Phonological Features of China English

Abstract

This article builds on previous studies of China English by investigating the use of a number of phonological features by twelve students from mainland China. The students were studying at a university in Hong Kong, and came from different regions of China. They were recorded reading a standardized passage and certain aspects of feature use were analyzed. Patterns of variation in some of the features identified in previous studies, such as the substitution of the palato-alveolar fricative /ʒ/, are confirmed as being related to the regional origin of the students. The study also describes some features that have received less attention in previous studies, such as diphthong shortening and the simplification of final consonant clusters. The possible influence of British and American English on some aspects of the students’ pronunciation is also briefly considered. Although some knowledge of these features is believed to be useful for educators, the article outlines some of the drawbacks that may result from the premature association of such features with so-called “emergent varieties” of English.