Teaching rhythm and rhythm grouping: The butterfly technique

For years, teachers have been lamenting how difficult pronunciation is to teach to second language learners (Baker, 2011; Macdonald, 2002). So challenging, in fact, it may even be neglected in the classroom. In cases where it is included in the classroom, it may be either treated in isolation (e.g., done for 5 minutes at the end of a lesson) or done unsystematically (e.g., without a clear goal or learner needs in mind). Another reason for pronunciation’s lack of attention in the classroom may be that teachers and students alike may simply find pronunciation boring to teach or to learn.