed as such, including Malagasy language. As a

result, we have to teach it to them. Nevertheless, teaching new aspects of a language present a

challenge for teachers. That is why we feel the need to introduce some points to consider for

those who teach pronunciation.

Harmer (2001) has conscious of the difficult task of ESL or EFL teacher who teach

pronunciation, so he suggests the most important point to be taken into account concerning the

settling of objective. He proposes the settling of a reasonable objective which is to reach

intelligibility rather than perfection. He stated that it has become customary for language

teachers to consider intelligibility as the prime goal of pronunciation teaching. This implies that

the students should be able to use pronunciation which is good enough for them to be always

understood. If their pronunciation is not up to this standard, then there is a serious problem

about communication.

Teachers should not underestimate the teaching of pronunciation, particularly when some

aspects of it are new to that of the learners’. On the other side, teachers should be aware of the

difficulty for the teaching of pronunciation and should settle reasonable goal which is reaching

intelligibility rather than perfection. In so doing, teachers bring themselves and their learners

away from stress and any kind of anxiety because they are trying to reach an achievable

objective.

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1.4.2 Aspects to be taught when teaching rhythm

As in the section about the principles students should acquire when learning rhythm, the present

section will follow the same steps regarding the teaching. So, we will develop respectively the

aspects to be taught about English syllable, word-stress and sentence stress or rhythm.

1.4.2.1 Teaching about English syllable

It is better to teach about English syllable first when teaching about rhythm. Teachers need to

introduce the definition of syllable to the students. They need to explain them the category of

syllables depending on the latter’s possible numbers in words (monosyllabic, dissyllabic and

multisyllabic).

The presentation of syllable categories needs to be accompanied with some illustration. Each

category need to be exemplified with three or more words. Once students understand how

English syllable works, they can be given practice on detecting the number(s) of syllable(s) in

some words to check their understanding. At the end, they can be asked to produce

monosyllabic, dissyllabic and multisyllabic words.

1.4.2.2 Teaching about word-stress

Then, the teaching of word-stress comes next. Once students understand the definition of it,

teachers need to introduce them the different places stresses can take in words (some on the

first syllable, some in the middle and some at the end). The teaching still needs to follow the

step of presentation, practice and production.

We always need to illustrate with some words the different places a stress can take. After the

presentation stage, we can verify the students’ understanding of word-stress through asking

them to give the place of stress in some given words. Students’ production of words with the

right stresses comes at last. It is worth being told to students that the best way to check the place

of stress in words is to look up their dictionaries. So, we had better to sensitize them to be used

to utilizing dictionaries.

1.4.2.3 The teaching of rhythm

Teachers can afterwards teach students rhythm by introducing the definition, the stressed words

in sentences according to their classification (content words or function words). We can; for

example, use the illustrations below for the presentation stage.

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Kids play ball. 3 syllables/3 stresses = 3 beats

The kids play ball.

4 syllables/3 stresses = 3 beats

The kids are playing ball.

6 syllables/3 stresses = 3 beats

The kids are playing with the ball.

8 syllables/3 stresses = 3 beats

The kids have been playing with the ball.

9 syllables/ 3 stresses = 3 beats (https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/teaching_with_jazz_chants_0.pdf)

OR

“One Two Three Four

One and Two and Three and Four

One and a Two and a Three and a Four

One and then a Two and then a Three and then a Four”

(Mortimer, 1976) We need to explain to the students that the interval of time between the strong beats is more or

less the same; and the unstressed words in between are uttered quicker in order to have the same

interval of time from a stressed word to another. We can accompany the beats with claps to

ease the process of learning. In the practice stage, we can ask them to repeat the illustrations

above. We can also let them listen to other passages and ask them to detect the stressed words

so that they can repeat it with the right stress. For the production stage, we can give them some

reading passages. They can work on it by finding the content or functional words, to put the

stress on the right words and to read it out loud to see if they master rhythm.

Clearly, teachers need to teach students English syllable, word-stress and sentence stress

respectively when teaching rhythm. It is better if teachers present students the importance of

stress and rhythm in communicating in English for them to estimate their learning of rhythm

and to be motivated.

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1.4.3 Useful teaching aids for the acquisition of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales’ scripts

Teachers should not be satisfied with the fact that Jazz Chant Fairy Tales are comprehensible

inputs because that only cannot cause the full understanding of the script. Not all students have

the same capacity of understanding. Some of them understand better with illustrations. That is

why better success in the acquisition of the scripts will happen if teachers use some useful

teaching aids, such as mimes and gestures, pictures and images, and videos in order to help

students to acquire well the scripts.

1.4.3.1 Mimes and gestures

Mimes and gestures are among the easiest teaching aids because they quite do not need any

preparation, can be improvised and do not require any materials, yet they communicate

meaning. Harmer (2001) affirms: “One of the things that we are able to do on the spot is to use

mime, gesture, and expression to convey meaning and atmosphere.” He also adds that mime

and expressions probably work best when they are exaggerated since this makes their meaning

explicit.

When teaching the scripts, it is important to be expressive in front of the students for them to

acquire easily the meaning of words or the development of the story. We can also involve the

students in performing the mimes and gestures for them to acquire and memorize the scripts.

Using mimes and gestures facilitates the acquisition of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales’ scripts.

1.4.3.2 Pictures and images

Pictures and images can be used for many ends. For instance, they can be used for

understanding, ornamentation and prediction. One of the most appropriate uses for pictures and

images is for understanding, that is the presenting and checking of meaning. A classroom can

also be decorated by them, as pictures of various kinds are often used to make work more

appealing. Moreover, they have the power (at least for the more visually oriented) to engage

students. Pictures and images are also useful for getting students to predict what is coming next

in a lesson. (Harmer, 2001)

For these reasons, using pictures and images help learners to acquire Jazz Chant Fairy Tales’

scripts. They can help for illustrating some vocabulary items in the scripts, such as kitchen

utensils (spoons, glasses, bowls and napkins) in the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bear,

nouns of poultry (chick, hen, rooster, duck, goose, turkey) in the story of Chicken Little. We

can also use pictures and images as memory aids or clues for the development of the event in

the stories.

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Pictures and images can be presented in flashcards, large wall pictures, cue cards, photographs,

or textbooks. Some teachers use projected slides, images from an overhead projector. Teachers

can also draw pictures on the board to help with explanation. There is then a wide range of

pictures and images types that can be adopted when teaching Jazz Chant Fairy Tales’ scripts

according to the teachers, the students and the situation.

1.4.3.3 Videos

Nowadays, there are teachers who enliven their classes with videos frequently or from time to

time thanks to the accessibility to technology, particularly in towns. There are many advantages

on using videos in language teaching, such as giving students the opportunity to see language

in-use and enhancing their motivation.“One of the main advantages of video is that students do

not just hear language, they see it too.” (Harmer, 2001)

Tales in Jazz Chant Fairy Tales are worldly known ones and there are many versions of their

cartoons if you go on YouTube. This greatly aids comprehension, since it helps them to see

beyond what they are listening to. For example, general meaning and moods are often visual

clues. Also, “most students show an increased level of interest when they have a chance to see

language in use as well as hear it, and when this is coupled with interesting tasks.” (Harmer,

2001)

1.4.4 Strategies for the teaching of rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales

The printed versions of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales present opportunities for the visual learning of

rhythm and the audio versions contribute in that of the audio. The printed and audio versions

can for example be exploited in guiding student’s recognition of rhythm in the tales. The audio

versions too help teachers monitoring student’s imitation of good English and targeting at

similar reproduction of rhythm as in the script’s audio version.

1.4.4.1 Guiding student’s recognition of rhythm in the script

We need to work on both the Jazz Chant Fairy Tales’ scripts and their audio versions when

guiding students to recognize the rhythm in the tales. The activity in this stage is based on tasks

involving recognition and movement. Marking the stresses in the scripts can be adapted as task

for students’ recognition of rhythm. Audio recognition through the audio version can be linked

with movement.

To start with, students need to listen to the audio versions of the tales. In the second listening,

they can mark the major stresses in the scripts. Visual learners will appreciate this. The marks

can be characterized by underlining the stressed syllables or words in the scripts. After this,

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students should listen again once or twice, and gently beat out the stresses by clapping their

hands.

1.4.4.2 Monitoring students’ imitation of the script’s audio version

Teachers’ work is not exhaustive in this stage thanks to the existence of audio versions of the

scripts. They just have to handle well the machine they use and have students participate more

than they do. That implies a minimum of participation from teachers and maximum of

participation from students. In short, teachers have just to monitor students’ imitation of the

scripts’ audio versions.

Therefore, the principal task here is then to have students imitate identically the audio versions

as much as they can. We have mentioned previously that the imitation phase involve students

to be able to utter a word or chain of words more or less accurately in imitation of what we have

just heard. That brings teachers to monitor well students’ imitation by correcting their mistakes

reasonably and helping them in some points they have difficulties. The imitation can still be

accompanied with claps on the major stresses. Clearly, teachers’ monitoring task in the

students’ imitation of the scripts’ audio versions can be enclose in mistakes corrections, helping

with difficulties and aiming at the most possible students’ similar imitation of the audio

versions.

1.4.4.3 Targeting at similar reproduction of rhythm as in the script’s audio version

Once students are able to imitate as much as identical the audio versions, they are ready to

reproduce them in appropriate way. Teachers need to make sure that the students do not make

important mistakes in the imitation phase otherwise when reproducing them, they will

reproduce errors which might be difficult to get rid of. That is why we are targeting at similar

reproduction of the rhythm as in the scripts’ audio versions.

In the reproduction phase, we just let learners reproduce the story through reading first without

the audio version. This phase helps teachers to evaluate how similar to the audio version

learners reproduce the story. The reproduction phase continues up to the D-Day of the fairy

tales’ performances in front of audience.

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1.4.5 Strategies and procedure to teach listening and reading comprehension

Although listening materials and reading passages are ready available tools, teachers have to

prepare in advance the steps which should be exploited in order to facilitate the learners’ tasks.

Teachers should settle strategies to develop learners’ listening and reading skills if not the latter

will spend their time on trying to understand every single word’s meaning. Without any

strategies, learners will struggle in doing so. Therefore, their motivation will decrease because

they most of the time fail in getting the message they are supposed to catch. We are going to

develop in the following paragraphs strategies, suggested by McKeating (1981), which ease

learners’ tasks of comprehension by means of mental preparation and selective listening or

reading.

1.4.5.1 Pre-listening/reading

In the mental preparation, we make use of the learners’ prior knowledge. This process activates

what they already know about the topic they are going to deal with. Teachers can find many

activities to activate learners’ prior knowledge, but we would like to suggest two of them which

are easy and do not require too much preparation. The teacher can present the topic in a short

discussion before the first listening. This arouses certain expectations and makes the students

mentally prepared for the topic. Or, we can give them in advance some key words, explain the

unfamiliar vocabulary in those key words, for the learners to be mentally ready to start, but

again we need to guide them to be selective during the while activity.

1.4.5.2 While-listening/reading

Students need to know that there are two kinds of comprehension processes: the bottom-up and

the top-down process. Being aware of these help them to be selective and organized while-

listening or reading. Below are the explanations of the use of each process.

Bottom-up process

Teachers can use the bottom-up process for students’ acquisition of the passages either for

listening or reading activity. Morley (2001) provides us a definition: “The bottom-up mode of

language processing involved the listener paying close attention to every detail of the language

input.” In a bottom-up process teacher can draw students to count and note the number of

syllables, and underline the stressed syllable. Then ask some detailed questions. The main idea

will be at the last part. We can; for example, start on teaching about syllable, word-stress and

rhythm through the Jazz Chant Fairy Tales’ passages without taking into account the

understanding of the passages yet. Then, we may work on words, such as filling the blank

40

through listening to the passage, or presenting vocabulary items. We may also ask some

questions from detailed to general ones. We can ask questions about the different characters,

their roles in the stories, the events and their respective places, the problems and the solution,

and the main idea of the story at last.

Top-down process

We can also adopt the top-down process. In the top-down process, learners make use of their

prior knowledge. This process activates what they already know about the topic they are going

to listen to or read. In doing so, they can predict what will be talked about. Richards (1986)

stated: “Top-down processing involves prediction and inferencing on the basis of hierarchies

of facts, propositions, and expectations, and it enables the listener or the reader to bypass some

aspects of bottom-up processing”. While listening or reading, their general view or idea about

the listening or reading passage will be proved step by step as far as they listen to information,

sentences, words, sounds … For instance, we may ask about what students already know about

a given story. It can be done through brain storming or oral summary ... After that, we may

guide them in activities of finding the correctness of the information they gave either through

reading or listening. We may also ask them some comprehension questions. The teaching of

vocabulary items and pronunciation come at last.

1.4.5.3 Post-listening/reading

The post-listening/reading activity consists in ending the procedure with another

communicative skill. Students are involved to tasks which bring them to share their point of

views, ideas … through speaking or writing. They have the opportunity to connect the topic

they have listened to or read with another one or with their everyday life. For instance, we can

end the activity by asking students’ appreciation of the tales. They can also be asked to give

their opinions and draw lessons from them. These can be done through speaking or writing.

1.4.5.4 Difference between listening and reading

Listening and reading activities can be conducted similarly as we have seen beforehand, for

they are both receptive skills. However, they are not totally identical. Basically, listening makes

use of the ears, but reading makes use of the eyes. The time spent for each is therefore not the

same. Reading takes more time than listening. If students are exposed to the same passages (one

written version and one audio version). The reading of the passage can be review other and

other, which is not the case for the listening of it. “When the signals are visual (i.e. when we

41

are reading), we have plenty of time to re-scan a message and to reflect upon it. When we are

listening, time is an enemy” (Abbott, 1981)

All in all, more successful listeners and readers do not become as such without strategies

adopted by the teacher and themselves. Teacher guides them to expectations and predictions

and in their turn, they have to listen selectively in order to understand the main idea of the

passage they are exposed to. Students need to be organized for them not to consume time in

unimportant details, especially during listening activities.

1.4.6 Teaching play production

Tips for teachers who would like to start using drama are introduced by Vernon (2015) in an

EFL Magazine. She presents brief procedure for a successful drama teaching. She starts with

the choice of the script, the ways to teach it, and the organization of the public performance.

We will develop the procedure below.

1.4.6.1 Choosing the play and teaching it

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales is constituted by eight internationally known fairy tales. Some of them

are easier than the others. Therefore, teacher needs to select carefully the appropriate play for

students. We are going to list the titles of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales according to their level (from

the easiest to the most difficult): The Little Red Hen, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Chicken

Little, The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin, The Three Billy Goats

Gruff, and The Fisherman and His Wife. Then, it depends on the teacher to choose which one

is adequate to his/her students’ level.

It is better that everybody knows all the roles in the play at the beginning. Therefore, roles are

interchangeable in case a student’s absence occur in the D-day performance. Afterwards,

teacher can assign roles according to the abilities of the students.

When everyone learns his/her role, teacher does not really need to give students the play during

the learning of it because they will have the tendency to read it not to act it out. As Vernon

(2015) stated: “the focus should be on speaking, acting and movement, not on reading lines”.

It is then preferable to use games, chant, drawing … based on the play to help students

memorize it. This will prevent them from the dependence on the play reading.

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1.4.6.2 Preparing the public performance

The performance is a crucial point of the play production project. It is the step where students

present what they have been preparing. For this to be achieved, we can invite people to be the

audience. Parents, other classes, and/or relatives … could be invited.

During the D-day, students together with the teacher are most of the time feeling nervous. In

order to lower the affective filter, it will help if we do not perform right away the play. It is

preferable to warm students up by starting with some games or songs. This will help students

to be used to speak on stage and promotes their self-confidence.

For the immortalization of the event, a video taking of the performance would be a great

souvenir for both teacher and students. Taking a video of them will also increase their self-

esteem. Vernon (2015) affirms: “It makes the children feel significant.” The video may serve

as a mean for feedbacks as well. A feedback session can be organized after the D-day

performance during which teacher and students can enjoy themselves watching the video and

exchanging comments.

1.4.7 Class management

Considering that there are different individuals in a group is vital if teachers are to plan the

types of activity appropriate for students. Apart from having activities on communicative skills,

teachers can also organize them for individuals or for groups. Careful observation from teachers

needs to take place because we need to recognize students who better learn individually and in

groups. Furthermore, it will inform our choices about how to group students together. During a

session, our role may change from one activity to another or from one stage of an activity to

another. In a general way, we will tailor our class management depending on the activities we

are working with.

1.4.7.1 Managing individual work

Involving students in individual works demands a careful management from teachers in order

not to dominate them or to have individual preferences. Teachers can be resources for students

to facilitate individual work management. Being a resource requires teachers to answer some

students’ needs and also to guide them to be autonomous.

To some extent, teachers can fulfill students’ requirements when they manage individual works

because as Harmer (2001) said: “Students might ask how to say or write something or what a

word or phrase means. They might want to know information in the middle of an activity about

43

that activity or they might want information about where to look for something a book or a

web site for example. This is where we can be one of the most important resources they have.”

Despite of being one of the most important resources for students, teachers had better enhance

learners’ autonomy. There is no teacher who knows everything about the language. So, instead

of answering every student’s question we should be able to offer them guidance to use resource

materials such as dictionaries to look up for information individually. Thus, they become more

independent in their learning.

1.4.7.2 Managing competitive work

Many students are motivated in participating in competitions for the idea of challenge, winning,

rewards and so on, but there are some (particularly the weak ones) who are not interested in

competitions and may be discouraged in such activity. Therefore, teachers’ first task is to know

their students’ sensibility towards contests. If they find that their learning can be to some extent

improved through contests, then teachers can organize competitive works from time to time. It

is in competitive activities that we have to act as assessors.

Harmer (2001) states that when acting as assessors we offer feedback and correction and

grading to students in various ways. Some points need to be taken into account when teachers

act as assessors. For example, we should tell students how and for what they are being assessed.

Another critical issue in assessing is the one of fairness. Some students become extremely upset

when they are victims of unfairness. Accordingly, when we act as assessors we must always be

sensitive to the students’ possible reactions.

1.4.7.3 Managing group work

Successful group works need to be well organize, so teachers have to perform the role of

organizer. “This often involves giving the students information, telling them how they are going

to do the activity, putting them into pairs or groups, and finally closing things down when it is

time to stop.” Harmer (2001)

According to Harmer, there are four steps to follow for a good group activity organization. The

first step we need to do when organizing something is to get students involved, engaged and

ready. This means explaining them that they are going to work on a new activity and offer a

rationale for the activity they are going to perform. Thus, they can be prepared and motivated

as they understand the purpose of the activity. Secondly, teachers need to give clear and concise

44

instructions. That can be a good idea if we ask students to retell them in English or in their own

language, as a check on their understanding. In order to clarify the instructions, demonstrations

are sometimes needed. Students then need to be informed about how much time they have got

for the activity afterwards. Finally, teachers stop the activity when students have finished or

when there are factors which tell to end it. It is important to prepare some feedback at the end

of the activity.

We can summarize the role of organizer as follows:

Engage instruct (demonstrate) initiate organise feedback

This last section of Part 1 was focusing on the teaching of rhythm. It introduced some important

points to help teachers achieve their teaching of rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales.

Teachers’ adequate consideration of teaching pronunciation and the aspects to be taught when

teaching rhythm were developed before talking about the ways to teach Jazz Chant Fairy Tales’

script which was succeeded by the strategies for the teaching of rhythm through Jazz Chant

Fairy Tales. We also demonstrated that using Jazz Chant Fairy Tales to teach rhythm influence

three communicative skills: listening, reading and speaking. Finally, we saw about teachers’

roles depending on activities performed by students for better class management. To end the

Part 1, we are going to introduce a conclusion of it below to have clearer and concise view

about it.

45

Conclusion to Part 1

Carolyn Graham is the creator of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales. She has adapted some world-known

fairy tales by mean of her book Jazz Chant Fairy Tales (1988) which retells dramatically those

fairy tales by a chorus and individual parts accompanied with the American jazz rhythm. Jazz

Chant Fairy Tales belongs to the class of linked audio and still visual materials because it is

not merely a book with fairy tales, but it is also accompanied with audio versions. Jazz Chant

Fairy Tales are meant by their creator to be performed as play productions. That is why we have

decided to settle our study area in English clubs.

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales can be exploited for the learning of English language, such as language

function, grammar, pronunciation and so on. In the present work, we have chosen to use them

for the learning of pronunciation, more precisely the learning of rhythm. Jazz Chant Fairy Tales

present aspects which enhance the acquisition of English spoken rhythm via the jazz rhythm,

the rhythmic clapping in the audio versions and the considerable words and phrases repetitions.

The printed versions of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales present opportunities for the visual learning of

rhythm and the audio versions contribute in that of the audio learning. Learners too can develop

their communicative skills by means of learning rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales because

the latter integrate the skills of listening, reading, and speaking.

Knowing about and appropriate use of rhythm impacts on an efficient communication.

Therefore, we should not neglect the importance of acquiring it. Any teacher or learner needs;

however, to consider the difficulties of learning foreign pronunciation. That will draw them to

establish reasonable objective, which is reaching intelligibility rather than perfection. Acquiring

about some notions of English syllable and word-stress will help learners learn about rhythm.

Associating Jazz Chant Fairy Tales with some teaching aids and appropriate strategies help for

better success in the acquisition of rhythm as well.

In the Part 1 then, we have targeted at demonstrating how adapting Carolyn Graham’s Jazz

Chant Fairy Tales for play production in English clubs can help students learn rhythm. In Part

2, we will prove the importance of adapting the present work by other teachers, monitors … by

way of having some investigations in the domain of English teaching and learning.

PART 2

46

PART 2: REALITIES ON THE TEACHING OF RHYTHM IN CLASSES

INTRODUCTION

Our own experiences, as we used to be a student at lycée and a teacher trainee for a few months,

are not enough to tell about the realities on the teaching of rhythm in classes unless we conduct

a research in the subject. That is why, we decided to meet students and teachers at lycées for

more up-dated information.

We have chosen three research methodologies which are class observations, interviews and

questionnaires. We are going to work on two types of questionnaires: a questionnaire for

students and a questionnaire for teachers. In so doing, we can discover two kinds of viewpoints

which can be confronted or compared for collecting relevant information. Class observation in

this case will confirm, complete, and add information that have been collected before. Thanks

to the interviews, we can obtain additional explanations that are necessary for more relevant

results.

The second part will start with the questionnaire for students, then that of teachers. After that,

we will give report of class observations combined with a report of interviews with some

teachers.

2.1 QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS

2.1.1 Presentation of the questionnaire

In order to obtain information about the realities around the learning of rhythm in classes, we

felt the need to investigate on lycée students via questionnaire. The questionnaire for students

consists in finding students’ needs, lacks and interests for us to see to what extent we can

contribute to improving the situation.

The questionnaire is constituted by seven (07) questions in which students are asked to tick the

answers that correspond to their points of view and self-assessment. Additional opened-

questions are asked among the seven questions for more clarification. We start from wider

questions to more detailed and specific ones. That is, we first ask a question concerning the

field of oral English. Then, we continue with questions on pronunciation in general to rhythm,

English clubs and to play project. The English questions in the questionnaire are translated in

Malagasy for the students to understand better and feel at ease when answering them.

It is worth mentioning that the questionnaires are filled by students from different schools

including confessional, public and private schools. The total number of the completed

47

questionnaires is thirty five (35). Here are some detailed information on the numbers of the

investigated students, their respective schools and classes.

SCHOOLS NUMBER OF STUDENTS

CLASSES

Lycée Ambohimalaza Miray 07 Terminale A

Lycée Ampitatafika 09 Terminale D

Lycée Nanisana 07 Seconde

Institut de Formation Rainandriamampandry (IFR) Ankadifotsy

07 Seconde

Lycée Privé Miarantsoa (LPM) Anjanahary 05 Seconde

Total= 35

Table 1: Details on the investigated students

The analysis of the collected data on the questionnaire is presented in the next section.

Questions will be treated one by one through the presentation of the findings, their description

and the possible interpretation related to the results. To illustrate the findings, we use either

diagrams, tables or enumeration. Description of the results always precedes analysis. The

analysis of the seven questions of the questionnaire is introduced below.

2.1.2 Analysis of the collected data from the students’ questionnaire

2.1.2.1 Question N°1

Tick the statement that corresponds to the quality of your oral English I speak good English I speak bad English I speak neither good nor bad English

The questionnaire for students opened with a broad question about the quality of their oral

English. This question helps us to broadly identify their assessment on their oral English quality.

48

6%

31%

63%

good

bad

neither good norbad

What is the quality of your oral English?

Figure 3: Students' oral English quality

Description of the results:

At the first sight, the diagram above shows that the majority of the thirty five investigated

students declare to speak neither good nor bad English, some of them estimate their oral English

as bad, and just a few of them think to speak good English. In fact, 63% assess their oral English

as mediocre. Those who speak bad English represent 31% of the students, and only 6% estimate

their oral English quality as good.

Analysis:

We added the last alternative answer: “I speak neither good nor bad English” because it may

happen that the students do not dare to tell the truth about them. Either they are too humble to

say that the quality of their oral English is good or they are ashamed to reveal their weakness on

the subject. However, this histogram suggests that the students’ quality of oral English still needs

to be improved because only few of them feel confident about it and affirm to have good oral

quality. The majority of them still feel uncertain.

2.1.2.2 Question N°2 In your opinion, does pronunciation affect the quality of your oral English?

Yes No

Please, give the reason(s) of your choice: ……………………………………………….……

This second question allows us to see how sound our proposition in the previous interpretation

is. In other words, we will discover if students’ point of views meet our suggestion on improving

their oral English by means of learning pronunciation.

20% of the students think that pronunciation does not affect their quality of oral English. Only

one of them gives the reason of his/her choice. (S)he states that only intelligibility matters when

49

speaking. 80% of the students affirm the connection of pronunciation to their oral English quality.

The histogram below shows in brief the reasons of this affirmation.

Figure 4: Students’ reasons about the impact of pronunciation on their oral English

Description of the results:

46% of the investigated students thinks that pronunciation affects the clearness of the message

they want to send. They affirm that if they mispronounce words, their interlocutors will not

receive appropriately what they really mean. The other way around, the message is well

understood when the pronunciation is correct. 36% assert that listeners’ ears can be hurt through

listening to a speaker with bad pronunciation, or they can just be pleased to listen to people with

good pronunciation. 11% say that your pronunciation reveals your mastery of English; i.e., a

person masters English when (s)he has good pronunciation. 7% of the students do not give the

reason of their choice.

Analysis:

The considerable percentage of students (80%) affirming the link of pronunciation to their oral

English quality demonstrates that our suggestion about improving their oral English meets

students’ opinion. This enables us to find out their motivation because having this view in mind

can drive them to the desire to learn pronunciation. We saw previously that the investigated

students do not really feel competent regarding their oral English. Learning pronunciation can

increase the value of their speaking. Their oral English can be clearer, pleasant to listen to, and

their mastery of the language becomes better. Therefore, their motivation on learning

pronunciation will be developed as it encounters their viewpoints.

0

5

10

15

clearness ofmessage

pleasant tolisten to

mastery ofEnglish

no reason

46%36%

11% 7%

Why do you think pronunciation affects your oral English quality?

50

2.1.2.3 Question N° 3

If you assess your ability to pronunciation, how much will you give?

We would like to detect the investigated students’ ability to pronunciation. Thanks to the present

question based on the students’ self-estimation, we can roughly discover their capacity in

pronunciation. This question consists in asking them to score their pronunciation out of ten

(…/10). Below is a table reporting about it.

≤The average > The average

MARKS 02/10 03/10 04/10 05/10 06/10 07/10 08/10

NUMBER OF STUDENTS

06 06 07 06 05 03 02

Total= 25 Total= 10

TOTAL= 35

Table 2: Students’ self-estimation on their pronunciation

Description of the results:

Through this table, we can see that the number of the students who assessed their pronunciation

inferior or equal the average is more numerous (25) than those (10) who estimate themselves

to deserve equal or more the average. The most given marks (more than five students) are 02/10,

03/10, and 05/10 which are all given by six (06) students each. Seven (07) students evaluate

their pronunciation of four out of ten (04/10). 71% is the percentage of students who choose

marks ≤ 05/10.

Analysis:

This considerable percentage (71%) of lower marks and the total number of students giving

marks under the average reveal one of the causes of students’ present oral English quality. Their

low level on pronunciation affects the latter. Indeed, there can be other causes of low oral

English quality, as pronunciation is not the only element needed for a good speaking.

Nonetheless, pronunciation tends to be neglected, for it does not appear in the official syllabus.

We can also think that teachers may teach pronunciation, but the time devoted to it may not be

enough or the techniques used are not really efficient. Thus, a review on the consideration and

time devoted to pronunciation should be reviewed not only by people in charge of the syllabus

but also each teacher.

51

23%

40%

17%

6%

3%

11%

0 5 10 15

Clearness of the message

pleasant listening

knowledge of English

Shame of badpronunciation

for career

no reason

Why do you think it is important to learn pronunciation?

2.1.2.4 Question N°4

Do you think it is important to learn pronunciation? Yes No

Why? ………………………………………………………………

Once again, the fourth question will reveal the motivation of the investigated students

concerning the learning of pronunciation. The importance they give to it will tell us their

readiness to learn it. Actually, 100% of the investigated students believe that it is important to

learn pronunciation. The reasons of that belief are explained in the following diagram.

Figure 5: Students’ reasons on the importance of learning pronunciation

Description of the results:

40% of the investigated students’ motivation on learning pronunciation is mostly based on

having good pronunciation in order to utter English which is pleasant to listen to. They say that

it is enjoyable to listen to people with good pronunciation. 23% still maintain the fact of

communicating clearly via good pronunciation because good pronunciation contributes to the

effectiveness of the sending of a message as far as they are concerned. 17% mention their desire

to develop their knowledge of English through the learning of pronunciation. 6% state that they

are afraid of losing face if they make pronunciation mistakes. 3% think that learning

pronunciation is useful because of its contribution to their future career. 11% did not give their

reasons.

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Nothing underlined

29%

All fault14%

Few correct43%

some correct

14%

Underline the stressed words or syllables

Analysis:

The results explain that all of the investigated students feel the need of learning pronunciation.

This result points out pronunciation’s supply to their effectiveness, self-confidence while

communicating, and to the development of their knowledge and skills in English language for

their future career. The fact that they are not really good at speaking English pushes them to the

thirst of learning it. Therefore, they are actually ready to learn pronunciation and this proves

the necessity of our present topic because they are interested.

2.1.2.5 Question N°5

English pronunciation is constituted by many components, such as articulation, intonation, stress, rhythm…

Do you know what “rhythm” is? Yes No

If “Yes”, please underline the stressed words or syllables in the following sentence I always eat delicious lunch at the restaurant next to my school.

This question goes to the very center of our work, which is rhythm. Question N°5 helps us to

know if the investigated students know about rhythm. The following part of the question allows

us to verify if the students declaring to know about it really do. As a result, 80% of the students

claim not knowing about rhythm, and 20% declare to know about it. The figure below confirms

the 20% students’ declaration.

Figure 6: Results of the test for students declaring to know about rhythm

Description of the results:

Only 14% of the students could detect some appropriate stressed words in the sentence “I always

eat delicious lunch at the restaurant next to my school.” 43% found few appropriate words to be

underlined. 29% underlined nothing and 14% of them underlined some words, but they

underlined words which should not be stressed like articles, pronouns and preposition.

53

Analysis:

This result reveals an important lack in terms of rhythm to the students. If only the minority

declare to know about rhythm, more than half of them fail in the test we gave. We can interpret

that the absence of the teaching of rhythm in the official syllabus and the time constrain explain

such deficiency. Teachers may teach basic pronunciation element such as articulation, stress or

intonation but not really on rhythm. However, having any notion about it can affect students’

communication. Such lack needs to be filled. Moreover, we can promote students readiness on

learning rhythm through fun, for example Jazz Chant Fairy Tales.

2.1.2.6 Question N°6

Are you a member of an English club? Yes

No

If “yes”, please write your goal(s)……………………………………………………………….

Before ending the questionnaire, we ask about the membership of the investigated students to

English clubs and their goals in being members. In so doing, we can detect if adapting the

learning of rhythm in English clubs will meet their need or not. Only 17% of the students are

members of English clubs. Nonetheless, we could be exposed to important objectives supporting

the topic of our dissertation. Here are the three common goals they stated:

1- To be good at speaking 67%

2- To develop the knowledge of English Language 17%

3- To get more friends 16%

Analysis:

The three common goals stated by the students demonstrate their correspondence to the

characteristics of the learning of rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales. In other words, while

dealing with the latter, students have the opportunity to improve their speaking skills since they

are exposed to native speakers and can learn to imitate their accent as close as possible. They

can also develop their knowledge of English Language, as they are introduced to American

literature and meet many structures, vocabulary items used in everyday life… They can find

new people and strengthen their friendship because of their collective involvement to the play

project.

54

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

To have good career

to develop the knowledge of English…

to learn through fun

To improve their speaking

no reason

3%

38%

21%

31%

7%

Why do you want to be part of a play project?

2.1.2.7 Question N°7

Would you like to be part of a play project? Yes No

Please, tell the reason(s) of your answer…………………………………………………………….

Finally, we ask about students’ point of view on being part of a play project. Their answers on

it will help us to discover their real interest in play project because we did not only ask if they

are interested in it but we also demanded their reasons. The most ticked answer for the Yes/No

question is Yes (83%). The 17% who are not interested in play project stated that they are not

ready for it because of their low English level. The 83% reasons on their interest on play project

are summed up in the following diagram.

Figure 7: Students motivation to be part of a play project

Description of the results:

In short, we can see that 38% would like to participate in a play project so that they can develop

their knowledge of English and its culture. Apart from that, 31% mention their interest in

improving their speaking through play project and 21% would like to learn English through fun

like in a play project. 3% will participate in it for having better career. 7% did not give their

reasons.

Analysis:

The important percentage of students having interest in play project shows the pertinence of

our dissertation topic. They will indeed fulfill their motivation through it because all of the

reasons they stated above can be reached, for students have the opportunity to practice and

improve their speaking skills, enrich their knowledge of English and its culture in paly projects.

It will also bring advantages for their future career. We can also remedy the other students’

unwillingness to be part of a paly project by reassuring them that it is meant for all students

who still need improvement but not for those who already master English.

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Conclusion to the questionnaire for students

We could obtain some information about the realities of rhythm learning in classes thanks to

the questionnaire for students. The investigated students could provide us some information

that can verify the relevance of our topic by detecting their needs, lacks and interests. Here are

the major findings about the questionnaire for students.

The majority of the investigated students assess their oral English quality as mediocre.

Most of them affirm the interference of pronunciation to their oral English quality. That

is, pronunciation affects the clearness of their message and their interlocutors’ estimation of

their spoken English (good/bad, pleasant/unpleasant to listen to).

The students mostly assess their pronunciation as inferior or equal to 05/10.

All of the investigated students believe that it is important to learn pronunciation in order

to utter English which is pleasant to listen to, to communicate clearly, to develop knowledge

of English, and not to lose face.

Few of them declare knowing about rhythm in which none of them could manage with the test of rhythm.

The students members of English clubs generally aim at improving their speaking,

developing their knowledge of English Language, getting more friends.

Quite all of the students are interested in being part of a play project for them to develop

their knowledge of English and its culture, to improve their speaking, to learn English through

fun.

According to the findings, the investigated students’ quality of oral English still need to be

worked on as they appraise theirs as more or less weak. Apart from other reasons, the common

problem to their oral English includes their deficiency in the field of pronunciation. More

precisely, the students may be familiar to some pronunciation features but when talking about

rhythm, we remark a crucial insufficiency basis to the students. Having conscious to this lack,

students believe in the importance of the learning of pronunciation. They are ready to know

more about it because they wish to strengthen their self-confidence when communicating in

English. For them, having good pronunciation helps for a better oral English quality. The

majority of the students interested in being part of a play project and the main desire of students

members of English clubs to ameliorate their oral English show the pertinence of our

dissertation topic. All in all, learning rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales in English clubs

as a play project meets the needs, the interest, and can fill the lack of students.

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2.2 QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS

2.2.1 Presentation of the questionnaire

The questionnaire for teachers consists of nine (09) questions. They are Multiple Choice

Questions in which teachers are required to label their answers. Opened-questions are asked for

clarification and more information. The goal of the present questionnaire is to find the main

factors which cause the deficiency of students in terms of pronunciation, more precisely in

rhythm. We work on thirty-five (35) copies filled by teachers from various schools. We tried to

dispatch the copies to private and public lycées in Antananarivo central town, country and

outside Antananarivo. Due to means and time factors, we could not investigate in all the

provinces of Madagascar. However, we had the opportunity to have a contact in Toamasina, so

we could send some copies to the English teachers there. The table below will give a general

view of the questionnaire for teachers.

SCHOOLS

LOCATION

NUMBER OF FILLED COPIES

Lycée Moderne Ampefiloha Ampefiloha, Antananarivo 08

Lycée Jules Ferry Faravohitra, Antananarivo 06

Lycée Jean Joseph Rabeharivelo Analakely, Antananarivo 07

Lycée Nanisana Nanisana, Antananarivo 03

Lycée Jacques Rabemanajara Toamasina I 06

Lycée Ambohimalaza Miray Ambohimalaza 01

Lycée Privée ACEEM Ankadivato, Antananarivo 02

Lycée Maria Manjaka Andohalo Andohalo, Antananarivo 01

Lycée Privée Miarantsoa Anjanahary, Antananarivo 01

TOTAL 35

Table 3: Details on the investigated teachers

For the analysis of the collected data, we will proceed like in the previous questionnaire. We

will present the results through charts, enumerations, or tables. Then, we will describe and

analyze them. At the end, we will give a conclusion to the findings.

57

2.2.2 Analysis of the collected data from the teachers’ questionnaire

2.2.2.1 Question N°1

How long have you been teaching English? Less than 5 years [5-15 years] More than 15 years

No one can deny that teachers’ experience impacts on the quality of their teaching. Therefore,

we begin the questionnaire by asking about the investigated teachers the period of time they

have spent in English teaching. In so doing, we can detect the general experience of the

investigated teacher and see its link to the teaching of rhythm.

Figure 8: Teachers’ experience in the teaching of English

Description of the results:

As we can see through this chart, the percentage of the experienced teachers is considerable

than those who are not. In fact, 50% of the teachers have been teaching English between five

and fifteen years [5-15 years]. On their side, teachers with more than fifteen years of experience

represent 44%. That gives the total percentage of 94% of experienced teacher compared to 6%

of unexperienced ones (<5 years).

Analysis:

Thanks to the experiences of the investigated teachers, we can collect relevant information

about the reasons of students’ weakness in pronunciation. That is, as they are experienced, they

may help us to understand the whys and the hows of such deficiency. They may explain well

the real situation and may suggest applicable techniques in the teaching of pronunciation as

well.

6%

50%

44%

How long have you been teaching English?

< 5 years

[5-15 years]

> 15 years

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2.2.2.2 Question N°2

Which of the following degrees do you possess? Licence Maîtrise CAPEN

Other degree(s), please specify

Apart from the experience on teaching, teachers’ degrees greatly influence on their teaching.

That is why we continue with a question concerning the investigated teachers’ degrees. Like in

the previous question, we will see if there is link between students’ problems on rhythm with

the teachers’ degree.

Figure 9: Degrees of the investigated teachers

Some of the teachers possess additional degrees which are listed below:

- Use of English language in Business and Communication (India) - Certificate in ELT, “animateur d’Anglais” - CAPESPC - 4th year in sociolinguistic - DEA ( en science de l’éducation, in American studies)

Description of the results: The results show that none of the investigated teachers possess degrees below Licence. Most

of them possess degrees on English teaching. 49% possess CAPEN degree. Many of those who

have Licence and Maîtrise possess additional degrees in the field of English studies and English

Language teaching as listed above.

36%

15%

49%

Which of the following degrees do you possess?

Licence

Maîtrise

CAPEN

59

28%

47%

25%

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

in each session sometimes rarely

How many times do you teach pronunciation?

Analysis: Apart from having experience in English teaching, the investigated teachers are all well placed

in this field because of the degrees that they possess that follow the norm required by the

ministry of Education. Again, we may learn more from them. They may probably provide us

useful and relevant explanation on this fact.

2.2.2.3 Question N°3

Do you teach pronunciation in your English course? No Yes

If “yes”, a) How many times do you teach pronunciation?

in each session sometimes rarely

Others, please specify ……………………………………………………………………

b) What is/are your goal(s) when you teach pronunciation?

After knowing about the investigated teachers’ experience and degrees, we continue the

questionnaire by asking if they teach pronunciation or not. The third question with the

additional questions about the frequency and the teachers’ goals of the teaching of

pronunciation will reveal us their consideration of it. 91% declare to teach pronunciation. For

the teachers who teach pronunciation, the frequency of their pronunciation teaching is

introduced in the chart below.

Figure 10: Frequency on the teaching of pronunciation

60

87%

3%

10%

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

to improve students' speaking skills

to help students understand spokenEnglish

to ameliorate students' reading skills

What is your goal when you teach pronunciation?

Additional frequencies were given by some teachers as listed in the following:

When dealing with speaking activities

At the beginning of the school year

Each time there is a new word

The teachers also stated their goals when teaching pronunciation. Many of them have goals in

common, so here are the goals mainly stated.

Figure 11: Teachers’ goals when teaching pronunciation

Description of the results: Thanks to those two charts, we can see that the investigated teachers devote time to the teaching

of pronunciation and they all have precise goals in their teaching of pronunciation. 47% of them

teach it from time to time, and 28% even teach pronunciation in each session. There are also

those who organize their time and deal with it in precise time. All the teachers aim at improving

the students’ communicative skills. 87% target at improving students’ speaking skills. They

would like to help their students pronounce words appropriately and correctly. They say that

this will help students to state clearly what they meant. They also aim at making students speak

like native speakers as much as they can. 10% would like to ameliorate their reading skills, and

3% want to develop their listening skills.

Analysis: The results demonstrate that the teachers give consideration to the teaching of pronunciation. It

is proved by the frequency of time they devote to it. They are convinced on the necessity of

pronunciation to communication as they all aim at improving students’ communicative skills

when they teach it. More precisely, they frame the importance to pronunciation in the

amelioration of students’ speaking skills. That is, it is one of the keys to the success of speaking.

61

2.2.2.4 Question N°4

What may be the reasons that push teachers not to teach pronunciation in classes?

Despite the fact that the majority of the investigated teachers teach pronunciation, there are still

those who do not teach it. Therefore, we ask about the possible reasons that may push teachers

not to teach pronunciation. We think it will help us to better understand and collect useful

reasons for the lack of pronunciation competence to students.

Figure 12: Possible reasons that may push teachers not to teach pronunciation

Description of the results:

34% of the investigated teachers state the lack of time as a reason that may push teachers not

to teach pronunciation. 28% declare the absence of pronunciation requirement in the syllabus.

There are also 17% who state that some teachers do not teach pronunciation because they may

not master the subject. The lack of materials, such as books are also mentioned. A few teachers

think that some of them estimate their students to have low level for the learning of

pronunciation, so they do not teach it.

Analysis:

The findings suggest that teachers’ consideration of pronunciation depends generally on the

official syllabus. They mostly give importance on what are prescribed in it and mainly focus on

what they are asked to teach. It explains also that the syllabus does not leave necessary time for

pronunciation because teachers are too busy to finish the official syllabus and do not have time

for anything else like pronunciation.

17%

34%

10%

28%

11%

0

5

10

15

20

Lack ofcompetenceand mastery

Lack of time Lack ofmaterial

Not in thesyllabus

Not up tostudents' level

What may be the reasons that push teachers not to teach pronunciation?

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2.2.2.5 Question N°5

Do you teach rhythm to your students? No Yes

Please, tell the reason of your choice……………………………………………………

Now, we are going to see details on the elements of pronunciation that the investigated teachers

teach. We will see here if rhythm is among the elements that teachers work on. Actually, 66%

declare not teaching rhythm which leave us to only 34% who work on it. The reasons of those

who do not teach rhythm are enumerated in the followings:

Lack of time 67%

Not required by the syllabus 25%

Lack of mastery 8%

For those who teach rhythm, here are their objectives:

To improve students’ speaking skills 78%

To ameliorate students’ reading 11%

To make complete the learning of pronunciation 11%

Description of the results and Analysis:

As we can see, most of the investigated teachers teach pronunciation, but 66% of them do not

deal with rhythm. The main reason is the lack of time due to the long syllabus teachers need to

complete all along the school year in which the teaching of rhythm is not required. That explains

the fact that quite all the investigated students do not know about rhythm. There is a low

percentage of the investigated students knowing about rhythm because there are only 34% of

the teachers who teach it in their courses. Those teachers probably find the students’ deficiency

in the latter’ s communicative skills, such as reading and listening skills; that is why they teach

rhythm to ameliorate those skills. The targets of the teachers who teach rhythm in classes

proves that knowing about rhythm help students to be effective while communicating.

63

19%

27%29%

25%

What are the pronunciation elements you teach?

Phonetic transcription

Articulation

Stress

Intonation

2.2.2.6 Question N°6

Apart from rhythm, which of the following points do you teach in pronunciation? Phonetic transcription Articulation (vowel & consonant sounds) Stress Intonation

Others, please specify

Quite all the investigated teachers declare to teach pronunciation, but we saw beforehand that

rhythm is not among those that teachers are used to teaching. Therefore, we ask the present

question to find the most taught pronunciation elements in classes.

Figure 13: Pronunciation elements mostly taught in classes

Description of the results:

In general, teachers do not deal with the teaching of rhythm, but they teach the other

pronunciation elements. 29% teach stress, 27% deal with articulation, and 25% teach

intonation. 19% even teach phonetic transcription.

Analysis:

In this way, students may only be capable in pronouncing words by words, but they are not

taught on pronouncing sentences. This may explain the weakness of the investigated students

in the field of oral English because they may feel that they are not really good at pronouncing

sentences, such feeling may impact in their self-confidence while speaking.

64

41%

30%

18%

11%

What are the drama activities you have ever used?

Role play

Simulation

Sketch

Play production

2.2.2.7 Question N°7

Have you ever used drama as a material to teach pronunciation? No Yes

a) If “no”, please mention the reason(s) why you do not use drama

b) If “yes”, which of the followings have you ever used?

Role play Simulation Sketch Play production

Others, please specify

For the present question we would like to know the realities about the use of drama activities

for the teaching of pronunciation in English courses. We would like to know the reasons why

teachers do not use them and the common used drama activities for those who use it.

Concerning the investigated teachers, 54% declare to have ever used drama as a material to

teach pronunciation. 46% declare not using drama. Their reasons are listed below:

Not enough time 30%

Students do not have enough skills to enjoy it 30%

Not in the syllabus 20%

Not easy to find 20%

For the teachers who have ever used drama, the chart below gives us details on the percentage

of the kinds of drama activities commonly performed in classes.

Figure 14: Drama activities commonly used in classes

65

Description of the results:

Many teachers do not use drama in classes. Time factors due to the requirement of the official

syllabus is still mentioned as the main reasons for it. For the teachers who deal with drama,

41% of them use role play and 30% use simulation, but only 11% choose play production.

Analysis:

We can see that drama activities are time consuming in the eyes of many teachers, especially

play production, they think that it is too difficult for students, yet the majority of the investigated

students are interested in being part of it. The students see it as easing their learning of English

because they can learn through fun. In this point then we can deduce that teachers and students

do not really have the same point of view about combining English learning with drama

activities.

2.2.2.8 Question N°8

Have you ever heard about Carolyn Graham’s Jazz Chant Fairy Tales? No Yes

a) If “yes”, please mention some titles if possible This question consists in finding if Carolyn Graham’s Jazz Chant Fairy Tales are new to the

investigated teachers or not, for us to make sure that we are suggesting a new material for the

teaching of rhythm. Actually, 91% do not know about it and only 9% have ever heard about it,

but they could not remember any title of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales.

Analysis:

Thanks to the results, we can deduce that Jazz Chant Fairy Tales is still new for the field of

English teaching and learning. So, we can draw that we bring new materials to the teaching of

rhythm. This result strengthen the importance of our dissertation topic because novelties always

draw the learners’ attention and bring new experiences to teachers.

66

2.2.2.9 Question N°9

What techniques would you suggest for the teaching of pronunciation? Although we are presenting new manner in the teaching of rhythm in this dissertation, it is

always useful to consider suggestions from experienced teachers. They can share what can be

efficient or not in the field of pronunciation teaching thanks to their experiences. In so doing,

we can collect some suggestions for the improvement of pronunciation teaching. Indeed, we

asked about suggested techniques, but it did not refrain the investigated teachers to propose

activities, materials … which are all, we think, worth being reported. So, the common

suggestions are summarized in the table below:

Table 4: Common suggestions for the teaching of pronunciation by the investigated teachers

Detailed report:

The investigated teachers introduce three kinds of suggestions which can be classified as

techniques, activities and materials for pronunciation teaching. The latter have relationships to

one another like some of them are explained in the followings. When the investigated teachers

propose the listen and repeat technique, most of them advise the use of songs, conversations

and videos by native as materials to promote better imitation and memorization. While dealing

with reading activities, they mention the importance of training students to adopt the technique

of speaking aloud. The materials to be used are small texts, poems, tongue twisters … Some

teachers mentioned about teaching students pronunciation rules on common pronunciation

mistakes; i.e. selecting words that are often mispronounced, give rules to students and remind

them of the correct pronunciation whenever they make mistakes. Apart from giving students

those pronunciation rules, some teachers recommend the use of software that deals with

pronunciation issues like Pronunciation Doctor. They have also suggested about the erasing

system. It consists in erasing a small text, poem, dialogue … from the back and asking students

to read it many times from the begging.

Techniques Activities Materials

- Listen and repeat - Reading aloud - The erasing system - Teaching common

pronunciation mistakes

- Games - Drama - Listening - Reading - Speaking

- Videos - Songs - Dialogues - Tongue twisters - Poems - Small texts - Software dealing with pronunciation

67

Conclusion to the questionnaire for teachers

As the investigated teachers are experienced in the field of English teaching and they also

possess the necessary degrees required by the Ministry of Education, we could collect relevant

data on the realities of the teaching of rhythm in classes. Possible explanations about the

weakness of students in terms of rhythm could be reveal. Therefore, main factors which cause

the deficiency of students on rhythm, the possible problems related to our topic, and suggestions

from the investigated teachers are cited below:

Most of the teachers teach pronunciation, but they mostly do not deal with rhythm.

Many of them do not use drama in classes.

Play production is rarely chosen by teachers among the other drama activities.

Time is not enough to deal with rhythm and play production due to the long syllabus.

Teachers may not master rhythm and do not teach it.

Few of them have ever heard about Jazz Chant Fairy Tales.

For the improvement of the pronunciation teaching, the investigated teachers suggest the use

of: the listen and repeat technique, the technique of speaking aloud, the erasing system,

songs, conversations, videos, software that deal with pronunciation, small texts, poems,

and tongue twisters.

The results of the present questionnaire demonstrate its adequacy to the questionnaire for

students. The findings on the questionnaire for teachers explain why the investigated students

had low level in pronunciation. The main results reveal that teachers primarily concern is to

accomplish the requirements of the official syllabus which do not leave enough time for

pronunciation. The investigated students are mostly weak in rhythm because few teachers only

teach it. Apart from the insufficient time devoted for pronunciation, the syllabus also does not

allow the use of drama activities, particularly play productions. Up to now, Jazz Chant Fairy

Tales still seem to be new in the teaching and learning of English. The suggestions from the

investigated teachers for a better teaching of pronunciation involve the listen and repeat

technique including songs, poems and dialogue in it. In short, the fact that students are

unfamiliar to rhythm, and that the official syllabus is too long to leave time for the teaching of

rhythm and play production, we can integrate it in English clubs. The students can broaden and

receive extra knowledge apart from the normal courses they attend, as English clubs are meant

for extracurricular activities. So, the topic: “Adapting Carolyn Graham’s Jazz Chant Fairy Tales

for play productions to help students perform rhythm in English clubs” can be said as well

framed and relevant thanks to the information we fetched from the teachers of English.

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2.3 CLASS OBSERVATIONS AND INTERVIEWS

2.3.1 Presentation to the class observations and interviews

Although we have investigated both teachers and students to find the realities on the teaching

of rhythm in classes, we think that witnessing in what really happens in classrooms will help

us to balance what we have found so far. That is why we added our research with class

observation, for better relevance to the investigation we are conducting.

The class observation was the most challenging step in this second part because we tried to

contact as many teachers as possible for visit, but many of them could not receive us because

of time factors. The main reason is that we started our class observation quite at the end of the

school year, and almost the teachers have already finished the program and were giving review

or tests to their students.

However, we could attend four (04) courses in four different schools. We could visit classes in

confessional, private and public schools. Moreover, we could interview the teachers in charge

of the classes we visited. We interviewed them about the problems encountered in classes and

other realities which affects the teaching of pronunciation, particularly that of rhythm.

Summary on the classes we attended is presented below.

Schools Dates and time Classes

Institut de Formation Rainandriamampandry Ankadifotsy

June, 10th 2016 From 8:00 - 8:30

Seconde

Lycée Jean Joseph Rabeharivelo Analakely June, 13th 2016

From 1:40 - 2:17 Terminale

Lycée Privé Miarantsoa Anjanahary June, 14th 2016

From 1:50 - 3:30 Première

Lycée Ambohimalaza Miray June, 29th 2016

From 10:30 – 11:30 Terminale

Table 4: Summary on the class observations

We will report one by one the four class observations we witnessed. In each report we will

introduce precise and detailed report on what we have seen and on the interview with the

teachers. Then, we will present at the end a general summary.

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2.3.2 Report of the class observations and the interviews

2.3.2.1 Class observation and interview N°1: The impact of students’ level on the learning

of pronunciation

The first class observation took place at Institut de Formation Rainandriamampandry, a

confessional school that belongs to the protestant belief. We explained to the teacher the goal

of our visit which is to see the realities on the teaching of rhythm. Therefore, we asked her to

teach rhythm if possible. In addition to the observation, we could interview the teacher.

Actually, we attended a speaking session in the classe de Seconde of the school. The teacher

first asked the students to read some sentences she wrote on the blackboard. The sentences were

interrogative ones in which there were wh-questions and yes/no questions. The goal was to

practice intonation. The teacher explained that the intonation with wh-questions is generally

falling at the end, and it raises with yes/no questions. Then, some students were asked to read

the sentences. Some of them did not speak aloud that the teacher could not notice the mistakes.

In fact, many of them could not read appropriately the questions even after the teacher’s

interventions. Only a few of them could. After that, they were asked to perform dialogues in

pairs that the students had already prepared in their previous course concerning “invitation”.

They were required to invite their partners to some activities and their partners replied by

refusing or accepting. The exercise on intonation beforehand was a preparation for the students

to utter appropriately their invitation. However, many of them still fail to that point. Many of

them read but not perform their dialogue.

After the class observation, we could interview the teacher for roughly 15minutes about the

main problems in the teaching of English pronunciation. The teacher explained that time is not

enough for them to go deeper with it, and they only have few sessions of oral practice because

of the program which needs to be completed. Another problem is that classe de Seconde

students, not only in this school but in many others, quite all have low level in English. She

explained that they are from different background. Many of them chose the “Option B” at the

BEPC exam, and that affects a lot the level of students and brings challenges to the teachers in

charge of that class. As far as the teacher is concerned, not only students need reinforcement,

but also teachers because she finds that teachers lack of “recyclage” or training. She stated that

teachers need periodical training and exchanges among them.

In the first visit then we could find that there were no teaching of rhythm. Nonetheless, we had

the opportunity to attend a speaking session dealing with intonation integrated to the language

70

function topic “invitation”. The teacher did not teach intonation for granted, but she had a

purpose which is to practice it in dialogues. Despite that good purpose, almost the students still

fail on the subject. From the teacher’s point of view, that is because of their study background

which is low in level from the basis. She feels the need of reinforcement not only to students

but to teachers too for the improvement of the students’ level and the quality of the language

teaching.

2.3.2.2 Class observation and interview N°2: Teachers’ non-mastery of rhythm – a principal

reason which restrain them not to teach it

The second class observation took place at Lycée Jean Joseph Rabeharivelo, a public school at

Analakely. We visited a Terminale class. The teacher talked about poems to reach her goal,

which is the teaching of rhythm. We will see through the report to what extent the goal had

been reached.

First of all, the teacher warmed students up through a brain storming about what a poem is and

its specificities compared to any other simple texts. The students replied that poems have got

rhyme, stanza, verse… The teacher added that poems too have sounds and rhythm. After the

warm up, she continued with the presentation of the lesson. Before developing about rhythm,

syllable with word stress were introduced. She gave examples of words with two syllables, then

three with their respective stresses. She asked students to give in their turn other examples.

Some of the teacher’s corrections were incorrect. For example, she gave a rule like when a word

ending with –ion, then the –ion itself is stressed. Yet, the rule is that the syllable before the last

receives the stress for words ending with –ion (Hewings, 2004). The teacher introduced the

possible places of stress in words (at the beginning, in the middle, at the end). When the learning

of syllable and word stress was finished, they proceeded with that of rhythm. The teacher wrote

a sentence on the board and asked the students to give the stress of each word in it. The students

did not have time for assimilation because they just worked on one sentence for the explanation

of rhythm and the teacher stopped.

As the teacher was busy after the class, we interviewed her before the class observation for a

few moment. We asked about the realities of the teaching of rhythm in classes. She replied that

rhythm is not too familiar in the English teaching because of two reasons. It is not mentioned

in the school program and that teachers may not master it, so they do not teach it. The teacher

personally acknowledged that she does not master rhythm and does not teach it. Our visit was

just an exception.

71

All in all, our second class observation allowed us to witness a sample of steps that teachers

may use when teaching rhythm. Here the steps are respectively the teaching of syllable, word

stress and rhythm. Lack of mastery to the teacher was noticed through some mistakes she made

and the unreached goal of the teaching of rhythm because students did not have enough

examples and practice on rhythm like in syllable and word stress. The teacher had even

acknowledged her non mastery of the subject.

2.3.2.3 Class observation N°3: The contribution of a whole session of pronunciation to

students’ awareness of how English is pronounced

The third visit was in Lycée Privée Miarantsoa, a private school at Anjanahary. The whole

session was devoted to pronunciation course. The teacher did not only teach one pronunciation

component to his classe de Première students, but he taught quite all the pronunciation

elements. He taught about minimal pairs, phonetic transcription, syllable, word stress,

intonation and rhythm. Details on the steps and techniques he used are developed in the

following paragraph.

First of all, he introduced about one syllable words. He gave a list of minimal pairs with one

syllable words and gave their phonetic transcriptions. He showed the students where they can

find phonetic transcription in their dictionary. He did not only explain the lesson, but he asked

for students participation on the differences between the minimal pairs he was listed. He used

the technique of listen and repeat for each word. He read the words and asked the students to

repeat twice or three times with loud voice. After one syllable words, they proceeded with two

syllable words with the same procedure. He added with some general rules like syllables with

schwa /ǝ/ do not receive stress. Before explaining about rhythm, he said that if you pronounce

in the right way, your interlocutors understand but if not, they may have difficulties in decoding

what you said. He asked the students to read some questions (wh-questions and yes/no

questions). He gave the main rule of rhythm that we stress on the important words. He asked

some students to go to the board and mark the stresses in the interrogative sentences. The

teacher reread the sentences with their appropriate rhythm and intonation and asked the students

to beat well on the stresses by repeating the reading many times. Due to time constrain, we

could not interview the teacher.

We could find that the teacher was mingling many pronunciation components in one single

session. He managed in explaining, giving rules and in making students participate. The teacher

used the techniques of repetition and speaking aloud. The students quite succeed in each step

72

and some of them could detect well the right stresses in the given sentences. Therefore, the

teaching could be estimated as successful.

2.3.2.4 Class observation N°4 and interview N°5: The influence of the official syllabus to

the teaching of rhythm

The last class observation was led at Lycée Ambohimalaza Miray, a public lycée in the suburb

of Antananarivo. The teacher received us although they were doing correction of their BACC

Blanc exam. The teacher used a text about malaria as a material to teach pronunciation. It

consisted in making students aware of word stress and correcting students’ mistakes in it all

along the text reading.

At the beginning of a session, the teacher asked one student to read the whole text. The student

did considerable mistakes on pronunciation. The teacher only reacted when the student had

finished the reading. She gave the stresses on some words; for instance, malaria and

organization. Then, she gave the rule of stress for words with –ion at the end. After that, students

were asked to guess the place of stress in some words like developed, combat and interest. Two

more volunteers were asked to reread the text aloud. For this time the teacher intervened when

the volunteers made mistakes. Before answering the text comprehension, students were asked

to repeat again some words they have seen in the text as reinforcement. That is all we could see

concerning pronunciation during the session we attended.

We could also interview the teacher about the main problem encountered in the teaching of

rhythm in classes. For her, the official syllabus does not mention any pronunciation component,

so teachers are not interested in teaching it. Apart from that, she also acknowledged not

mastering rhythm and does not teach it to her students. Moreover, students in the suburb really

have very low level, so the teacher does not want to saturate their mind with things not

demanded by the official syllabus. Their access to technology is limited because there is no

electricity in the classroom. Therefore, students’ expositions to the advantages that technology

brings to the learning of English as well as their opportunity to listen to native speakers are also

limited.

To sum up, this fourth class observation focused mainly on correcting a text comprehension

about malaria. The teacher does not teach rhythm to her students because she does not master

it. However, she integrated word stress with the text reading. Students in the suburb face

problems in their learning of English because of their low level. Above all, their classrooms do

not have access to electricity which affects their learning of pronunciation, as they cannot have

enough exposure to the listening of native speakers.

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Conclusion to class observations: Realities on the teaching of rhythm in classes

We could collect more information about the realities of the teaching of rhythm in classes

thanks to the class observations we did. They gave more explanation about teachers’

consideration of the teaching of rhythm. Generally, we could notice that most of the observed

teachers only devoted a few minutes of the sessions, even none for the latter. The common

reason for teachers who do not to teach rhythm is that they do not master it. This was noticed

through the observations. Moreover, students’ low level affects their acquisition of rhythm

principles, for good results are not really noticed. The realities on the teaching of rhythm in

classes are summed up in the enumeration below:

Teachers devoted a few minutes [or none] for the teaching of rhythm in classes.

Teachers do not master rhythm.

Students’ acquisition of rhythm depends on their level of understanding.

Conclusion to interviews: Teachers motivation concerning the teaching of rhythm and the

problems encountered in this field

The interviews helped us to better understand teachers’ motivation concerning the teaching of

rhythm and the encountered problems in this field. The main encountered problems mentioned

by the teachers are:

Time is not enough for the teaching of rhythm because of the program which needs to

be completed.

Class of second students most of the time find difficulties in English learning because

many of them chose the “Option B” at the BEPC exam.

Teachers lack periodical training or “recyclage”.

Teachers lack mastery of rhythm.

Students in the suburb face problems in their learning of English because of their low

level and the none-access to electricity.

In short, there are teachers who teach rhythm in class, but not all of them succeed in it. We

could understand that some teachers do not teach rhythm because of the official syllabus, the

level of the students, and because the teachers do not master rhythm.

74

Conclusion to Part 2

Thanks to the three research methodologies, we could collect relevant information on the

realities of the teaching of rhythm in classes. Many of the results in the questionnaires were

proved with the class observation and the interviews. We are going to sum up the main findings

in the research.

According to the results, students’ quality of oral English still needs to be improved. A common

problem to it is their deficiency in pronunciation. That was affirmed by the investigated students

and noticed during the class observations. Many teachers teach some pronunciation elements

to their students but not rhythm. That is due to lack of time and mastery of the subject by the

teachers. The investigated students too believe in the importance of the learning of

pronunciation for the improvement of their oral English and are interested in being part of a

play project. However, teachers claim the difficulty to find time for both the teaching of

pronunciation and drama in classes because of the long program they still need to complete.

We can then propose the teaching of rhythm and drama in English clubs, for students are

motivated to do so, and teachers do not need to integrate it in classes because of time. In this

way, they can give extra knowledge to their students in English clubs, for the latter are places

for extracurricular learning and activities. That is why we have chosen the topic of our

dissertation: “Adapting Carolyn Graham’s Jazz Chant Fairy Tales for play productions to help

students perform rhythm in English clubs”.

Three main reasons which prevent teachers not to teach rhythm and play production:

Time constraint by the official syllabus

Teachers’ non-mastery of the subjects

Students’ low level

All in all, the realities in English teaching do not really allow the teaching of rhythm in classes.

The main findings reveal the lack of time due to the official syllabus, the teachers’ non mastery

of the subject and the students’ level. Taking account all these problems, we would like to

suggest teachers to start teaching rhythm in English clubs, which can be accompanied by a play

project to improve the students’ oral English.

PART 3

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PART 3: CONTRIBUTION TO THE TEACHING OF RHYTHM THROUGH THE

PERFORMANCE OF JAZZ CHANT FAIRY TALES

INTRODUCTION

This last part will focus on the experimentations of our topic: “Adapting Carolyn Graham’s

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales for play productions to help students perform rhythm in English clubs”

and on presenting some proposals which could improve the use of the latter. The Part 3 targets

first at verifying the efficiency of the use of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales for the teaching of rhythm

via experimentations. As its name indicates, experimentations are still trial and test on the

feasibility of our topic. Problems may therefore be encountered, and limits of it may be

discovered. So, introducing more suggestions is needed for the amelioration of the use of our

topic. That is why the second aim of Part 3 is to improve the teaching of rhythm through the

performance of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales by means of practical recommendations according to

the problems we faced in the experimentations.

As we can see above, the Part 3 will be divided into two sections. We will first present improved

lesson plans with their respective comments and the lessons we draw from the experimentation

stage. Then, we will give more suggestions for the improvement of the teaching of rhythm

through the performance of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales thanks to our experimentations.

3.1 SUGGESTED LESSON PLANS AFTER EXPERIMENTATIONS

Introduction to the experimentations

We accomplished experimentations in order to verify the efficiency of our topic. Lesson plans

were settled and they were experimented in different places to see if it works not only in one

English club or group of students but in others as well. As a matter of fact, we experimented

our lesson plans in English clubs of private, confessional and public schools reported by the

table below. We could not experiment our topic in other provinces of Madagascar because of

time and money factors. We conducted it in the surroundings of Antananarivo. The present

experimentations will serve as samples for proving the efficiency of the topic.

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Table 5: Details on the experimentations in English clubs

We can see through this table that we organized four experimentations. In fact, we organized

five experimentations, but there was an obstacle with the fifth one which was with students at

Lycée Ambohimalaza Miray. We started but could not continue the experimentation because

they were going on holidays, and they could not go back to school for the rehearsals, as many

of them live far away from the lycée. However, we could draw lessons about the efficiency of

our topic with the four experimentations. The frequency of meeting for each English club was

about nine sessions or so, in which the three first sessions were devoted for the learning of

rhythm and the fairy tales script. The rest were focused on rehearsals, preparations to the public

performance.

In this section, we will present the experimented lesson plans followed by their respective

comments and reports. We will give comments on the lesson plans and report on what happened

during the executions of each of them. We will also report if the settled objectives are reached

or not. The comments and reports will be preceded by the lesson plans which will be presented

in form of tables.

3.1.1 Experimented lesson plans n° 1 based on the tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears

The first experimentation took place in 2015 at the English club of Ecole Kangourou

Behoririka. It started on April 17th, 2015 and ended on June 13th, 2015 which was the D-day of

the public performance. In total we spent nine sessions before the D-day, in which we spent the

three first sessions on learning about rhythm and memorizing the script. The 6 left sessions

were devoted for rehearsals and perfecting the performance. The objective of the teaching was

divided into two. The general is intended to be reached at the end of the experimentation. There

Experimentations English clubs Titles of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales Dates

N°1 English club of Ecole Kangourou Behoririka

Goldilocks And The Three Bears From April 17th,2015

N°2 English club of Ecole Kangourou Behoririka The Three Little Pigs From April 15th,2016

N°3 English Club of

Rainadriamampandry (ECR) Ankadifotsy

Chicken Little From April 16th,2016

N°4 English Club of Lycée Nanisana (ECLYNA) Little Red Riding Hood From April 19th,2016

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are also specific objectives, which are step-by-step objectives in order to reach the general one.

We illustrate in the followings those two kinds of objectives.

The general objective: Students will be able to present in front of an audience Goldilocks

and the Three Bears with the right rhythm.

The specific objectives:

1. Students will be able to understand the script through listening and reading

comprehension.

2. Students will be able to learn about rhythm in the script.

3. Students will be able to memorize the script.

Here are the lesson plans for the three first sessions of learning process followed by their

comments.

Date: April 17th, 2015 Level: Intermediate

English club of Ecole Kangourou Behoririka Duration: 1h 30’

GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS

General objective: Students will be able to present in front of an audience Goldilocks and the three bears with the

right rhythm.

Specific objectives: *Students will be able to understand the script.

*Students will be able to learn about rhythm in the script.

Tim

ing

Contents

Skills

Instructions

Teaching aids

5mn

I- WARM UP: Guessing

Speaking

Ask students if they like fairy tales. Ask them to give some examples. Tell them that they are going to listen to a fairy tale

and ask them to guess the title. Don’t tell yet the right answer.

15mn

II- PRESENTATION: Listening to the audio

version:

1st listening confirming students’ predictions

Listening

Tell students that they are going to listen to a Jazz Chant Fairy Tale of Carolyn Graham.

Explain them that Jazz Chant Fairy Tales are fairy tales adopted by Carolyn Graham by using the jazz rhythm in order to ease the learning of English.

Tell them that apart from the main characters, Jazz Chant Fairy Tales include a chorus and a narrator.

Play the passage; ask them to find if their guessing was right and to enjoy it.

Ask if their predictions were right and ask them to tell the title of it in French.

Expected answer: “Boucles d’Or et les Trois Ours”

-Computer -Loud speakers

Give them the script and let them read and listen to it at the same time.

Ask the following questions to check and help their understanding of the listening passage :

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25mn

2nd listening Script comprehension

Reading

Listening

1. Who are the main characters in the passage? Mama Bear, Papa Bear, Baby Bear, and

Goldilocks. 2. What were the three bears about to do in the

dining room? They were about to take their breakfast. 3. Why they went outside for a walk? They went for a walk in order to let their

porridge cool off because these were too hot. 4. Who knocked at the door when the three

bears were outside? Goldilocks knocked at the door when the

three bears were outside.

-Computer -Loud speakers -Handouts

2nd listening Script comprehension

Speaking

5. What did she do in the dining room? And in the bedroom?

In the dining room, she tasted the porridge of the bears and ate that of Baby Bear. In the bedroom. She tried the bears’ beds and slept in Baby Bear’s.

6. How did the bears reacted when they came back?

surprised, afraid, … 7. Where did they find the girl? They found her in the bedroom, in Baby

Bear’s bed. 8. What happened after? Goldilocks woke up and run away.

-Computer -Loud speakers -Handouts

20mn

3rd listening putting stresses in the script TEACHING RHYTHM

Listening

Explain to students that when speaking in English not all the words are stressed, only the important ones in order to convey meaning.

Tell them that the alternation of stressed and unstressed words form rhythm.

Ask them to listen to the passage again and guide them to underline the stressed words or syllables in the script.

-Computer -Loud speakers -Handouts

25mn

III) PRACTICE: 4th listening imitation of the audio version

Speaking

Play the audio version for the last time, pause at each sentence, and let the students imitate it. [target at similar imitation as much as possible]

-Computer -Loud speakers -Handouts

79

Date: April 24th, 2015 Level: Intermediate

English club of Ecole Kangourou Behoririka Duration: 1h30’

GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS

General objective: Students will be able to present in front of an audience Goldilocks and the three bears with the

right rhythm.

Specific objectives:*Students will be able to memorize the script.

Tim

ing

Contents

Skills

Instructions

Teaching aids

10mn

I- WARM UP: Cartoon watching

Listening

Tell the students that they are going to watch a cartoon of Goldilocks and the three bears. Before watching, ask them to notice, observe and memorize the way the characters act out their roles. It can help them for their acting.

Video

15mn 25mn

II- PRESENTATION: Listening to the audio version: 1st listening listening and silent reading

2nd listening Students’ imitation of the audio version

Listening

Reading

Tell the students that they are going to learn the script of Goldilocks and the three bears.

Play the passage and ask them to follow it by their silent reading of the script.

Tell the students that you are going to play the passage again.

Pause at each sentence and ask the students to repeat. Correct the mistakes. Repeat the difficult parts if necessary.

-Computer -Loud speakers -Handouts

20mn 20mn

III- PRACTICE AND PRODUCTION: Students’ reproduction of the script without the audio version

Students’ reproduction of the script without the audio version and the script.

Reading

Speaking

Tell the students that they are going to read aloud the script without the audio version.

Let them read it from the beginning to the end. Intervene if necessary. (mistakes, difficulties, …)

Divide the script into 4 parts. Tell them that they are going to learn by heart the script,

but step by step; one part after another. Tell them that everyone needs to know the script by heart

and by the end of the school year we will select the bests for the main characters.

Tell them that they are not going to finish mastering all the 4parts today, but we will continue the others next time.

Start with the part one. Repeat it with them and with gestures.

-Handouts -Gestures

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Date: May 1st, 2015 Level: Intermediate

English club of Ecole Kangourou Behoririka Duration: 1h30’

GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS

General objective: Students will be able to present in front of an audience Goldilocks and the three bears with the

right rhythm.

Specific objectives: Students will be able to memorize the whole script.

Tim

ing

Contents

Skills

Instructions

Teaching aids

5mn

I- WARM UP: repeating the 1st part

of the script with the audio version

Listening

Speaking

Ask the students to stand up. Play the audio version. Ask them to speak at the same time as the machine and with

gestures without reading.

-Computer -Loud speakers -Gestures

30mn 10mn

II- PRESENTATION:

Students’ reproduction of the 2nd part of the script with the audio version and the script

Listening Reading

Give the students some words and phrases in the 2nd part of the script: set the table, pour, made, sat down, hot, eat, let’s go, good idea

Explain the unfamiliar ones. Ask them to suggest appropriate gestures for each word or

group of words. Keep the most appropriate ones and adopt them in order to

help students’ memory. Draw on the blackboard the following passage: “Glasses full of milk, porridge in the bowls, spoons in the porridge, paper napkins.)x2 (Spoons, glasses, bowls and napkins)x2 Glasses full of milk, porridge in the bowls, spoons in the porridge, paper napkins.” Play the 2nd part; let them follow it with the gestures.

-Handouts -Gestures -Picture

15mn 15mn

Students’ reproduction of the 2nd part of the script without the audio version and the script

Students’ reproduction of the 3rd part

Students’ reproduction of the 4th part

Speaking

Listening Reading

Speaking

Now, monitor the students to repeat the 2nd part without any support apart from the gestures, the picture and the teacher’s help.

Teach the students the poem in the 3rd part. “This is awful, I feel bad I feel lonely, I feel sad! Empty table, empty chairs It’s lonely here without the bears!” Then, teach them its song. Teach them the existing dialogue in it. (they can look from

time to time the script) After, ask them to repeat the 3rd part with the audio version. Proceed like that of the 4th part.

-Gestures -Picture -Computer -Loud speakers -Handouts

15mn III- PRACTICE AND PRODUCTION:

Students’ reproduction of the whole script

Listening Speaking

Play the audio version from the beginning to the end. Let the students speak at the same time as the machine.

Give students CDs with the audio version for them to rehearse at home.

-Computer -Loud speakers -Handouts

81

Comments and report

This first experimentation was led among students of intermediate level. Each session lasted

for one hour and a half. The fairy tale we taught was Goldilocks and the Three Bears. We

adopted the procedure of 3Ps (Presentation, Practice and Production) in the lesson plans. At the

end of each session, which is at the production stage, we always targeted at the students’

reproduction of the audio version as similar as possible. Improvement was noticed after each

meeting. The students were motivated and interested in the project and in the activities we used,

such as guessing game, watching cartoon, and competition on the best role players … As such,

we did not encounter difficulties in bringing students to participate. They also have good level

in English, so they were not ashamed in participating.

They were asked to bring virgin CDs for them to obtain the audio. They therefore could rehearse

at home, which was a great help for them in the memorizing of the script. They did not only

learn the script at home, but they were also required to imitate well the native speakers for them

to keep the right rhythm. Once the third session was finished, that is, the students generally

mastered the script with the appropriate rhythm, we proceeded with the rehearsals.

During the rehearsals, the students were divided into groups of four like the number of the main

characters. They were given time to prepare a performance of the script in groups. Each group

performed one by one when they have finished preparing. Then, we voted together the best

performers for the public performance. The rest who were not selected for the main characters

joined the chorus or narrators. Students were asked to perfect their roles at home; that is

perfecting their pronunciation and script memorization. We could witness the students’ efforts

and improvement during the sessions of rehearsals. There were some talented students who did

not need assistance anymore during the rehearsals. There were others who did not feel very

confident and who still had some difficulties in mastering their parts, so we intervened and

helped them.

We gave some techniques to the students for perfecting their performance:

Handle well the micro phone in front of the mouth

Speak aloud

Exaggerate the feelings

Keep concentrated

Play your role in your own manner

Be creative and imaginative

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At the ninth session the students were ready for the D-day of the public performance, which

was a ceremony for the end of the school year on June 13th, 2015. Their parents and relatives

and all the school’s students were present at the ceremony.

We delegated to the members of the English club the choice of the design of their costumes.

They prepared theirs at home without our intervention. The placing of the logistics on the stage

(table, chairs, spoons, bowls, napkins, beds…) was delegated to some students. For the Jazz

music, we were helped by someone who lowered the volume of the characters’ voices in the

audio version a week before the D-day, so that the jazz melodies could be dominant during the

performing.

During the D-day performance we could say that the general objective was reached. The

performers could present in front of the public the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears with

the right rhythm though there were some problems with the jazz melodies. They could also

practice the techniques we gave them for better performance. The students also felt the results

of their efforts, so they were enjoying the performance. That is why the experimentation was

rewarding for both teachers and students after long preparation.

3.1.2 Experimented lesson plans n° 2 based on the tale of The Three Little Pigs

The second experimentation was again dealt with students at the English club of Ecole

Kangourou Behoririka. The level of the students was intermediate as well. The experimentation

involved about seven sessions. It started on April 15th, 2016 and ended on June 18th, 2016. We

spent three sessions on learning rhythm through the script and memorizing it. The general

objective has not changed. It is like in the first experimentation. However, there were some

changes on the specifics objectives, as cited below:

General objective: Students will be able to present in front of an audience The Three

Little Pigs with the right rhythm.

Specific objectives:

1. Students will be able to understand the script.

2. Students will be able to learn about rhythm in the script.

3. Students will be able to deepen the knowledge of rhythm.

4. Students will be able to memorize the script.

The following lesson plans are the three first ones devoted for the learning of rhythm and the

script.

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Date: April 15th, 2016 Level: Intermediate

English club of Ecole Kangourou Behoririka Duration: 1h

THE THREE LITTLE PIGS

General objective: Students will be able to present in front of an audience The Three Little Pigs with the right

rhythm.

Specific objectives: *Students will be able to understand the script.

*Students will be able to learn about rhythm in the script.

Tim

ing

Contents

Skills

Instructions

Teaching aids

5mn

I- WARM UP: Brain storming

Speaking

Give students the definition of fairy tales Ask them to give titles of fairy tales they know Expected answers: Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel, Peter Pan … Tell them that they are going to listen to a fairy tale of

The Three Little Pigs

10mn

II- PRESENTATION: Listening to the audio version:

1st listening Getting familiar to the The Three Little Pigs jazz chant version + Script comprehension

Listening

Tell students that they are going to listen to a Jazz Chant Fairy Tale of Carolyn Graham.

Explain them that Jazz Chant Fairy Tales are fairy tales adopted by Carolyn Graham by using the jazz rhythm in order to ease the learning of English.

Tell them that apart from the main characters, Jazz Chant Fairy Tales include a chorus and a narrator.

Give them the script and let them read and listen to it at the same time.

-Computer -Loud speakers

20mn

1st listening Script comprehension

Reading

Listening

Ask the following questions to check and help their understanding of the listening passage : 1. Who are the main characters in the passage?

Mama pig, Big Brother pig, Brother pig, Baby pig and the wolf.

2. What did their mother tell them to do &not to do? Mama told them to be careful about the wolf and to never let a wolf in their doors.

3. Did they stay together when they left home? No, they didn’t. They each other took different road

4. Baby Pig built his house of what? He built his house of straw.

5. What happened to his house? The wolf blew it down.

6. What happened to Brother’s Pig house? The wolf blew it down too.

7. What happened to Big Brother Pig’s house? The wolf blew it, but it did not fall down because it was too hard. It was made of bricks. Now, explain them unfamiliar words if there are.

-Computer -Loud speakers -Handouts

84

Date: April 22nd, 2016 Level: Intermediate

English club of Ecole Kangourou Behoririka Duration: 1h

THE THREE LITTLE PIGS

General objective: Students will be able to present in front of an audience The Three Little Pigs with the right

rhythm.

Specific objectives: Students will be able to deepen their knowledge of rhythm.

10mn

2nd listening putting stresses in the script INITIATION TO RHYTHM

Listening

Explain to students that when speaking in English not all the words are stressed, only the important ones in order to convey meaning.

Tell them that the alternation of stressed and unstressed words form rhythm.

Ask them to listen to the passage again and guide them to underline the stressed words or syllables in the script.

-Computer -Loud speakers -Handouts

15mn

III) PRACTICE: 3rd listening imitation of the audio version

Speaking

Play the audio version for the last time, pause at each sentence, and let the students imitate it. [target at similar imitation as much as possible]

-Computer -Loud speakers -Handouts

Tim

ing

Contents

Skills

Instructions

Teaching aids

15mn

I- WARM UP: Story retelling

Speaking

Tell the students that they are going to retell the story of The Three Little Pigs with their own sentences.

Ask them to form groups of four and retell the story among them without reading the script.

Now, start the story retelling with a volunteer.

Then, let the students continue it turn by turn until the story is finished.

15mn

II- PRESENTATION AND CHECKING: Teaching syllable

principles

Pick up some words in the script with one syllable and write them on the board ( pig, door, home, straw, stick …) Read them and ask students to repeat.

Tell students that those words are made up of one syllable.

Give them the definition of syllable: it is a unit of vowels and/or consonants uttered in one articulation, in one single effort.

Tell them that words can be made up of more than one syllable.

Write on the board examples of words in the script with two syllables (mother, father, alone, asleep …) Read them and ask students to repeat.

Give also examples of words with three syllables ( remember, direction …) Read them and ask students to repeat.

85

10mn 10mn

Teaching word-stress principles

Initiating the teaching of rhythm principles

Checking and practice on syllable:

Give some more words with different numbers of syllables.

Ask them to detect the number of syllables in each word and to read them.

Ask them to give words with one, two and three syllables and to read them.

Now, tell them that not all of the syllables are stressed in a word. Tell them that sometimes the stress is on the first or on the middle or on the last syllable.

Put the stresses of the examples written on the board with the participation of the students

Read them and ask students to repeat. Checking and practice on word-stress:

Ask them to give some more examples of words in the script which receive stress at the first, the middle and the last syllable.

Tell the students that in English, not every

word is stressed in a sentence. Only some important words are.

Take one sentence in the script, in which the stresses are already marked in the previous session. Stress well the important words and clap your hands at the same time to emphasize those important words.

Then, ask the students to join you. Continue with some more sentences.

-Blackboard -Handouts -Blackboard -Handouts

10mn

III- PRACTICE AND

PRODUCTION: Beating the stressed words

with clap

Reading

Now, play the audio version and ask the

students to follow it and clap their hands at the same time as they utter the stressed words.

Stop the machine at the middle of the story and let the students read the script alone accompanied with the clapping

-Computer -Loud speakers -Handouts

86

Date: April 29th, 2016 Level: Intermediate

English club of Ecole Kangourou Behoririka Duration: 45mn

THE THREE LITTLE PIGS

General objective: Students will be able to present in front of an audience The Three Little Pigs with the right

rhythm.

Specific objectives: * Students will be able to deepen their knowledge about rhythm.

*Students will be able to memorize the script.

Tim

ing

Contents

Skills

Instructions

Teaching

aids

5mn

I- WARM UP: Ball game

Speaking

Ask the students to stand up in a form of a circle. Tell them that when they receive the ball, they have to tell a

word with the right stress. Words already said should not be repeated. The one who repeats what has already been said or who does not find a word quickly is out of the game. The last person in the game is the winner.

Now, play the game

-Ball

15mn

II- PRESENTATION: Lesson on rhythm

Tell the students that they are going to deepen their knowledge of rhythm.

Give them the sentences on “Kids play ball.” Kids play ball.

The kids play ball.

The kids are playing ball.

The kids are playing with the ball.

The kids have been playing with the ball.

Explain them the rule for rhythm: content words are stressed (nouns, main verbs, adjectives, adverbs, interjections, question words, and negative auxiliary), but function words are not (articles, prepositions, pronouns, auxiliary verbs, and conjunctions)

Read the sentences, and beat the stressed words with claps Ask the students to do it alone.

-Blackboard

25mn

III- PRACTICE AND

PRODUCTION:

Reading

Consider the sentence of the narrator in the script: The wolf huffed and he puffed, but the house was so strong that he couldn’t blow it down no matter how hard he tried. He was getting very angry.

Ask the students to detect the stressed words. Ask them to read the sentence with the appropriate rhythm. Correct if there are mistakes.

Now, ask them to detect the content words in a section of the

script.

Tell them to read it without the audio version.

-Handouts

87

Comments and report

The present experimentation deals with the story of The Three Little Pigs. The lesson plans

above illustrate the steps we organized in order to teach rhythm through the script of The Three

Little Pigs and the memorizing of the latter. The duration of the session became lesser than the

first experimentation; it was less of equal one hour.

At the beginning, we could see that the students were interested in the experimentation. In fact,

there were some of them who had already participated in the performance of Goldilocks And

The Three Bears last year. They enjoyed the last experimentation, and they were still ready to

for another one. The other students who were not familiar to the project showed interest to it as

well. However, we found that they were kind of uptight at the beginning because they could see

that some of the students were quite good at familiar to it. We therefore tried to focus our

attention to the weak and new students during the learning process. We tried to encourage and

reassure them when they faced difficulties. We praised them when they made improvement,

and help them especially in the field of memorizing the script. In so doing, and with their

rehearsal at home with the CDs containing the audio version, they could improve. The students

could apply what they learnt on rhythm through the reproduction of their part in the script.

This time, we did not organize competition for the choice of the main characters because of the

reason we developed previously. We looked at the characters identities, and chose together the

right person for each role. For example, Mama Pig needed to a big girl. Baby Pig needed to be

the most little boy in the class, and the narrators should be students who were good at

memorizing because their parts are quite long and difficult... We also decided on the design of

the costumes and the management of the logistics with the involvement of the students in order

to ease the task of the teacher.

For the jazz music, we were helped by a person who could compose what we call “a playback”.

Like church choirs are used to doing, students reproduced the tale’s script without musicians

but with the playback or music composed in advance. The composition of the playback required

our presence (teacher). It was not a piece of cake because we needed to confront the original

version with that of the playback which was time consuming. We sometimes arrived at home

at nine o’clock p.m. only because of the composition of the playback. Before the D-day,

students needed to rehearse with the playback for them to be used to it. They needed to be

guided on when to speak with it. The playback played the role of support for the students to

keep the right rhythm all along the performance.

88

As a result, the experimentation was fruitful thanks to the collaboration of the students and the

teacher. Even if we faced some difficulties during the learning and rehearsal stages, students

could generally manage to present the story of The Three Little Pigs with the right rhythm.

3.1.3 Experimented lesson plans n° 3 based on the tale of Chicken Little

The experimentation n°3 was organized with the students in the English Club of

Rainandriamampandry (ECR). We started the experimentation on April 16th, 2016 and ended

on May 21th, 2016. As the students’ level was elementary, we have chosen the easiest tale

adequate to their level, which was Chicken Little. We also spent three sessions on the learning

stage. Like the other experimentations the present one has got a general and specific objectives:

General objective: Students will be able to present in front of an audience Chicken Little

with the right rhythm.

Specific objectives: 1. Students will be able to understand the script.

2. Students will be able to learn about rhythm in the script.

3. Students will be able to understand how rhythm works.

4. Students will be able to master the script.

Detailed lesson plans on the learning stage are presented below.

Date: April 16th, 2016 Level: Elementary

English club of Rainandriamampandry Ankadifotsy Duration: 1h

CHICKEN LITTLE

General objective: Students will be able to present in front of an audience Chicken Little with the right rhythm.

Specific objectives: *Students will be able to understand the script.

*Students will be able to learn about rhythm in the script.

Tim

ing

Contents

Skills

Instructions

Teaching aids

10mn

I- WARM UP: Brain storming

Speaking

Give students the definition of fairy tales. Ask them to give titles of fairy tales they know. Expected answers: Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel, Peter Pan … Tell them that they are going to listen to a fairy tale of

Chicken Little.

15mn

II- PRESENTATION: Integrating listening and reading:

1. Pre-

listening/reading

Draw pictures of poultry on the blackboard: chick, hen, rooster, duck, goose, turkey. Then, draw a picture of a fox.

Ask them to repeat each word. Summarize the story of Chicken Little through a drawing

as well. Do not tell them the ending. Let them guess it.

-Drawing

89

Date: April 23rd, 2016 Level: Elementary

English club of Rainandriamampandry Ankadifotsy Duration: 1h

CHICKEN LITTLE

General objective: Students will be able to present in front of an audience Chicken Little with the right rhythm.

Specific objectives: Students will be able to understand how rhythm works.

Tell them that they will check their guessing by following the story.

20mn

2. While-listening/reading

INITIATION TO RHYTHM

Listening

Reading

Give out the handouts. Play the audio version and ask them to follow the story

through the script and to verify if their guessing was true or not.

Ask them about the ending of the story and their guessing

Give explanation of unfamiliar words. Explain to students that when speaking in English not all

the words are stressed, only the important ones in order to convey meaning.

Tell them that the alternation of stressed and unstressed words form rhythm.

Ask them to listen to the passage again and guide them to underline the stressed words or syllables in the script.

-Handouts -Computer -Loud speakers -Computer -Loud speakers -Handouts

15mn

III) PRACTICE AND PRODUCTION:

3. Post-

listening/reading

Speaking

Play the audio version for the last time, pause at each sentence, and let the students imitate it. [target at similar imitation as much as possible]

-Computer -Loud speakers -Handouts

Tim

ing

Contents

Skills

Instructions

Teaching aids

15mn

I- WARM UP: Song: I have decided

to follow Jesus

Tell the students that in the story of Chicken Little all the poultries followed the little chick.

Tell them that in the song I have decided to follow Jesus, we follow Jesus but not the chick.

Sing the song with gestures

-Gestures -Song

15mn

II- PRESENTATION AND CHECKING: Teaching syllable

principles

Pick up some words in the script with one syllable and write them on the board (tree, sky, duck …). Read them and ask students to repeat.

Tell students that those words are made up of one syllable.

Give them the definition of syllable: it is a unit of vowels and/or consonants uttered in one articulation, in one single effort.

Tell them that words can be made up of more than one syllable.

-Blackboard -Handouts

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Write on the board examples of words in the script with two syllables (falling, chicken, turkey …). Read them and ask students to repeat.

Give also examples of words with three syllables (beautiful, together, decided …). Read them and ask students to repeat.

10mn 10mn

Teaching word-stress principles

Initiating the teaching of rhythm principles

Checking and practice on syllable:

Give some more words with different numbers of syllables.

Ask them to detect the number of syllables in each word and to read them.

Ask them to give words with one, two and three syllables.

Now, tell them that not all of the syllables are stressed in a word. Tell them that sometimes the stress is on the first or on the middle or on the last syllable.

Put the stresses of the examples written on the board with the participation of the students Checking and practice on word-stress:

Ask them to give some more examples of words in the script which receive stress at the first, the middle and the last syllable.

Tell the students that in English, not every word is

stressed in a sentence. Only some important words are.

Take one sentence in the script, in which the stresses are already marked in the last session. Stress well the important words and clap your hands at the same time to emphasize those important words.

Then, ask the students to join you. Continue with some more sentences

-Blackboard -Handouts

10mn

III- PRACTICE AND

PRODUCTION: Beating the stressed

words with clap

Reading

Now, play the audio version and ask the students to

follow it and clap their hands at the same time as they utter the stressed words.

Stop the machine at the middle of the story and let the students read the script alone accompanied with the clapping.

-Computer -Loud speakers -Handouts

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Date: April 30th, 2016 Level: Elementary

English club of Rainandriamampandry Ankadifotsy Duration: 1h

CHICKEN LITTLE

General objective: Students will be able to present in front of an audience Chicken Little with the right rhythm.

Specific objectives: Students will be able to master the script.

Comments and report

We estimate that due to their level, the students did not really dare to participate. They were

ashamed to speak up, so we found difficulties in correcting them. They were also shy when

playing their roles, yet the public performance was to be presented during a special event. The

event was the final step of an English song contest prepared by the ECR called “Sing My Song”

in which we were required to present some minutes of performance. The event was special

because it is not only a final contest, but artists like Bodo and Felaniary were present, so their

performances (the finalists and the artists) were surely up to standard. We therefore were

challenged to present a show worth it. As a result, we had to prepare the students

psychologically about that and used that context to promote their efforts. Apart from that, we

faced a serious problem. At one week before the public performance, the students did not master

yet their part of the script and the pronunciation. So, we had to organize extra rehearsal sessions.

One monitor of the ECR helped us in the assistance of the students.

Tim

ing

Contents

Skills

Instructions

Teaching aids

5mn

I- WARM UP: Concentration

and speaking up game

Ask the students to stand up in a form of a circle. Tell them that they need to be very concentrated and

repeat what you say in a very loud voice. You say: “Boum” and they repeat. Continue with “Boum Chicca Boum”; “Boum chicca

Rocca Boum”; “Boum chicca Rocca chicca Rocca chicca Boum” …

15mn 15mn

II- PRESENTATION AND PRACTICE:

Reinforcement of rhythm

Listening

Reading

Remind the students about the sentence they read in the

script last week and make them read with emphasizing the stressed words

Now, proceed with whole of the script. Play the audio version and read the script with it. Tell the

students to imitate it well. Now, give each student a role. Ask them to learn by heart

their parts alone for some minutes.

-Blackboard

25mn

III- PRODUCTION:

speaking

Call the students to come to you one by one. Let them repeat their part in front of you without looking

at the script. Help them if they do not remember their part and correct

their pronunciation, especially rhythm.

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The accessibility of the students to the tale’s audio version contributed to the development of

our work. They were also given the liberty to choose their own costumes and to bring their

personalities in the performance. That lowered the pressure already present. We have also

composed a playback of Chicken Little to help the students keep the right rhythm.

At the end, we could find improvement. The students made efforts and considered almost the

remarks we gave them. In short, the result of the experimentation n°3 was palpable. Moreover,

teachers in other English clubs and some of the audience gave some feedbacks which reinforced

the fact that our experimentation was fruitful.

3.1.4 Experimented lesson plans n° 4 based on the tale of Little Red Riding Hood

The last experimentation took place at the English Club of Lycée Nanisana (ECLYNA). The

students’ level was high-intermediate. We only spent two sessions for the learning stage apart

from the rehearsals. We could not present our performance in front of a public because we could

not find any opportunity for it. So, we changed the play project into video project. The

objectives of the present experimentation are the same as the second one, and the adopted

procedure was identical to that of the other ones. Here are the lesson plans for the two learning

sessions.

Date: April 19th, 2016 Level: High-intermediate

English club of Lycée Nanisana Duration: 45mn

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

General objective: Students will be able to present in front of an audience Little Red Riding Hood with the right

rhythm.

Specific objectives: *Students will be able to understand the script.

*Students will be able to learn about rhythm in the script.

Tim

ing

Contents

Skills

Instructions

Teaching aids

5mn

I- WARM UP: Brain storming

Speaking

Give students the definition of fairy tales Ask them to give titles of fairy tales they know Expected answers: Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel, Peter Pan … Tell them that they are going to listen to a fairy tale of

Little Red Riding Hood

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10mn

II- PRESENTATION: Listening to the audio version:

1st listening Getting familiar to the Little Red Riding Hood jazz chant version

Tell students that there are many version of fairy tales and that they are going to listen to a Jazz Chant Fairy Tale of Carolyn Graham.

Explain them that Jazz Chant Fairy Tales are fairy tales adopted by Carolyn Graham by using the jazz rhythm in order to ease the learning of English.

Tell them that apart from the main characters, Jazz Chant Fairy Tales include a chorus and a narrator.

Give them the script and let them read and listen to it at the same time.

Tell them to fill the missing words in the script.

-Computer -Loud speakers

10mn

2nd listening Script comprehension

Reading

Listening

Ask the following questions to check and help their understanding of the listening passage : 1. Who are the main characters in the passage?

Mama, Little Red Riding Hood, Granny, the wolf, the hunter.

2. What did mama tell Little Red Riding Hood to do &not to do?

Mama told her to visit her granny, to go straight to granny’s house, not to talk with stranger, to be careful about the wolf.

3. Did she followed her mother’s instructions? No, she didn’t.

4. What did she do instead? She stopped on the way and talked with the wolf. She followed its suggestion.

5. What happened after? The wolf gobbled up granny and Little Red Riding Hood.

6. How could they be saved? By the help of a hunter who cut a hole in the wolf stomach and took them out of it. Now, explain them unfamiliar words if there are.

-Computer -Loud speakers -Handouts

10mn

3rd listening putting stresses in the script INITIATION TO RHYTHM

Listening

Explain to students that when speaking in English not all the words are stressed, only the important ones in order to convey meaning.

Tell them that the alternation of stressed and unstressed words form rhythm.

Ask them to listen to the passage again and guide them to underline the stressed words or syllables in the script.

-Computer -Loud speakers -Handouts

10mn

III) PRACTICE: 4th listening imitation of the audio version

Speaking

Play the audio version for the last time, pause at each sentence, and let the students imitate it. [target at similar imitation as much as possible]

-Computer -Loud speakers -Handouts

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Date: April 26th, 2016 Level: High-intermediate

English club of Lycée Nanisana Duration: 45mn

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

General objective: Students will be able to present in front of an audience Little Red Riding Hood with the right

rhythm.

Specific objectives: Students will be able to deepen the learning of rhythm.

Tim

ing

Contents

Skills

Instructions

Teaching aids

15mn

I- WARM UP: Video watching

Tell the students that they are going to watch some videos on Little Red Riding Hood.

Tell them to notice the costumes the characters are wearing, for them to have an idea of theirs.

Ask them to observe their way of acting which may help them in theirs

-Videos

15mn

II- PRESENTATION: Teaching

syllable principles

Pick up some words in the script with one syllable and write them on the board ( red, home, sick …). Read them and ask students to repeat.

Tell students that those words are made up of one syllable.

Give them the definition of syllable: it is a unit of vowels and/or consonants uttered in one articulation, in one single effort.

Tell them that words can be made up of more than one syllable.

Write on the board examples of words in the script with two syllables (mama, granny, alone …). Read them and ask students to repeat.

Give also examples of words with three syllables (chocolate, carefully, happily …). Read them and ask students to repeat.

-Blackboard -Handouts

10mn

Teaching word-stress principles

Checking and practice on syllable: Give some more words with different numbers of

syllables. Read them and ask students to repeat. Ask them to detect the number of syllables in each

word. Ask them to give words with one, two and three

syllables.

Now, tell them that not all of the syllables are stressed in a word. Tell them that sometimes the stress is on the first or on the middle or on the last syllable. Put the stresses of the examples written on the board with the participation of the students

-Blackboard -Handouts

10mn

Initiating the teaching of rhythm principles

Checking and practice on word-stress: Ask them to give some more examples of words in the

script which receive stress at the first, the middle and the last syllable.

Tell the students that in English, not every word is stressed in a sentence. Only some important words are.

Take one sentence in the script, in which the stresses are already marked in the last session. Stress well the

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Comments and report

We did not find any important difficulty with the students during the learning process thanks to

their level. They were involved in the project. They brought their ideas and suggestions to the

amelioration of it. They easily caught the lesson about rhythm and their reproduction of the

script was almost similar to that of the original audio version.

As mentioned above, we could not find any opportunity for a public performing, so we changed

the play project into a video project. We could see that the students were more interested to this

project than the previous one. Some of them volunteered on doing the filming, the directing and

the montage. We organized a sound recording at Lycée Nanisana. In other words, we have

recorded the students’ voice with a playback of Little Red Riding Hood in order to obtain a new

audio version of it. We could notice that the students were less stressed than the others who

faced public because they could read the script when we recorded their voice. Indeed, we could

not afford renting a sound studio for the sound recording, but we did it in a room at Lycée

Nanisana with the help of a person having experience in sound recording. We could evaluate

the students’ mastery of rhythm during the recording. We can say that they managed reading

the script with the appropriate rhythm.

The filming took place at Andranobevava Marais Masay. The evaluation of the mastery of

rhythm had been finished in the previous step, and the filming step was just a time for fun as it

was an outdoor activity. The students were very interested in it. They all took part in presenting

some ideas about how to bring originality to the film. The materials for the filming were a

mobile phone with camera and a student’s tablet. The students were required to move their lips

at the same time as the new audio version while they were acting. The filming spent a whole

important words and clap your hands at the same time to emphasize those important words.

Then, ask the students to join you. Continue with some more sentences

10mn

III- PRACTICE AND

PRODUCTION: Beating the stressed words

with clap

Reading

Now, play the audio version and ask the students to

follow it and clap their hands at the same time as they utter the stressed words.

Stop the machine at the middle of story and let the students read the script alone accompanied with the clapping.

Give the students the audio version of Little Red Riding Hood and ask them to master the script at home.

-Computer -Loud speakers -Handouts

96

afternoon because we sometimes had to re-film some parts of the acting for better result. We

could see that the students enjoyed themselves all the afternoon.

After the sound taking and the filming came the montage. It consists in combining the audio

and the video version together in order to have the film. One student had some experience in it

and volunteered in the montage of our film. Once the montage is finished we can organize

another time to watch it together (at the time of written it is not yet finished) and enjoy it

together. That will be the reward of our long time of preparation.

As a conclusion, video project opens a new way of learning to students. It gives them

opportunity to learn not only English, but they can also have experience in how to make a short

film. All in all, video project eases the learning of rhythm more than play project as their

evaluation does not necessitate a public performance. We can evaluate them during the sound

recording where they just have to read the script with the right rhythm.

Conclusion to the experimentations

The experimentation stage was not an easy task. We had to face problems, obstacles, and

challenges for its accomplishment. We could fortunately overcome them and draw lessons from

this stage. We could verify the efficiency of our topic as well. The experimentations showed

that the topic is efficient in general for students from elementary to high-intermediate level. We

could also find that it was limited to some extent. We will summarize the points which brought

our topic to its efficiency and the points which showed its limits.

Generally, we could reach the general goal of making students perform the Jazz Chant Fairy

Tales with the right rhythm. The following points are worth being mentioned for their

contribution to the fulfillment of the goal. They are the lessons we draw about the effectiveness

of our topic during the experimentations:

The play project allows the learning of rhythm through repetition because of the rehearsal

sessions. Students were interest in the play project.

Public performances promote students’ efforts on both the memorizing of the script and

the reproducing of it with the right rhythm.

Playback enhances the keeping of the appropriate rhythm.

Students’ access to the audio version helps them to reinforce their learning at home.

Teacher’s assistance, extra-rehearsals, and other teacher’s help increase the improvement

of weak students.

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Video project eases the learning and the evaluation of students’ rhythm as it does not

require public performance.

Play project or video project are rewarding for both teachers and students.

We could also discover the limits of our topic. Here are some points which can be presented as

so:

It requires too long preparation before students are ready to be evaluated (time-consuming)

It demands a lot of efforts from teacher and students.

It is dependent on public or video performing.

Thanks to the experimentation stage, we could see that our topic “Adapting Carolyn Graham’s

Jazz Chant Fairy Tales for play productions to help students perform rhythm in English clubs”

was in general effective for English clubs form elementary to high-intermediate level. It could

also bring some problems to the learning process to some extent. That is why we introduce

some suggestions for the improvement of the use of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales to teach rhythm in

the next section.

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3.2 MORE SUGGESTIONS ON THE OVERALL PRINCIPLES AND

ORGANIZATION ON THE TEACHING OF RHYTHM THROUGH THE

PERFORMANCE OF JAZZ CHANT FAIRY TALES

Introduction to the suggestions

We can suggest and recommend better teaching techniques and procedure thanks to our

experimentation stage. For the procedure, we are going to suggest shorter one as in our

experimentations the procedure was too long. As we are dealing with play project, we will also

suggest some techniques which can help teachers in monitoring the performers. Then, we will

recommend some tasks sharing points between teachers and students in the project. Last but

not the least, we will give reasons for choosing video project rather than play project.

3.2.1 Schedule on the teaching process

For this section, we suggest the teaching process for only five sessions including the rehearsals.

For this reduction of sessions, it is worth settling an organize schedule from the learning of

rhythm to the public performance. We are going to answer the questions: When in the five

sessions to teach rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales? When to start teaching play

production or doing the rehearsals? When to perform it in front of a public?

3.2.1.1 When to teach rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales?

In the experimentations, we could see that we taught rhythm during the first and second

sessions. The reason is that in we first gave them a glimpse of what rhythm is in the first session

and in the second session we used the teaching of syllable and word stress as bridge to the

teaching of rhythm. As we try to reduce the numbers of sessions, we suggest its teaching only

at the first session.

In order to finish the teaching of rhythm in the first session, we do not need to use any bridge

but to go straight away to the target. Right after the understanding of the script, students can

learn about rhythm. We can just give them the definition, the rules (content words and function

words), and the role of rhythm in English communication. Practice and production can be focus

on just some part of the script for the beginning. Students can also be shared the audio version

not obligatory by CDs but via Bluetooth so that they can have it in their mobile phone or the

like and share it among themselves. They can be asked to learn it at home and to take into

account their rhythm when they learn it so that they can be ready to start rehearsal in the second

session.

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3.2.1.2 When to start teaching play production or doing the rehearsals?

Obviously, the four left sessions are for teaching play production and the rehearsals. We suggest

three sessions of perfecting and one session of dressing rehearsal. At the same time students

need to be encouraged to continue their preparation at home for better results.

In the second session, teacher with the help of students can share the roles and start reading the

script with the audio version. The students can begin to act out through looking at the script

from time to time. They can be asked to rehearse at home for improvement. The third session

should aim at performing with right rhythm and without reading the script. The fourth and the

fifth sessions’ objective should be for perfecting. Teacher needs to remind students in each

session to pay attention to their rhythm. We need to correct them when they make mistakes on

the subject.

3.2.1.3 When to perform it in front of a public?

For the case of our experimentations, we have benefit from opportunities of the schools

organization for the public performances. Certain schools have traditional ceremonies like

school-year-end ceremony or others. They can be profited for the public performance. Other

opportunities like school anniversary may also occur and so on.

We can also organize a simple event in the name of the English club you belong to and invite

guests (relatives or other English clubs) as a public. In the case of organizing an event for the

performance, we have to be prepared for everything. We need to find a place (can be in a

classroom, in the yard of the school…), to prepare a budget, to settle organization with the

students … That may be difficult for teachers who are not used to organizing event. That is

why, we also suggest video project rather than play project as we are going to expand later.

3.2.2 Suggested ways of teaching play production

Via (1985), an educational specialist, a former professional of theatre who became interested

in teaching English through drama, urges teachers not to dominate everything when teaching

drama activities. He shows how fruitful students can be if the teacher let them be independent

and play roles in their own ways. For him, the first step to do is to turn the classroom into a

rehearsal hall. In addition, he introduces techniques which help students to be independent and

successful. His techniques consist in settling the (1) “I amness” of the students, (2) favoring a

relaxed atmosphere, (3) adopting the “magic if”, (4) making use of observation.

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3.2.2.1 Settling the “I amness” of the students

Teachers should help as much as possible students to bear in their mind that they should portray

a character in their manner. They should realize that they cannot be anyone else but themselves,

and they should be helped to learn to be themselves. That is to say, they interpret but not copy

other persons’ behavior. Teachers should not dictate to them the gestures to be done or likewise.

Aiming at helping students to be themselves, Via gave a statement for them to keep in mind “I

am myself in this situation and I am speaking English”.

3.2.2.2 Favoring a relaxed atmosphere

Teachers should make the classroom as free of fear, nervousness, anxiety, frustration, stress,

any negative feelings as much as possible. That is why the first step to do is to turn the classroom

into a rehearsal hall. Meaning, we ban the form that the teacher is placed in front of students

which transfer the idea of the teacher’s dominance that may cause negative feelings to the

students. It is better to arrange the benches or chairs in a semicircular shape if possible. We

suggest the two following figures.

Figure 15: Seats’ arrangement during the rehearsals

Melville, Langenheim, Rinvolucri and Spaventa (1985)

In figures 1 and 2, the chairs are placed in a semicircular shape. That leaves an empty space in

the middle which can be exploited into a sketch or performance area. In figure 1, the teacher’s

chair is separated from those of students. In this case, the teacher does not take part in the

activities they do. Whereas in figure 2, the teacher takes part in the activities with the students

because the latter’s chairs are linked with the teacher’s one. Both of the figures can lower any

negative feeling towards the learning process, and it depends on the teacher to choose which

figure to adopt during the rehearsal sessions.

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Apart from the chairs’ place, the classroom should be a place where group efforts, peer teaching,

and sharing are dominant. The teacher should, therefore, promote activities involving group

and peer work. Group works encourage weak students to take part in the activities where they

can commit faults in privacy and corrected in privacy by peers and sometimes by the teacher.

How then to divide the class quickly, efficiently and to split up natural groups? The following

three techniques enable the teacher to do so.

1. “If there are twenty students in the class, and five groups of four students are required,

the teacher gives each student a number from the sequence 1,2,3,4; repeating the

sequence five times. There will, therefore, be four students with 1, four with 2, four with

3, and four with 4. Students who have the same number form a group.

2. “For pair work, designate one A and one students B in each pair. The A student in each

group has one set of instructions and the B student another.

3. “Draw a sheet of symbols ̶ six bowlers hats, six pipes, six saucepans, etc. Cut the

symbols out and put them into a pack. Each student takes a card and forms a group with

the other students who have drawn the same symbol. In the same way, students can be

divided by being given sets of words, all those with the same word forming a group.”

Melville, Langenheim, Rinvolucri and Spaventa (1985)

Teachers should always try to raise their students’ self-confidence through taking into account

and valuing the efforts the latter have made individually or in group. In addition to that, teachers

should give “feedback on what the children have done, not only the end product and language

but also the process they went through, the way they cooperated with each other, and how they

came to decisions. Always find something positive to comment on.” (Zalta, 2006). This does

not only give importance to students’ self-confidence but also participate in keeping a relaxed

atmosphere all along the session.

3.2.2.3 Adopting the “magic if”

This step requires students to question themselves: “How would I speak and behave if I were

in this situation?” Teacher should draw students’ mind in understanding the role of the

characters they are going to perform. They should be informed enough about the personality of

the role they are playing; not only their personality but also their emotions in the script. “We

all feel that the more we understand other people (whether they are in fiction, history, or real

life) the better we can become.” (Imhoof, 1973) Moreover, they should understand well the

situation so that they can develop their own interpretation but not always depending on and

seeking security from the teacher.

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3.2.2.4 Making use of observation

The students can use their observation in the past and in the present to help them portray a

character. More significantly, their past observation is based on movie, TV program, or play

production that they have already seen and that can help them in their interpretation. Likewise

for their present observation, they are influenced by their partners’ speech and body language

during their rehearsal. For example, the situation is about two people quarreling. Person A raises

his voice and makes provocative gestures, so the person B will also raise his voice and adopt

suitable gestures to that of person A. So, the students had better use their past observation and

be sensible to the present situation when playing a role.

Another observation that they can have is to watch together in the classroom a cartoon or

a film related to the play or the same as it. In this case, they can memorize the actions they

watched and can adopt them in their interpretation later. As Zalta (2006) stated: “Learners seem

to become more motivated about language learning when a video is involved.”

3.2.3 Tasks’ sharing between teacher and students for the needed materials

We have experimented the advantages of not monopolizing all tasks for the teacher. We have

delegated some tasks to students in order to ease the teacher’s work and to get students involved

in the project. In so doing, they felt feeling of belonging to the project, that is it belongs to

everybody not only the teacher. Here are some suggested tasks sharing between teacher and

students.

3.2.3.1 Stage decoration

Stage decoration is crucial for not only decoration, but it helps the audience to understand the

performed story. Teacher can involve students in finding ideas about the decoration. They can

be asked to think of possible basic decoration and other decoration needed for the performance.

In the story of The Three Little Pigs for example, students can be asked to prepare a house of

straw, sticks and bricks.

The work can be delegated into groups. A group can take care of the basic decoration, one for

the house of straw, one for the house of sticks, and one for the house of bricks. A chief can be

nominated for each group. The teacher does not play the role of executor but gives instructions

and monitor the students.

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3.2.3.3 Costumes

In the experimentation stage, we asked the students to make their costumes on their own. In this

way, the costumes stay theirs and the teacher or the English club will not spend money on it. In

short, it is beneficial for each part.

Teacher however needs to do some researches on some possible costumes for each character

and present them to students. We can find some pictures of costumes in books or in the

internet…You show it to them and decide with them the most appropriate ones. The costumes

needs to be chosen at the same time as the selecting of the characters for them to have enough

time to prepare it on their own, and for the costumes to be ready before the D-day public

performance.

3.2.3.4 Sound system

Sound system (loudspeakers, microphones …) can be a problem or not depending on the school

the English club belongs to. There are some schools which already have sound system, but there

are also some which do not have. In the case that the play production is not included in a pre-

organized event by the school (like the opportunity we had during the school-year-end

ceremony organized by Ecole Kangourou), teacher needs to be prepared to find. It can be

possible that students find, so it is better to talk with them. Concerning the money for sound

system lending, English clubs most of the time have some savings which can be used for such

project. If it is not enough, teacher and students can add it.

3.2.4 Making a video project rather than a play production project

Inspired by an article of Carney and Foss (2008) entitled “Student-Produced video: Two

Approaches” in English Teaching Forum, we have changed the last experimentation into a

video project. This article is about 2 video-projects in an intensive English course at Kwansei

Gakuin University in Sanda, Japan. The 2 projects consist in making four short films and one

long film with the high participation of the students. More precisely, it is the students who

accomplished all the tasks involved in the project, such as filming, directing, writing, costume

designing, set and sound designing. The teacher plays the role of advisor, i.e. correcting and

improving students’ work and language. The projects help students to be independent from their

teacher, give them opportunity to collaborate in groups. They are also innovative because

students could learn and practice about new areas like technology and film making. The

activities are rewarding, especially for the students because of the result of their own work (the

films).

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We have adapted this “Student-Produced video” to the experimentation. We enhanced the

participation of students to the project according to their skills. We could detect some students

talented in some areas and others. For instance, there were students who had some experiences

on filming, some on directing, and some on making the montage. Then, we shared the tasks

according to the students’ competences. We (teacher) did not do too much of tasks apart from

organizing meetings and monitoring the students as they were all bringing their contribution to

the project. In short, this project is less stressing than the play project because students are not

going to face public and you are not going to organize an event which may be money spending.

That is why we recommend the adoption of video project as it can bring much more advantages

for teachers and students than play project.

Conclusion to the suggestions for the use of jazz chant fairy tales to teach rhythm

Suggestions were presented in this section for ameliorating the use of our topic. We have

introduced easier and more efficient techniques for reaching the intention above. The general

suggestions are summarized by the enumeration below:

Reduction of the sessions into five:

First session: understanding of the script and learning of rhythm.

Second and third sessions: starting of the rehearsals

Fourth and fifth sessions: mastering the performance with the right rhythm

Monitoring students’ performance through giving them some techniques: (1) settling their

“I amness”, (2) favoring a relaxed atmosphere, (3) adopting the “magic if”, (4) making use

of observation.

Finding appropriate occasions for the public performing, such as school ceremonies:

school-year end ceremony, school anniversary ceremony …

Sharing tasks with students: stage decoration, costume making, sound system finding…

Adopting video project rather than play production for easier and more entertaining tasks

We believe that considering those suggestions will bring better results to the use of the topic

“Adapting Carolyn Graham’s Jazz Chant Fairy Tales for play productions to help students

perform rhythm in English clubs”. In using them, teacher’s tasks are well organized and

reduced. So, stress is less felt and students do not feel under the teacher’s pressure, as they can

work by their own. In short, adopting those suggestions are beneficial for both teacher and

students for the accomplishment of our topic.

105

Conclusion to Part 3

We have seen in the last part of the present work the report on the experimentation stage. We

have tested the efficiency of our topic with four experimentations in three different English

clubs from elementary to high-intermediate level. In an overall view, we could say that the

teaching of rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales adapted into play project and video project

is effective. As the experimentation stage was the first trial of our topic, we had not only proved

its efficiency, but we also discovered some problems which could be presented as its limits. We

consequently felt the need of bringing suggestions compatible to for the resolution of the

discovered problems in order to obtain better result in the future. The found limits of the topic

and their appropriate solutions are summed up in this table.

LIMITS SOLUTIONS

It requires too long preparation (about

nine sessions) before evaluating the students’

mastery of rhythm through the script

Reduction of the sessions into five by:

-Shortening the content of rhythm teaching

for students to have clear and concise

knowledge about it.

-Boosting the mastery of rhythm through the

script by giving them the audio version to be

learnt at home.

It demands a lot of efforts from teacher and

students

- Sharing tasks with students in order to

ease the teacher’s tasks and to lower the

teacher’s pressure to students.

- Adopting video project rather than play

production for easier and more entertaining

tasks.

106

It is dependent on public or video

performing

Public and video performing

Public performing

- Giving students techniques for them to

be effective and self-confident when

portraying their roles: (1) settling their “I

amness”, (2) favoring a relaxed atmosphere,

(3) adopting the “magic if”, (4) making use

of observation.

- Finding appropriate occasions for the

public performance, such as school

ceremonies: end of the school-year

ceremony, school anniversary ceremony …

Table 6: Limits of the experimentations and their solutions

The suggestions in the second column are intended to bring solutions the problems in the first

column. Considering those suggestions, the use of our topic in the future will be more fruitful

than that of our first trials during the experimentation stage.

107

GENERAL CONCLUSION

The present memoir is entitled “Adapting Carolyn Graham’s Jazz Chant Fairy Tales for play

productions to help students perform rhythm in English clubs”. We have chosen this topic

because we are convinced of the importance of rhythm, for it participates in the amelioration of

students’ communicative skills. Many factors may push teachers not to teach rhythm in classes.

That is why we wrote the three parts of this work to target mainly at helping lycée teachers so

that they can teach rhythm with less difficulty. In the first part, our objective was to give

necessary information about rhythm in order to reinforce teachers’ knowledge and

consideration of it. Then, we targeted in the second part at finding the existing problems on the

teaching of rhythm by conducting investigations to students and teachers. We also aimed at

verifying the relevance of our topic via experimentations and introducing some suggestions

which could improve the use of our topic in the third part.

The Part 1 was intended to demonstrate theoretically how using Carolyn Graham’s Jazz Chant

Fairy Tales can help students learn rhythm in English clubs. Jazz Chant Fairy Tales facilitate

teachers’ tasks and students’ learning process because it is not merely a book with fairy tales,

but it is also accompanied with audio versions. The printed versions of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales

present opportunities for the visual learning of rhythm and the audio versions contribute to that

of the audio learning. Apart from the advantages that Jazz Chant Fairy Tales can bring to the

teaching of integrated skills and language elements, they especially present aspects which

enhance the acquisition of English spoken rhythm via the jazz rhythm, the rhythmic clapping

in the audio versions and the considerable words and phrases repetitions. They are also meant

by their creator to be performed as play productions. So, students’ practice on rhythm will be

reinforced by rehearsals for play performances. In short, the fact that Jazz Chant Fairy Tales

have printed and audio versions eases the teaching and the learning of rhythm.

We decided to meet students and teachers at lycées for more up-dated information about the

realities on the teaching of rhythm in classes. That was developed in Part 2. We have chosen

three research methodologies which are questionnaires, class observations and interviews.

According to the findings, the quality of students’ oral English still needs to be improved. A

common problem is their deficiency in pronunciation. Consequently, the investigated students

feel the need of learning pronunciation for the improvement their oral English. They are also

interested in being part of a play project. However, teachers claim the difficulty to find time for

both the teaching of pronunciation and play production in classes because of the long program

108

they still need to complete. Many teachers teach some pronunciation elements to their students

but not rhythm. That is due to lack of time and mastery of the subject by the teachers. All in all,

the realities in English teaching do not really allow the teaching of rhythm in classes. The main

results reveal the lack of time due to the official syllabus, the teachers’ non mastery of the

subject and the students’ level.

In Part 3, we verified the effectiveness of our topic by organizing experimentations in three

English clubs in the surrounding of Antananarivo. In an overall view, we could say that the

teaching of rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales adapted into play project and video project

is effective. As the experimentation stage was the first trial of our topic, we had not only proved

its efficiency, but we also discovered its limits. Suggestions were presented for better results.

Our experimentations were limited to some extent. They were time consuming and demanded

a lot of effort from teacher and students, for we were dealing with play production. Therefore,

we suggested shorter procedure for the teaching process. In spite of nine sessions, we proposed

the possibility of dealing with it in only five sessions by means of better organization. As we

are dealing with play project, we also suggested some techniques which can help teachers in

monitoring the performers. Then, we recommended some tasks sharing points between teachers

and students in the project. We have recommended the adoption of video project rather than

play project as the latter brings more pressure to both teacher and students because of the public

performance. Hopefully, the consideration of those suggestions will ameliorate the result of

teaching rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy Tales.

To summarize what have been said so far, we have chosen the topic “Adapting Carolyn

Graham’s Jazz Chant Fairy Tales for play productions to help students perform rhythm in

English clubs” for the objective to facilitate the teaching of rhythm. The importance of our topic

was developed all along the three parts of the dissertation. Necessary information about rhythm

for the reinforcement of teachers’ knowledge and consideration of it were developed in Part 1.

Investigations’ findings on the realities about the teaching of rhythm in classes were reported

in Part 2. Verification on the relevance of our topic via experimentations and introduction to

some suggestions for the improvement of the use of our topic were demonstrated in Part 3. In

short, the present work consists in facilitating teachers’ tasks concerning the teaching of rhythm

in order to reach better efficiency in the subject.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND

WEBOGRAPHY

i

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND WEBOGRAPHY

Jazz Chants 1. GRAHAM, C. Jazz Chant Fairy Tales. New York: Oxford University Press. (1988)

2. RICHARDS, J. Evidence-based and child-friendly: shared book reading with chants

support young children’s language and literacy development. University of South Florida.

(2010) 3. TANG, F. & LOYET, D. Celebrating Twenty-Five Years of Jazz Chants. New York State

TESOL Publication. (2003)

Pronunciation

4. GIMSON, A. C. An introduction to the pronunciation of English. Hong Kong: Wing King

Tong Co. Ltd. (1980)

5. GRANT, L. Well Said Pronunciation for Clear Communication. United States of America:

Heinle & Heinle. (2001)

6. HEWINGS, M. Pronunciation Practice Activities. UK: Cambridge University Press.

(2004)

7. JONES, D. The pronunciation of English. Great Britain: Cambridge University Press.

(1956)

8. KELLY, G. How to Teach Pronunciation. England: Pearson Education Limited. (2000)

9. MORTIMER, C. Stress time. New York: Cambridge University Press. (1976)

DRAMA

10. IMHOOF, M. Drama and language learning. Indiana University: English Teaching

Forum. (1973) 11. VERNON, S. Teaching English Through Drama. EFL Magazine. (2015)

12. VIA, R. Drama and Self in Language Learning. East-West Center, Honolulu: English

Teaching Forum. (1985)

13. ZALTA, G. Using Drama with Children. English Teaching Forum. (2006)

ELT

14. ABBOTT, G.; Greenwood, J.; McKeating, D. and Wingard, P. The Teaching of English as

an International Language. Glasgow: Collins. (1981)

15. CARNEY, N. and FOSS, P. Student-Produced video: Two Approaches. English Teaching

Forum. (2008)

ii

16. DAWSON, C. Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Hong Kong: Thomas Nelson and

Sons Ltd. (1984)

17. DU, X. The Affective Filter in Second Language Teaching. China: Asian Social Science.

(2009)

18. ELLINGTON, H. & RACE, P. Producing Teaching Materials second edition. London:

Kogan Page. (1993)

19. FREEMAN, D. Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. New York: Oxford

University Press. (1986)

20. GOODWIN, J. Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language Third Edition (Editor

Marianne Celce-Murcia). P. 103-116. USA: Heinle & Heinle. (2001)

21. GREENWOOD, J. The Teaching of English as an International Language. Glasgow:

Collins. (1981).

22. HARMER, J. The Practice of English Language Teaching (3rd Edition). Longman. (2001) 23. KRASHEN, S. The Ecstacy Hypothesis. Kanda University of International Studies. (2015)

24. LIGHTBOWN, P. M. and SPADA, N. How Language are Learned. New York: Oxford

University Press. (1999)

25. MELVILLE, M.; LANGENHEIM, L.; RINVOLUCRI, M. and SPAVENTA, L. Towards

the Creative Teaching of English. Heinemann Educational Books. (1980)

26. MORLEY, J. Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language Third Edition (Editor

Marianne Celce-Murcia). USA: Heinle & Heinle. (2001)

27. MURPHEY, T. Music & Song. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (1992)

28. NUNAN, D. Collaborative Language Learning and Teaching. Cambridge: University

Press. (1992)

29. NUNAN, D. Second Language Teaching & Learning. Boston: Heinle & Heinle Publishers.

(1999)

30. PALMER, H. E. & PALMER, D. English Through Actions. Great Britain: Longmans,

Green & Co Ltd. (1959) 31. PECK, S. Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language Third Edition (Editor

Marianne Celce-Murcia). P. 117-139. USA: Heinle & Heinle. (2001)

Dictionaries

32. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 7th edition. New York: Oxford University Press.

(2006)

33. The shorter oxford English Dictionary, third edition. Great Britain: Oxford University

press, Amen House, London E.C.4. (1964)

iii

CAPEN Dissertation

34. RANDRIANASOLO, L. Using tales to teach the integrated skills of listening and speaking

in Malagasy secondary schools. (1996)

Internet links

35. http://eflmagazine.com/teaching-english-drama/ 36. http://peerspectivesonline.org. 37. http://www.myfreesongs.cc

38. https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/teaching_with_jazz_chants_0.pdf

39. https://www.google.mg/search?q=carolyn+graham&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=923&sourc

e=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwib7_mlveXMAhXDVhoKHVrHDDsQ_AUIB

igB#imgrc=xK3TBmDwo2bVPM%3A

40. www.ccsenet.org/journal.html

APPENDICES

iv

APPENDICES

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS School : ……………………………………………………… Class : ………………………………………………………..

1- Tick the statement that corresponds to the quality of your oral English. (Mariho ny fehezan-teny izay mahalaza ny kalitaon’ny fiteninao teny Anglisy)

I speak good English (Tsara ny kalitaon’ny fiteniko teny Anglisy) I speak bad English (Ratsy ny kalitaon’ny fiteniko Anglisy) I speak neither good nor bad English (Sady tsy tsara no tsy ratsy ny kalitaon’ny fiteniko

Anglisy) 2- Does pronunciation affect the quality of your oral English?

(Misy akony amin’ny kalitaon’ny fiteninao teny anglisy ve ny “pronunciation”?) Yes No

Please, give the reason(s) of your choice (Mba omeo ny anton’ny safidinao): ………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………..………..………………… 3- If you assess your ability to pronunciation, how much will you give?

(Raha omenao naoty ny “pronunciation”-nao, dia firy no omenao?) ………/ 10 4- Do you think it is important to learn pronunciation?

(Araka ny hevitrao, ilaina ve ny mianatra pronunciation?) Yes No

Why? (Fa maninona?) ………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………..………..………………… 5- English pronunciation is constituted by many components, such as articulation, intonation, stress,

rhythm … (Ny “pronunciation” amin’ny teny Anglisy dia rafetin’ny singa maromaro toy ny “articulation”, “intonation”, “stress”, “rhythm” …) Do you know what rhythm is? (Fantatrao ve izany atao hoe “rhythm” izany ?)

Yes No

If “yes”, please underline the stressed words or syllables in the following sentence (Raha “eny”, dia mba tsipiho ny teny na “syllable” izay mandray tsindrim-peo amin’ity fehezan-teny ity) I always eat delicious lunch at the restaurant next to my school.

6- Are you a member of an English club? (Mpikambana ao amina “English club ve ianao?)

Yes No

If “yes”, please write your goal(s). (Raha “eny” dia mba omeo ny tanjonao amin’izany).

………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………..………..………………… 7- Would you like to be a part of a play project? (Liana ny handray anjara amina teatra amin’ny teny

Anglisy ve ianao?) Yes No

Please tell the reason(s) of your answer. (Mba omeo ny anton’ny safidinao) ………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………..………..……………

Thank you for your cooperation (Misaotra ny amin’ny fiaraha-miasa!)

v

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS

NAME OF THE SCHOOL: 1. How long have you been teaching English?

Less than 5 years [5-15 years] More than 15 years

2. Which of the following degrees do you possess?

Licence Maîtrise CAPEN

Other degree, please specify 3. Do you teach pronunciation in your English

course? No Yes

If “yes”, a) How many times do you teach

pronunciation? in each session sometimes rarely

Others, please specify ……………………….. ………………………………………………..

b) What is/are your goal(s) when you teach pronunciation?

4. What may be the reasons that push teachers

not to teach pronunciation in classes? 5. Do you teach rhythm to your students?

No Yes

Please, tell the reason of your choice

6. Apart from rhythm, which of the following points do you teach in pronunciation?

Phonetic transcription Articulation (vowel & consonant

sounds) Stress Intonation

Others, please specify 7. Have you ever used drama as a material to

teach pronunciation? No Yes

a) If “no”, please mention the reason(s) why you do not use drama

b) If “yes”, which of the following have you ever used? Role play Simulation Sketch Play production

Others, please specify 8. Have you ever heard about Carolyn

Graham’s Jazz Chant Fairy Tales? No Yes

If “yes”, please mention some titles if possible 9. What techniques would you suggest for the

teaching of pronunciation?

Thank you very much indeed for your cooperation!

vi

JAZZ CHANT FAIRY TALES SCRIPTS N°1: GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS

NARRATOR: Once upon a time there were three bears

CHORUS: Three what?

NARRATOR: Three bears

Once upon a time there were three bears

CHORUS: How many bears?

NARRATOR: Three bears. (One, two, three bears) x2 First there was the mama, mama bear

CHORUS: M-A-M-A, mama bear.

NARRATOR: Then, there was the papa, papa bear.

CHORUS: P-A-P-A, papa bear. Here comes mama and here comes papa. Here they come mama and papa. Mama loves papa. Papa loves mama. Mama and papa love baby bear. NARRATOR: Who loves mama?

CHORUS: Papa loves mama!

NARRATOR: Who loves papa?

CHORUS: Mama loves papa! Mama loves papa, papa loves mama. Mama and papa love baby bear.

NARRATOR: Where is baby bear?x2

CHORUS: Baby bearx2 where is baby bear? We want baby bear! Baby bear, baby bear, where is baby bear? Baby bear, baby bear. NARRATOR: Look, look, look over there. Look other there, it’s baby bear! NARRATOR: (“B” for Baby, “B” for Baby Bear)x3 Oh! (“B” stands for Baby, “B” stands for Bear, “BB” stands for baby bear!)x2 Once upon a time there were three bears CHORUS: One, two, three bears

NARRATOR: One morning the three bears were getting

ready for the breakfast.

PAPA BEAR: I’ll make the

porridge

MAMA BEAR: I’ll pour the milk

BABY BEAR: I’ll set the tablex2

CHORUS: And they didx2 Baby set the table, mama pour the milk, papa made the porridge, and they all sat down. NARRATOR: Who set the table?

CHORUS: Baby set the table!

NARRATOR: Who poured the milk?

CHORUS: Mama poured the milk!

NARRATOR: Who made the porridge?

CHORUS: Papa made the porridge! Papa made the porridge and (they all sat down)x4 and started to eat.

BABY BEAR: Aow, wow, hot, hot, hot

MAMA BEAR: Aow, wow, hot, hot, hot

PAPA BEAR: Aow, wow, hot, hot, hot

NARRATOR: And they all jumped up and danced around the

table and shouting: “Hot, hot, much too hot!”

BEARS: “Hot, hot, much too hot!”x2 Much too hotx2

PAPA BEAR: Let’s go for a walk! And let it cool off!

MAMA BEAR: That’s a good idea! Let’s go!

NARRATOR: And the three bears left one by one with their breakfast still on the table.

CHORUS: (Glasses full of milk, porridge in the bowls, spoons in the porridge, paper napkins.)x2 (Spoons, glasses, bowls and napkins)x2 Glasses full of milk, porridge in the bowls, spoons in the porridge, paper napkins.

NARRATOR: As soon as the bears left, the house felt empty and sad there was no one there not even a bear

CHORUS: no one there not even a bear

NARRATOR: this is awful, I feel bad

I feel lonely, I feel sad! Empty table, empty chairs It’s lonely here without the bears!

STORY TELLER: Now, the house feels so lonely for the bears. He began to sing a sad little song.

STORY TELLER 2: this is awful, I feel bad I feel lonely, I feel sad! Empty table, empty chairs It’s lonely here without the bears! NARRATOR: Suddenly, the house heard a noise

THE HOUSE: Oh, what’s that?x2 Who’s there? Oh, what’s that? I hope it’s a bear!

CHORUS: What’s that? Who’s there? X3 I hope it’s a bear!

NARRATOR: There wasn’t a bear, it was a little girl. A little girl with golden hair. CHORUS: What’s your name?x2

GOLDILOCKS: Everybody calls me Goldilocks.

CHORUS: What did you

say?

GOLDILOCKS: Goldilocks

CHORUS: Goldilocks?x2 Say it again.

vii

GOLDILOCKS: Goldilocks

THE HOUSE: What a beautiful name!

NARRATOR: Goldilocks was surprised when she saw the bears’ house. GOLDILOCKS: What a surprise! What a beautiful house! I wonder if anybody’s home. NARRATOR: First, she knocked on the door!

GOLDILOCKS: Knock, knock, is anybody home?x2

STORY TELLER: No one answered, so she knocked again.

GOLDILOCKS: Knock, knock, is anybody home?

THE HOUSE: Come right in, come in and sit down! The door is unlocked, come in and sit down!

NARRATOR: She picked through the window and knocked at the door. Nobody answered, so she knocked once more. GOLDILOCKS: Knock, knock, is anybody home?x2 THE HOUSE: Come right in, come in and sit down! The door is unlocked, come in and sit down! NARRATOR: Goldilocks was afraid to enter an empty house alone, but the voice of the house sounded friendly, so she opened the door and walked in.

GOLDILOCKS: Look at the table! Set for free! I hope there is a place just right for me!

NARRATOR: First she sat down, in papa bear’s chair and tasted his bowl of porridge.

GOLDILOCKS: Oh no, this is too hot, and this chair is too big, much too big! CHORUS: Too hot, too big, much too hot and much too big.

NARRATOR: Then she sat down in mama bear’s chair tasted her bowl of porridge. GOLDILOCKS: Oh no, this is too cold, and this chair is too hard, much too hard!

CHORUS: Too cold, too hard, much too cold, much too hot.

NARRATOR: Then, she sat down in baby bear’s chair and tasted his bowl of porridge.

GOLDILOCKS: Mmh, this is good. Not too hot and not too cold. Mmh, this is good. This is just right. CHORUS: Just right.x2

NARRATOR: So, she sat right there in baby bear’s chair. She ate his porridge and drunk his milk. In fact, she was having a wonderful time when all of the sudden the chair fell apart. And Goldilocks fell on the floor. GOLDILOCKS: Oh, dear! What a shame! Such a nice little chair! Oh, dear! What a shame! I think I’ll take them up! NARRATOR: She walked into the bedroom and saw papa bear’s bed. This bed’s too big. Much too big. CHORUS: Try another one. X2

STORY TELLER: Then, she saw mama bear’s bed.

GOLDILOCKS: This bed’s too hard. Much too hard.

CHORUS: Try another one. X2

NARRATOR: Then, she saw baby bear’s nice little bed and it looked just right. GOLDILOCKS: Just rightx2. Not too big and not too hot. Just rightx2 NARRATOR: the bed was so comfortable that Goldilocks put her head on the pillow, pull the covers up to her chin and fell fast asleep. While Goldilocks fell asleep, the three bears came home. They were just getting ready to sit down at the table. When papa bear shouted.

PAPA BEAR: Hey, what’s this? Someone has been seating in my chair. Someone has been eating my porridge.

CHORUS: Eating his porridge, seating in his chair! We saw the girl with golden hair.

MAMA BEAR: Me, oh my, oh me what’s this? Someone has been seating in my chair. Someone has been eating my porridge too. CHORUS: Eating her porridge, seating in her chair! We saw the girl with golden hair.

BABY BEAR: Mama, mama! Papa, papa! Somebody ate my porridge. MAMA AND PAPA BEAR: Oh, no !

BABY BEAR: Look at my chair!x2 Somebody broke my chair ! MAMA AND PAPA BEAR: Oh, no! What a shame! I wonder who broke his chair.

CHORUS: We know the girl who broke his chair. We saw the girl with golden hair. NARRATOR: Papa bear got up from the table and walk into the bedroom. Mama bear and baby bear followed him.

PAPA BEAR: Oh, no, oh, no! Someone has been sleeping in my bed. MAMA BEAR: Oh, no, oh, no! Someone has been sleeping in my bed too. NARRATOR: Then, baby bear saw his bed was Goldilocks asleep under the covers. He began to shout.

BABY BEAR: Mama, mama, papa, papa! Come quicklyx2. Someone has been sleeping in my bed. And here she is!x2 PAPA BEAR: Look it’s a girl!

MAMA BEAR: Where?

PAPA BEAR: There!

NARRATOR: Goldilocks woke up and saw the three bears. She jumped out of bed and run out the door and no one ever saw her again. PAPA BEAR: Well, that’s that!

MAMA BEAR: Yes, that’s that!

BABY BEAR: Wow, wi, that’s that!

THE HOUSE: Goldilocks’s gone. What a shame! Goldilocks what a beautiful name!

viii

N°2: THE THREE LITTLE PIGS

NARRATOR: This is the story of the three little pigs. CHORUS: one (clap). Two (clap). Three little pigs. NARRATOR: The three little pigs all lived together with their father and their mother.

CHORUS: one (clap). Two (clap). Three little pigs. [All together]x3 with their father and their mother. One little. Two little. Three little pigs. One (clap). Two (clap). Three little pigs.

NARRATOR: One morning, Mother Pig called her three sons and said: MOTHER PIG: Boys? THREE PIGS: Yes, Mother.

MOTHER PIG: Listen to me. Listen to what I have to say.

THREE PIGS: Yes, Mother dear. We’re listening.

MOTHER PIG: You know that your father and I love you very much. THREE PIGS: Yes, Mother dear. We know that.

MOTHER PIG: But now it is time for you to leave home, and go out into the world alone.

CHORUS: Leave home, leave home. Go out alone and leave home. Leave home, leave home. Go into the world alone.

MOTHER PIG: You’re not babies anymore.

THREE PIGS: That’s right mother dear.

MOTHER PIG: I have taught you everything I know. I hope you are ready for the world.

THREE PIGS: We are, Mama dear, we are.

MOTHER PIG: And I hope that the world is ready for you! Remember what I said about the wolf. BABY PIG: The what?

MOTHER PIG: Remember what I said about the wolf. BROTHER PIG&BIG BROTHER PIG: We will. MOTHER PIG: Never let a wolf in your door.

THREE PIGS: We won’t. CHORUS: Never let a wolf in your door. [Listen to your mama.]x2 Never let a wolf in your door. Oh, no. Never let a wolf in your door. MOTHER PIG: Good-bye, good-bye, my darling sons.

THREE PIGS: Don’t cry, Mother dear, good-bye.

MOTHER PIG: Remember my words. Watch out for the wolf. Never let a wolf in your door.

NARRATOR: And so the three little pigs left home. They walked down the road and Big Brother Pig told his bothers to be careful of the wolf. Soon the road split into three directions. Big Brother Pig stopped and said: BIG BROTHER PIG: Now, we must each choose our own road. Remember what Mama said. Watch out for the wolf.

BABY PIG: What’ll I do if he comes to my door?

BIG BROTHER PIG: If he comes to your door, don’t let him in, not by the hair of your chinny chin chin. And now good-bye. I’ll take the road on the road the left.

BROTHER PIG: And I’ll take the road on the right. Bye-bye.

BABY PIG: Which road do I take?

BIG BROTHER PIG: You’ll take the one in the middle, little brother. Sweet little brother.

CHORUS: Sweet little brother.

THREE PIGS: Bye-bye, good luck. Bye-bye, dear brothers. So long, good luck, bye-bye.

NARRATOR: And the three little pigs each walked down a different road into the big world alone. Baby Pig was skipping down the road happily when he met a man carrying straw.

STRAW SELLER: [Straw for sale.]x2 Clean, fresh straw for sale. BABY PIG: Good morning, sir. May I buy some straw? I need some straw to build a house, to keep the wolf away.

STRAW SELLER: A house of straw? A straw house?

BABY PIG: Yes, a house of straw, [soft and warm]x2, to keep the wolf away. CHORUS: A house of straw, soft and warm, to keep the wolf away.

NARRATOR: Baby Pig bought three bundles of straw, and began to build his house. He finished it as fast as he could. It wasn’t very pretty and it wasn’t very good. But, it was his house and he loved it. When everything was ready, he stood back and looked at it for a long time. Then he went inside, locked the front door, lay down on the floor, and went to sleep. Suddenly there was a loud knock. Knock, knock, knock.

BABY PIG: Oh, my! What’s that? Who’s there?

WOLF: A friend.

BABY PIG: A friend? Whose friend? What friend?

CHORUS: [Don’t let him in.]x2 Not by the hair of your chinny chin chin.

BABY PIG: Oh, no! It must be the wolf!

WOLF: Open the door! Let me in!

BABY PIG: Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin.

WOLF: Open the door! Let me in!

BABY PIG: Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin.

WOLF: Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house down.

ix

NARRATOR: And he huffed and puffed, and he blew the house down, and ate Baby Pig up in one big bite.

WOLF: Mmmm, mmmm! That was good! NARRATOR: While all of this was happening. Baby Pig’s brother was walking down the road. He too, met the man selling straw. STRAW SELLER: [Straw for sale.]x2 Clean, fresh straw for sale. CHORUS: [Straw for sale.]x2 Clean, fresh straw for sale.

BROTHER PIG: Oh, no! That’s not for me! I want something stronger than straw. I’m going to build a house!

CHORUS: [Stronger than straw.]x2 He wants something stronger than straw. [Stronger than straw.]x2 He’s going to build a house!

NARRATOR: And so Brother Pig continued down the road. Soon he met a man selling sticks.

STICK SELLER: [Sticks for sale.]x2 Good, hard sticks for sale. Good sticks, hard sticks. Good, hard sticks for sale.

BROTHER PIG: Sticks are stronger than straw, yes. Sticks are stronger than straw. I’m going to build my house of sticks. Sticks are stronger than straw.

CHORUS: [Stronger than straw.]x2 Sticks are stronger than straw. He’s going to build his house of sticks. Sticks are stronger than straw. NARRATOR: Brother Pig bought the sticks, and began to build his house. He worked very hard all day. When it was finished, he went inside, locked the door, lay down on the floor, and fell asleep. Suddenly there was a loud knock. Knock, knock, knock.

BROTHER PIG: Oh, my! What’s that? WOLF: Your brother. BROTHER PIG: That’s not my brother’s voice. Who’s there? WOLF: Open the door! Let me in! CHORUS: [Don’t let him in.]x2 Not by the hair of your chinny chin chin.

BROTHER PIG: Oh, no! It must be the wolf!

WOLF: Open the door! Let me in!

BROTHER PIG: Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin.

WOLF: Open the door! Let me in!

BROTHER PIG: Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin.

WOLF: Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house down. NARRATOR: The wolf huffed and he puffed, and he blew the house down. Then he ate Brother Pig up in one big bite.

WOLF: Mmmm, mmmm! That was good! NARRATOR: While all of this was happening. Big Brother Pig was walking down the road. He too, met the man selling straw.

STRAW SELLER: [Straw for sale.]x2 Clean, fresh straw.

BIG BROTHER PIG: Oh, no! That’s not for me! I want something stronger than straw. Much stronger than straw.

CHORUS: [Stronger than straw.]x2 Much stronger than straw. NARRATOR: Soon he met a man selling sticks.

STICK SELLER: [Sticks for sale.]x2 Good, hard sticks.

BIG BROTHER PIG: Oh, no! That’s not for me! I want something [stronger than sticks.]x2 Much stronger than straw. Stronger than straw. Much stronger than sticks and straw.

NARRATOR: And so Big Brother Pig continued down the road. Soon he met a man selling bricks.

BRICK SELLER: [Bricks for sale.]x2 Good, strong bricks.

BIG BROTHER PIG: That’s what I want. Strong bricks. I’m going to build my house of bricks. Stronger than straw. Stronger than sticks. I want a house of bricks.

CHORUS: [Sticks and straw.]x2 Sticks and straw and bricks. Bricks are stronger than sticks and straw. Bricks are stronger than sticks. NARRATOR: Slowly and carefully, one by one, the pig built a house of bricks. CHORUS: [Slowly and carefully, one by one.]x2

NARRATOR: When he was finished, he went inside, locked the door, started a big fire in the fireplace, and hung a large cooking pot over the fire to make his dinner. The water in the pot was boiling when suddenly he heard a loud knock on the door. Knock, knock, knock.

BIG BROTHER PIG: Oh, my! What’s that?

WOLF: [Open the door!]x2 and you’ll see who I am.

BIG BROTHER PIG: I know who you are. [I know]x2

WOLF: Open the door! Let me in!

BIG BROTHER PIG: Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin.

WOLF: Open the door! Let me in!

BIG BROTHER PIG: Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin. WOLF: Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house down. BIG BROTHER PIG: [Go ahead!]x2 Try it.

NARRATOR: The wolf huffed and he puffed, but the house was so strong that he couldn’t blow it down no matter how hard he tried. He was getting very angry. WOLF: [Open the door!]x2 Open the door right now. If you don’t open the door right now, I’m coming down the chimney! BIG BROTHER PIG: Good idea! Come right in! NARRATOR: So the wolf jumped down the chimney and fell right into the big pot of boiling water. And that was the end of the big bad wolf, and the story of the three little pigs.

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N°3: CHICKEN LITTLE

NARRATOR: One morning, Chicken Little woke up early, and decided to go for a walk. The sun was shining. It was a beautiful day and as she was walking under the old oak tree, a small acorn fell, plop, and landed right on her head.

CHICKEN LITTLE: Hey, what was that? What was that? Oh, no! The sky is falling in!

CHORUS: [Run chicken.]x2 Run Chicken Little Little. Run chicken, run. The sky is falling in. [Chicken Little, run, run.]x2 Run Chicken Little. The sky is falling in.

CHICKEN LITTLE: [I must tell the King.]x2 A piece of the sky fell on my head. I must tell the King.

CHORUS: [You must tell the King.]x2 The sky is falling in. You must tell the King.

NARRATOR: Chicken Little began to walk a little faster down the road toward the King’s castle. On the way, she met her old friend Henny Penny.

HENNY PENNY: Good morning, Chicken Little. Where are you going? What’s your hurry? Chicken Little, what’s your hurry? Can’t you say hello?

CHICKEN LITTLE: I can’t stop now. I’m going to see the King. The sky is falling in. I must tell the King.

HENNY PENNY: [What did you say?]x2

CHICKEN LITTLE: The sky is falling in.

HENNY PENNY: That’s what I thought you said.

CHORUS: Run chick, run. The sky is falling in. Run chick, run. You must tell the King.

HENNY PENNY: Tell me again. What fell?

CHICKEN LITTLE: A piece of the sky.

HENNY PENNY: When did it fall?

CHICKEN LITTLE: Just a minute ago.

HENNY PENNY: A minute ago? Oh, no! We must tell the King.

CHORUS: [You must tell the King.]x2 The sky is falling in. You must tell the King.

NARRATOR: So Chicken Little and Henny Penny hurried together down the road towards the King’s castle. On the way, they met their old friend Cocky Locky.

COCKY LOCKY: Hello, Chicken Little. Hello, Henny Penny. Where are you going? What’s your hurry? Slow down, Henny Penny. What’s your hurry, Chicken Little?

CHORUS: Slow down, slow down. What’s your hurry, Chicken Little? Slow down, slow down. What’s your hurry, Henny Penny? Slow down, slow down.

HENNY PENNY: We can’t slow down. We can’t slow down. We must tell the King.

CHORUS: [Tell the King.]x2 They must tell the King. They can’t slow down. They must tell the King.

COCKY LOCKY: Tell the King what? What’s the matter? What’s wrong? What are you going to tell the King?

CHORUS: [What’s the matter? What’s wrong?]x2 [What’s wrong?]x2 What’s the matter? What’s wrong?

HENNY PENNY: [The sky is falling in.]x2

CHORUS: Run chick, run. The sky is falling in. [Tell the King.]x2 The sky is falling in. Cocky Locky, Henny Penny, Chicken Little, run! [The sky is falling in.]x2

COCKY LOCKY: [Who said that?]x2 Henny Penny, how do you know?

HENNY PENNY: Chicken Little told me so.

COCKY LOCKY: Chicken Little, how do you know?

CHICKEN LITTLE: How do I know? A piece of the sky fell on my head. Just a minute ago.

COCKY LOCKY: Oh, no. What’ll we do? Oh my. What’ll we do? The sky is falling in. We must tell the King.

NARRATOR: And so Cocky Locky joined Chicken Little and Henny Penny. The three of them hurried together down the road towards the King’s castle. On the way, they met their old friend Ducky Wucky.

DUCKY WUCKY: Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, HI! [Where are you going?]x2 Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Cocky Locky , HEY! [Can I come, too?]x2

CHORUS: Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, HI! Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, HEY! Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, HO! [Can I come, too?]x2

COCKY LOCKY: We’re going to see the King. We have to see the King.

DUCKY WUCKY: Why do you have to see the King?

COCKY LOCKY: The sky is falling in!

DUCKY WUCKY: The sky? Oh, my. The sky is falling in?

COCKY LOCKY: [That’s right.]x2 The sky is falling in.

DUCKY WUCKY: Cocky Locky, how do you know?

COCKY LOCKY: Henny Penny told me so.

xi

DUCKY WUCKY: Henny Penny, how do you know?

HENNY PENNY: Chicken Little told me so.

DUCKY WUCKY: Chicken Little, how do you know?

CHICKEN LITTLE: How do I know? A piece of the sky fell on my head. Just a minute ago.

DUCKY WUCKY: Oh, no. What’ll we do? Oh, my. What’ll we do? The sky is falling in. We must tell the King.

NARRATOR: And so Ducky Wucky joined Chicken Little and Henny Penny and Cocky Locky. The four of them hurried together down the road towards the King’s castle. On the way, they met their old friend Goosey Woosey.

GOOSEY WOOSEY: Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Wucky. Where are you going? What’s your hurry? Can’t you say hello?

DUCKY WUCKY: [We can’t slow down.]x2 We don’t have time to say hello. We must see the King.

GOOSEY WOOSEY: [Why do want to do that?]x2 You know the King has more important things to do than talk to you. [Why do want to do that?]x2

CHORUS: [The King!]x2 Everyone wants to see the King! The King has more important things to do than talk to you. [Talk to you.]x2 Nobody wants to talk to you. The King has more important things to do than talk to you.

DUCKY WUCKY: We have to see the King. The sky is falling in.

GOOSEY WOOSEY: The sky is falling in? Ducky Wucky, how do you know?

DUCKY WUCKY: Cocky Locky told me so.

GOOSEY WOOSEY: Cocky Locky, how do you know?

COCKY LOCKY: Henny Penny told me so.

GOOSEY WOOSEY: Henny Penny, how do you know?

HENNY PENNY: Chicken Little told me so.

GOOSEY WOOSEY: Chicken Little, how do you know?

CHICKEN LITTLE: How do I know? A piece of the sky fell on my head. Just a minute ago. We must tell the King.

NARRATOR: And so Goosey Woosey joined Chicken Little and Henny Penny and Cocky Locky and Ducky Wucky. The five of them hurried together down the road towards the King’s castle. On the way, they met their old friend Turkey Lurkey.

TURKEY LURKEY: Where are you going? What’s your hurry? Slow down, slow down.

GOOSEY WOOSEY: We can’t stop now. We must see the King.

TURKEY LURKEY: Why do you have to see the King?

GOOSEY WOOSEY: The sky is falling in. Someone has to tell the King. The sky is falling in.

TURKEY LURKEY: The sky is falling in? How do you know?

GOOSEY WOOSEY: Chicken Little told Henny Penny, then Henny Penny told Cocky Locky. Cocky Locky told Ducky Wucky, and Ducky Wucky told me.

TURKEY LURKEY: Is that true? Then I’ll come, too. We must tell the King. The sky is falling in. We must tell the King.

NARRATOR: And down the road they went, just as fast as they could go. Chicken Little and Henny Penny, Cocky Locky and Ducky Wucky, Goosey Woosey and Turkey Lurkey hurried together toward the King’s castle. On the way, they met Foxy Woxy.

CHORUS: Watch out for the fox. He’ll eat you up. Watch out for the fox. Watch out! [He’ll eat you up.]x2 Watch out for the fox. Watch out!

NARRATOR: Foxy Woxy saw Chicken Little and her friends hurrying down the road. He smiled a foxy smile and said to himself:

FOXY WOXY: Ah ha! What’s this coming down the road? It looks a tasty Sunday dinner. [Mmmm, mmmm, I can’t wait.]x2

NARRATOR: Then he turned to Chicken Little, and in his most polite and friendly voice said:

FOXY WOXY: Good morning, my dear. Where are you going? Where are you going this morning?

CHICKEN LITTLE: Oh, Mr Fox, haven’t you heard? The sky is falling in. [We must tell the King.]x2

NARRATOR: Now, Foxy Woxy was a clever fellow. He didn’t believe for a minute that the sky was really falling in. He took a long look at the sky, and then turned to Chicken Little and said:

FOXY WOXY: Hey, you’re right. Here it comes! The sky is falling in. Follow me. I know the way. I’ll take you to the King.

NARRATOR: So Chicken Little, and Henny Penny, Cocky Locky and Ducky Wucky, Goosey Woosey and Turkey Lurkey all followed Foxy Woxy, and no one ever saw them again. And nobody told the King.

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N°4: LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

NARRATOR: This is the story of a girl and a wolf. CHORUS: Good girl. Good little girl. Bad wolf. Big bad wolf.

Good little, good little, good little girl. Big (clap). Bad (clap). Wolf (clap clap).

NARRATOR: This is the story of a good little girl. CHORUS: Good little, good little, good little girl. NARRATOR: This is the story of a good little girl, who

listened to her mother, most of the time. CHORUS: Good girl. Good little girl. She listened to her

mother, most of the time. NARRATOR: This is the story of a girl and a wolf. And they

called her Little Red Riding Hood. CHORUS: Little Red. Little Red Riding Hood. Little Red. Little Red Riding Hood. How did she ever get a name like that? NARRATOR: Like what? CHORUS: Like Little Red Riding Hood. How did she ever get

a name like that? NARRATOR: She always wore a hood on her head, a little red

riding hood. Her granny made it for her, and she wore it all the time. Little Red Riding Hood was a good little girl, most of the time.

CHORUS: Good girl. Good little girl. She listened to her mother, most of the time.

NARRATOR: When Mama said, “Go,” she went (clap clap). When Mama said, “Stay,” she stayed (clap clap). When Mama said, “Sit,” she sat (clap clap). When Mama said, “Play,” she played (clap clap)

CHORUS: When Mama said, “Go,” she went (clap clap). When Mama said, “Stay,” she stayed (clap clap). When Mama said, “Sit,” she sat (clap clap). When Mama said, “Play,” she played (clap clap)

NARRATOR: Little Red Riding Hood was a good little girl, most of the time.

CHORUS: Was she good? NARRATOR: Yes, she was. CHORUS: Was she very good? NARRATOR: Yes, she was. CHORUS: Did she listen to her mother? NARRATOR: Yes, she did. CHORUS: All the time?

NARRATOR: Most of the time. Little Red Riding Hood was a good little girl, most of the time.

One morning, Little Red Riding Hood was sleeping. She woke up when she heard her mother’s voice.

MOTHER: Wake up, wake up. It’s time to get up. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Mmmm, something smells

like peanut butter. Something smells like chocolate. [Chocolate peanut butter cookies.] x2 MOTHER: Please sit down. Eat your breakfast. These cookies

are for Granny. She’s at home alone and sick in bed. Please visit her this morning.

CHORUS: [Poor Granny. What a shame. Home alone and sick in bed.] x2

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Poor Granny. All alone. Of course, I’ll go to see her.

MOTHER: Now Little Red Riding Hood, please sit down, and listen to me carefully.

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Yes, Mama. I’m listening. MOTHER: Go straight to Granny’s house. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Yes, Mama. I will. MOTHER: Don’t stop along the way. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: No, Mama. I won’t. MOTHER: Don’t talk to strangers. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: No, Mama. I won’t. MOTHER: Be very careful. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Oh, Mama. I will.

NARRATOR: So Little Red Riding Hood kissed her mother good-bye. She took the basket of cookies, and walked along the path in the woods to Granny’s house. She was skipping along happily when suddenly, a big wolf came out of the woods.

CHORUS: Watch out for the wolf. [Watch out.] x2 Watch out for the wolf. Watch out! The wolf is big. The wolf is bad. Watch out for the wolf. Watch out!

NARRATOR: But Little Red Riding Hood forgot everything mother said about not talking to strangers. When the wolf spoke to her, she spoke right back.

WOLF: Good morning, my dear. How are you this morning? LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: I’m fine, thank you. How are

you? WOLF: Just fine, my dear. What’s your name? CHORUS: Don’t tell, don’t tell. Mama told you not to tell.

Mama told you not to tell, and not to talk with strangers. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: My name is Little Red

Riding Hood WOLF: I’m very happy to meet you. I’ve heard so many nice

things about you. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: You have? WOLF: Oh, yes. Everyone says you’re a good little girl. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: They do? Thank you very

much. You’re very kind. WOLF: What’s that smell? CHORUS: Don’t tell, don’t tell. WOLF: [What’s that smell?] x2 Do I smell cookies? LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Yes, you do. Chocolate

peanut butter cookies. Mama made them for Granny. She’s home alone and sick in bed. I’m on my way to see her.

CHORUS: Home alone and sick in bed. Mama told you not to tell.

WOLF: What a nice little girl. Where does Granny live? Is it far from here?

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CHORUS: Don’t tell, don’t tell. Mama told you not to tell.

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Granny lives in the little pink house. The little pink house at the end of this path.

WOLF: I know the house. I have an idea. Look over here. Look at the flowers. Why don’t you pick some for Granny? [Stop for a while.]x2 Pick some flowers for Granny!

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: What a good idea!

CHORUS: [Don’t stop.] x2. Mama told you not to stop. Mama told you not to stop, and not to talk with strangers.

NARRATOR: Little Red Riding Hood thought the wolf’s idea was just fine. She stopped and picked the flowers while the wolf ran as fast as he could to Granny’s house. He knocked three times on the little front door. Knock, knock, knock.

GRANNY: Yes? Who’s there? WOLF: (trying to sound like Little Red Riding Hood) It’s me, Little Red Riding Hood, with a basket of cookies from

Mama. GRANNY: Come in my dear, come in. come in and see your

Granny. NARRATOR: So the big bad wolf opened the door, found old

granny sick in bed, and gobbled her up in one big bite. Then he went to the closet and put on some of Granny’s clothes. The big bad wolf climbed into bed to wait for Little Red Riding Hood. He pulled the covers up around his chin, [and sat and waited.]x2

WOLF: Where is that girl? What’s the matter with her?

NARRATOR: He didn’t have to wait very long. In a few moments he heard Little Red Riding Hood knock at the door.

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Yoo hoo, Granny. [It’s me]x2, Little Red Riding Hood.

WOLF: (pretending to be Granny) Come in my dear, come in. come in and see your Granny. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Where are you, Granny?

WOLF: I’m here in bed. Come in my dear, come in. Come in and let me see you.

CHORUS: Oh, no. Don’t go. That’s not Granny. Don’t go.

NARRATOR: Little Red Riding Hood walked into the bedroom with her arms full of cookies and flowers. She stopped when she saw the wolf in the bed.

WOLF: Come here, my dear. CHORUS: Look at those ears. WOLF: Here, near your Granny. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Oh, Granny. What big ears

you have? WOLF: The better to hear you with. Come here, my dear CHORUS: Look at those eyes. WOLF: Here, near your Granny. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Oh, Granny. What big eyes

you have? WOLF: The better to see you with. Come here, my dear

CHORUS: Look at those teeth. WOLF: Here, near your Granny. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Oh, Granny. What big teeth

you have? WOLF: The better to eat you with.

NARRATOR: And just as he spoke, the wolf jumped up, and gobbled Little Red Riding Hood up in one big bite.

CHORUS: [Oh, no!] x2 [We told you so] x2

NARRATOR: Now, the wolf was full. So he climbed back into Granny’s bed and fell fast asleep. Then he began to snore. He snored louder and louder. A friendly hunter walking by the house heard the noise and stopped.

HUNTER: What’s that sound? It’s very loud. I’ll stop and see if Granny’s OK.

NARRATOR: The hunter knocked, but no one answered. He opened the door and went in. He heard someone snoring in Granny’s bedroom. So he peeked into the bedroom, and saw the big bad wolf in Granny’s bed.

HUNTER: Look at that wolf in Granny’s bed. I think he gobbled her up.

NARRATOR: The hunter cut a hole in the wolf’s stomach. To his great surprise, out popped Little Red Riding Hood. The wolf didn’t even wake up. He just thought he was having a very bad dream.

HUNTER: Good heavens. Who are you?

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: I’m Little Red Riding Hood. HUNTER: But where is Granny? GRANNY: Here I am. NARRATOR: And out climbed Granny, tired but happy.

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD AND GRANNY: Oh, my. What a day!

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Quick, quick! Let’s put some stones inside the wolf. They will make him heavy so he can’t get up.

HUNTER: Good idea! GRANNY: Great idea! NARRATOR: And they filled the wolf’s stomach with heavy

stones. He was dreaming a dream about girls and grannies and when he woke up, he had such a terrible stomachache, he fell right down and died.

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: Is he dead? HUNTER: Oh, yes. Yes, he is. He’s dead. GRANNY: Are you sure? HUNTER: Oh, yes. Yes, I am. [He’s dead.] x3 The wolf is

dead! The big bad wolf is dead! Hooray!

CHORUS: [He’s dead.] x2 The wolf is dead! The big bad wolf is dead! Hooray!

NARRATOR: And this is the end of the story of the girl who listened to her mother, most of the time.

CHORUS: Good girl. Good little girl. She listened to her mother, most of the time.

Author: RANAIVONAVALONA Avosoa Noella

Title: Adapting Carolyn Graham’s Jazz Chant Fairy Tales for play productions to help students perform

rhythm in English clubs

ABSTRACT

The present research work targets at suggesting English teachers a practical way of teaching rhythm by

means of Carolyn Graham’s Jazz Chant Fairy Tales.

English rhythm is a pronunciation component worth being taught to students, for it contributes to the

clearness of one’s speech and the understanding of good English. Carolyn Graham’s Jazz Chant Fairy

Tales are efficient tools for the teaching of rhythm, as they present aspects which can enhance the

acquisition of rhythm. Performing Jazz Chant Fairy Tales as play production facilitates the learning of

rhythm since it might increase students’ motivation.

Investigations at lycées have revealed the main reasons which prevent teachers not to teach rhythm and

play production which is time constraint by the official syllabus and their non-mastery of the subjects.

Even if, students are interested in learning rhythm and being part of a play production.

Therefore, suggested lesson plans after experimentation and more suggestions on the overall principles

and organization on the teaching of rhythm through the performance of Jazz Chant Fairy Tales were

introduced in order to help teachers. The research work is preferable to in English clubs, but it does not

prevent interested teachers to insert it in classes.

The experimentation stage showed the efficiency of the teaching of rhythm through Jazz Chant Fairy

Tales, for students managed performing rhythm via the fairy tales’ play productions. They were interested

in play production and Jazz Chant Fairy Tales, so they were highly involved in each step of the

experimentation.

Key words: Rhythm, Jazz Chant Fairy Tales, Play production,

Number of pages: 108

Number of figures: 15

Number of tables: 06

UNIVERSITE D’ANTANANARIVO ECOLE NORMALE SUPERIEURE

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INITIALE LITERAIRE CER LANGUE ET LETTRES ANGLAISES

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