Title
Does the Hong Kong Native English Scheme have an Effect on Learner’s Intelligibility of ‘Standard Accents?

Keywords: No Keywords

Authors
William Thomas Han
Lancaster University

Abstract
The present study investigates the effect of the Hong Kong Native English Teacher Scheme on learner s intelligibility of Standard accents. 120 participants from six classes studying for Associate Degrees were given a language learning history questionnaire and an intelligibility test where they were required to listen to and orthographically transcribe speakers from America, England, Hong Kong and Australia. It was found that in spite of being taught by a Native English Teacher there was no positive correlation in intelligibility of the Standard participants had been taught. Furthermore the Hong Kong Chinese speaker of English was for all classes the most intelligible, pointing to a matched interlanguage speech intelligibility benefit (Bent and Bradlow, 2003).