The document summarizes a workshop on teaching rhythm techniques for the L2 speaking classroom. The workshop was presented by Michael Burri and Karen Rauser at the 43rd Annual BC TEAL Conference at SFU in Vancouver on May 6-7, 2011. The workshop covered using techniques like "Butterfly" and "Rhythmic Feet Fight Club" to teach canonical and conversational rhythm patterns to English language learners through full-body movements and gestures synchronized with speech. The goal was to help learners improve their speaking rhythm through a multi-sensory, kinesthetic approach.

1. Teachable Rhythm Techniques
for the L2 Speaking Classroom
Workshop at the 43rd Annual BC TEAL Conference
SFU, Vancouver
May 6 & 7, 2011
Michael Burri, M.A. TESOL
Program Coordinator
BC Institute of Technology
Vancouver, BC
Karen Rauser, B.A. Linguistics, M.A. TESOL
TESL Instructor/ESL Instructor
Okanagan College
Kelowna, BC
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3. Agenda
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4. Opera Diva Catelephant
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5. Make yourself at home…
• from Touchstone Level 2 DVD
– Episode 3, Act 3 (DVD VRB Task Menu #43)
• Alex, Liz, Yoko
– watch how their bodies show their sentence
rhythm!
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6. Theory Base & Rationale
• Tone Units (formerly known as thought groups)
• Rhythm Patterns
• Teaching and learning of rhythm: problematic
area in L2 classroom (Setter, 2006).
• Multiple Modality – simultaneous attention to
Kinesthetic, Cognitive, Affective, Visual, and
Auditory modes
• Canonical vs. Conversational Rhythm
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7. Rhythmic “Feet” of English
• Composed of stressed and unstressed
syllables
• Maximum 7 syllables for learners (That’s very
fascinating!) in one focal output group
• Possible 16 patterns (16 feet)
• Often obvious in traditional poetry but not in
general conversation (She sells sea shells by
the sea shore!)
• Varies depending on dialect of English
(US/Canada)
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8. Rhythm
Canonical Rhythm
Conversational Rhythm
• Set patterns, regular
timing
• One stressed syllable per
thought group
• Based on grammatical
boundaries
• Irregular
timing, pauses, hesitation
s, bursts
• Secondary stress often
apparent
• Based on communicative
intention
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9. The Process
Butterfly
RFFC
Sparring
CANONICAL RHYTHM
RFFC
Fight
Club
CONVERSATIONAL RHYTHM
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10. Butterfly – Instructions
• Left hand taps right deltoid on stressed syllables.
• Right hand taps left elbow on unstressed syllables
(tap as lightly as possible).
• Before each parse group, inhale as you bring your
head back slightly!
• Exhale on stressed syllable with upper torso nod.
• Try this: “ Thank you for co-ming to-day!
o o o O o o o
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11. B-fly Words
BREATHE IN….
Nice
– That’s nice
– Very nice
– That’s very nice
Easy
Beautiful
Fascinating
BREATHE IN….
Tough
– That’s tough
– Very tough
– That’s very tough
Tricky
Puzzling
Complicated
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12. Butterfly Practice
• Liz: Oh no, / what happened? / Are you /
okay?
• Alex: I… sort of / had an accident. / I mean, / I
hurt / my knee / at the gym.
• Yoko: What happened?
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13. Compact Rhythmic Feet Fight Club (RFFC)
• Objective: compacting syllables (the felt sense of speaking rhythm) and
increasing speed
• Stressed syllable will always be on the “ball/glove” hand
• Begin by checking how many pre-stress syllables there are:
Zero or even number (0, 2 or 4): ball hand:
Cool!
Odd number (1,3 or 5): other hand:
That’s cool!
(2 pre-) Start w/ball hand:
Ve-ry cool!
(3 pre-) Start w/other hand:
That’s ve-ry cool!
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14. Compact RFFC Punches & Jabs
O
oO
ooO
oooO
Cool!
That’s cool!
Very cool!
That’s very cool!
Oo
oOo
ooOo
oooOo
Funky!
That’s Funky!
Very Funky!
That’s very Funky!
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15. Ooo
oOoo
ooOoo
oooOoo
Super cool! /
That’s super cool!
Very super cool!
That’s very super cool!
Oooo
oOooo
ooOooo
oooOooo
Super funky! /
That’s super funky!
Very super funky!
That’s very super funky!
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16. RFFC – Practice 1
• Alex: [b] It’s embarrassing. / [b] I was teaching
/ [o] aerobics. / [o] I wasn’t looking /, [b] and I
ran / [o] into a wall.
• Yoko: [b] Really?
• Alex: [o] I felt / [b] pretty stupid. / [o] It hurt /
[o] a lot. /
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17. Compact RFFC Punches & Jabs
O
oO
ooO
oooO
bad!
That’s bad!
Very bad!
That’s very bad!
Oo
oOo
ooOo
oooOo
Nasty!
That’s nasty!
Very nasty!
That’s very nasty!
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18. Ooo
oOoo
ooOoo
oooOoo
Dangerous!
That’s dangerous!
Very dangerous!
That’s very dangerous!
Oooo
oOooo
ooOooo
oooOooo
Devastating!
That’s devastating!
Very devastating!
That’s very devastating!
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19. RFFC – Practice 2
• Alex: [b] Anyway, / [b] can I ask / [o] you guys a
favor? / [b] Our TV / [o] is broken. / [o] Do you mind
/ [b] if I watch / [o] the game / [b] here?
• Yoko: [b] Not at all.
• Liz: [b] Make yourself / [o] at home.
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20. Bibliography
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44th Annual TESOL Convention, Boston, MA.
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