Rhymes and Rhythm: A poem-based course for English pronunciation

Rhymes and Rhythm provides targeted pronunciation and listening practice through the medium of verse. Featuring lively, engaging poems ranging from limericks to raps, it offers an innovative and effective way for students of English to improve their understanding, and to be better understood.

Focusing on areas such as syllable length, linking, weak forms and stress placement, tasks and poems allow students to practise the understanding and production of fast, natural speech. A key to the tasks is included.

The accompanying CD-ROM contains detailed notes for teachers and ideas for additional activities, as well as extra material in the form of clearly presented complementary visuals.

‘Pronunciation is woefully neglected in all mainstream language courses but it is the one area in which we can have lots of fun with patterning of sounds in a way which is acceptable even to teenagers and adults. The only book which I know that has systematically tried to do this is the wonderful Rhymes and Rhythm […]' - David A. Hill, ‘Language Play and Creative Language Learning’

Key Features

• CD-ROM containing extensive material for teacher use, including visuals for OHTs or interactive whiteboards; suggestions for using the visuals; ideas for pronunciation lessons and games and ideas for other follow-up activities
• vocabulary notes
• audio material on DVD
• uses a variety of different types of poem
• can be used by learners of most ages and capabilities

Contents

Part I: Syllables, stress and rhythm

Chapter 1: Syllables, stress and rhythm

Part II: Stress in words and phrases

Chapter 2: Stress in verbs
Chapter 3: Stress in nouns and adjectives
Chapter 4: Stress in compounds and phrases
Chapter 5: Stress patterns in words and phrases
Chapter 6: Stress shift

Part III: Fast, natural speech

Chapter 7: Introduction to fast, natural speech
Chapter 8: Elision
Chapter 9: Assimilation

Part IV: Playing with poems

Chapter 10: Limericks
Chapter 11: Other types of poem
Chapter 12: Similes, sayings and sounds

Appendices

Appendix 1: Key to the tasks
Appendix 2: Completed poems
Appendix 3: Book map
Appendix 4: CD-ROM thumbnails