English speaking Rhythm --English sounds without meaning. Right on!! -And that crazy Italian song that sounds like English but isn't.

In the last two posts, I spoke about teaching English rhythm to students in order to improve their spoken English pronunciation.

To help get this concept across even further, I offer this --one of the greatest things on the internet!! (At least to an English as a Second Language teacher.)

Adriano Celantano is an Italian comedian who created a song that sounds like an American English song but consists of nothing but nonsense words with English sounds and rhythm. I've included two versions of the video of the song. The first has just the song. The second has the Italian language set up that frames the joke and explains the song. Basically, if you can understand the Italian, students in an Italian music class ask their teacher how one can sing a foreign, English language song if you forget the words. Is it possible? He assures them that it is and then demonstrates.

English speaking rhythm videos

Languages have a thythm, each and every one of them. And this rhythm varies from one language to the next. When people learn a second (or additional) language, they have a tendency to speak with the rhythm of the first language. For this reason, it's a good to teach them not only that spoken American English has a distinct  rhythm and stress pattern, but what that rhythm is.

Fortunately, like so much else, Youtube has a wealth of videos on how English should be spoken. 

The following are some of my favorites.  I offer them without other comment.