Which English accent is better for international maritime communication? A plenary speech at the 2023 International Conference on Maritime Education

Abstract

It is crucial to develop maritime professionals’ command of English since English is used as a shared language (lingua franca) among maritime professionals coming from different language and cultural backgrounds. An interesting question about learning English as a lingua franca is which English accent second-language (L2) English speakers should aspire to. Drawing on previous research and the speaker’s own empirical work Dai and Roever (2019), in this talk I discuss how first-language (L1) and L2 English accents affect listeners’ comprehension, attitude and familiarity with the speakers’ speech. I conclude with implications for English language teaching and learning for maritime professionals who use English as a shared language in international maritime communication.