Speaking in Rhythm - ESL Style

When my ESL students have taken the time to practice their speech rhythm, I have seen "dramatic" improvements in their pronunciation and confidence.

One really simple thing I have done in classes is to break the students into small groups, give each group one part of a magazine article, and have them practice reading their part aloud in their groups using speech rhythm patterns.

I think the small group work makes the students feel more comfortable trying out challenging pronunciations or just making mistakes, and I always keep myself close by to answer questions.

After the students feel that they have practiced reading their part of the article enough, I have them take turns reading aloud to the entire class. It is amazing to see the improvements some students make in their ability to pronounce certain sounds that had previously been troublesome for them.

And for those students who are not so impressed with the rather "slow" speaking strategy, I always find that giving a short quiz about the entire article makes a difference. In fact, when these students recognize their increased level of comprehension and memory, they catch on pretty quickly that this strategy holds value for more than just speaking.

Got any thoughts about how I might make this exercise even better? I'd love to hear what you think - email me.