see a video of it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=V4Cx58njydI
Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn around.
Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the ground.
Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn o" the light.
Teddy bear, teddy bear, jump out of sight.
Chants: Chants are rhythmic sets of normal English
sentences that can be repeated to practice pronunciation,
stress, and rhythm. They have a strong rhythm, but they
usually don’t rhyme. They give students a chance to repeat
new sounds in a way that seems natural and interesting,
rather than boringly repetitious. Chants are especially
popular with children, who respond well to rhythm and love
to repeat favorite lines again and again, especially with
gestures and body movements. Chants and rhymes can also
be used with adults, but only if the teacher and students feel
comfortable with them. If the teacher feels self-conscious or
uncomfortable, or if adult students think the activity is too
childish, then it’s best to choose another form of practice.
Although poems and chants have been used by language
teachers for many years, Carolyn Graham, an ESL teacher and
jazz singer in New York, created the idea of Jazz Chants in
the 1970s as a way to help her students practice English
through the rhythm of jazz. In addition to the many books
she’s written, her website, http://jazzchants.net/, is a great
resource that o"ers examples and information about using
chants e"ectively and writing your own chants.Here’s an example of a simple chant:What’s for dinner?
What’s for dinner?
Soup and salad
Bread and butter
Cake and ice cream for dessert.
Set the table!
Set the table!
Plates and glasses
Bowls and spoons
Now we’re ready. Let’s all eat!When you hear a chant, it sounds like natural, unplanned
language, but not all English sentences can be good jazz
chants. To write a chant, you have to plan and choose
sentences that work. For advice about writing chants, a good
source is Carolyn Graham’s book Creating Chants and Songs.
(Graham 2006)163