Team Workshop 1

Names: Abderrahim BIARE & Mohamed MOKHLIS

Audience: CPR trainers

Topic: Jazz Chants

Description of the workshop:

The workshop’s main objective is to stress the importance of using Jazz Chants as tension-free activities for young learners’ natural language learning / acquisition. In fact, the introduction of English as a foreign language at the middle school level in Morocco is an optimum opportunity for us, middle school teachers, supervisors and CPR trainers to update our teaching / training techniques and strategies so as to be more effective in developing young learners’ cognitive and linguistic abilities. In addition to lowering students’ stress and inhibition and creating a cheerful and relaxing learning atmosphere, Jazz Chants can be a precious resource to help teachers:

• develop students’ oral intelligibility both at the segmental and supersegmental levels
• enhance students’ linguistic and communicative competence
• raise students’ awareness towards the target language culture.

This workshop is also meant to change some TEFL practitioners’ mindsets and misconceptions that still regard serious and formal classroom environment as pre-requisite to effective learning. Such common perceptions are erroneous as students can develop language proficiency while enjoying themselves. So, integrating Jazz Chants in pre-service training syllabus as effective instructional activities seems to be a necessity; for in order to be able to use jazz Chants effectively in their own teaching, prospective teachers of English should themselves be exposed to them during their teacher training program.

The workshop will end up with a suggested framework including procedures and techniques for using Jazz Chants as well as some Chants selected from ‘Small Falk’ (Books in a Box) for audience practice and application.

Outline

I. Theoretical background (30 mn)

A . What are Jazz Chants? (10 mn)

a . a definition of Jazz Chants

b . a biographical sketch of Carolyn Graham

B . Why using Jazz Chants? (10 mn)

a . to develop learners’ oral intelligibility

i . at the segmental level

ii . at the supersegmental level

b . to reinforce / review lexis or grammar

C . Jazz Chants teaching procedures and techniques (10 mn)

II . Audience practice and application (30 mn)

Using three different Chants:

A . to develop students’ oral intelligibility (10 mn)

B . to reinforce / review vocabulary (10 mn)

C . to reinforce /review grammar (10 mn)

III . Discussion and feedback (30 mn)

Individual presentation

Name: Abderrahim BIARE

Topic: Games as Tension Free Activities

Target audience: inspectors

Objectives: designing games as major teaching activities whose objectives are:

i . to lower students’ inhibition, stress and anxiety

ii . to promote students’ language proficiency

iii . to provide opportunities for real communication

Materials from Books in the Box:

i . Shenanigames

ii . The Great Big Bingo Book

Curriculum goals: games should be at the heart of teaching English as a foreign language in Moroccan middle schools

Outline:

i . Brainstorming

ii . Theoretical background including:

o rationale behind using games

o types and functions of games

iii . games teaching techniques

vi . using competitive and cooperative games for audience practice and application

v . discussion and feedback