Towards a feature-based L2 pronunciation teaching approach: variations in Hong Kong English and ELF intelligibility

Abstract Over the past decades, there has been a significant paradigm shift in L2 pronunciation teaching research, moving away from a native-speaker ideology towards a focus on intelligibility in international communication. ELF intelligibility studies have highlighted pronunciation features crucial for effective international communication. Using Hong Kong English (HKE) as a case of exemplification, this paper illustrates the development of a feature-based, intelligibility-oriented framework for L2 pronunciation teaching by (1) identifying variations in pronunciation features within a local variety and (2) prioritising features based on ELF intelligibility findings and their prominence. The study drew upon recorded interactions of HKE learners/speakers with different English proficiency/education levels (secondary/university students, professionals) ( n = 120; 240 min), who engaged in a group discussion task. Focusing on segmental features, our analysis categorised key HKE features (individual consonants, initial/final consonant clusters, monophthongs/diphthongs) and arranged them based on their frequency of occurrences. Many of them are either less crucial for intelligibility according to the literature or less prominent on the HKE pronunciation continuum. The paper delineates HKE features deemed ‘more’ and ‘less’ important for intelligibility and those that should be the pedagogical focus. It concludes by discussing the application and advantages of an ELF intelligibility-oriented approach in contemporary L2 pronunciation teaching.