Rhythmic patterns as basic units in pronunciation teaching

Abstract

This paper proposes, in the light of relevant research, a model for the teaching of pronunciation based on meaningful units or tone groups and it suggests rhythmic patterns as the basic phonetic realisation of these tone groups. Syllable length is presented as the starting point in pronunciation instruction since ( a) it presents the most signijicant phonetic differences between English and various other languages; (b) it appears to be the most widely encountered difficulty among foreign learners of English and (e) it is a major obstacle in acquiring a near-native pronunciation. A basic model for the teaching of pronunciation is therefore proposed, which derives its primary unit from the rhythmic pattern and a technique is suggested for teaching rhythm at all levels and integrated with the oral activities of a communicative course).