Topic : IMPROVING PRONOUNCIATION BY USING “JAZZ CHANT TECHNIQUE”

1.1 Definition of Jazz Chants

Jazz chant is one special kind of chants. According to Johnson (1995: 15) chants
provided the learner with the opportunity to practise the pronunciation of problematic words
and used to correct the intonation when asking questions, e.g “where?”, “when?”, etc. Short
dialogues or texts spoken of form a chant are easy to memorize of common expressions and
structures and increase the students’ motivate than normal speaking. Carolyn Graham (1986)
said that Jazz Chanting is a rhythmic expression of natural language which links the rhythms
of spoken American English to the rhythms of traditional American jazz. She also added Jazz
Chants is a fragment authentic language presented with special motion to its inherent natural
rhythm.

1.2 Concept of English pronounciation

According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, pronunciation is the person way of

speaking or word of a language and way in which a word is pronounced. The pronunciation
of a word is what you hear when someone says the word. Harmer (1991) said that
pronunciation is how to say a word in which is made up of sound, stress, and intonation.
Sound deals only with sound and can be meaningless, but if we put some sound together in
certain order, that will hear a meaning about something.

1.2 Pronunciation and Young Learner

HarmerLinse (2005: 59&49) Children may have trouble pronouncing certain English-
language sounds. There are some phonemes which English-speaking as well as no-native
speaking children have difficulty with. According to Birdsong (Linse, 2005: 49) children
have clear advantage when it comes to pronunciation if they begin learning English as a
foreign or second language at an early age. The correct pronunciation needs to be given in
early possible, because it will influence in speaking skill.

1.3 The Influence of Jazz Chants on The Students’ Speaking Ability

 Johnson (1995: 15), states that by teaching with chants teachers can more easily and
effectively evaluate studens’ listening and speaking skills by having them work in pairs or
groups, writing dialogues and conversation. Jazz chants are an effective media that can be
used by the teacher in speaking activities as tasks and evaluation for the students. It is also
stated by Johnson (1995: 7) that “rhythm and stress are very basic components of spoken
English and use them in their conversation and speaking skills will improve”.

1.4 Conceptual Framework

Independent Variables Dependent Variables

Jazz Chant in Classroom  Pupil’s pronounciation

Teaching skills
 Students attitude

Habit Formation Theory by Skinner

Zone of Proximal Development by Lee Vygotsky

1.5 Hypothesis of Action

Based on the conceptual framework, the researcher formulates hypothesis are as follows:

“Jazz Chant technique is able to develop students’ pronounciation and can be used for
teaching pronounciation for Year 4 pupils at Sk Jalan Gurney 1

1.6 Variables of the Research

In the research, there are two variables, independent and dependent variables:

1.6.1 Independent Variable is the use of Jazz Chant technique for teaching pronunciation for
the Year 4 pupils at SK Jalan Gurney 1.

1.6.2 Dependent variable is improving students’ pronunciation skills and pupils’ attitude
towards learning English.

1.7 Learning Theories

 A number of researches had been done on the use of jazz chants for children to learn
the English language. Jazz chanting is a rhythmic presentation of natural language, linking
the rhythms of spoken American English to the rhythms of traditional American jazz
(Graham, 2006). Hence, it is believed that the rhythmic presentation of the natural language
is the key to success for jazz chants. There are many kinds of jazz chants that can be utilised
in the teaching and learning activities.

The researcher wants to use Jazz Chant technique and adapted it for the participants to
reinforce the learning of pronunciation. This can also be related to the Habit Formation
Theory by Skinner. Skinner (1974) stated that learning needs to be trained in the same way as
muscles are trained. All learning behaviour has to be trained frequently through repetition,
drill and rote learning to reach positive effects. In simpler words, he believed that
reinforcement by way of repetition, instructional cues, drill and practice processes (jazz
chanting), strengthens the exhibition of desired behaviour. He also highlighted the
importance of learning by doing and wanted pupils to play an active part in the lesson.

Moreover, the use of the Jazz Chant strategy was also supported by the theory of Zone of
Proximal Development by Lee Vygotsky (1978). The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
had been defined as,

"The distance between the actual developmental level as determined by

independent problem solving and the level of potential development as
determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration
with more capable peers" (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 86).

Supporting pupils’ active position in their learning and assisting them in becoming self-
regulated learners is at the heart of Vygotsky's concept of the ZPD. 15 The teacher does not
influence children directly, but through shaping and fashioning their social environment.
Vygotsky (1978) said that scaffolding is a means to which teachers can build upon a student’s
strengths. Scaffolding should be contextual, social and temporary frameworks used to support
successful learning with a specific academic domain such as writing (Vygotsky, 1987).
Scaffolding is thought of as using steps in a process, modelling the steps and then giving
students the opportunity to try it themselves.
Johnson. (1995) Understanding communication in the second language clasroom. Cambridge:
Cambridge university press