Are Mandarin Chinese Speakers Prepared for Philippine English? Insights from PhD Students in Manila

Abstract

The study explores how Mandarin Chinese PhD students in Manila perceive Philippine English and how they adapt to it through the World Englishes and Communication Accommodation Theory frameworks. Data were gathered for the project using a mixed-methods approach, completed through questionnaires (n=30) and interviews (n=9). Findings reveal a positive perception of legitimacy of Philippine English, highlighting its functional role in communication. Pronunciation challenges were found to be a major obstacle to intelligibility which mirrored an enduring conflict between English variants and Inner Circle standards. Participants employed adaptive strategies, such as simplifying grammar and selectively using localized vocabulary. These strategies fit well with the main focus of Communication Accommodation Theory, that is, to achieve linguistic convergence to mutual understanding. The results highlight the dual role of Philippine English as both a challenge and an enabler, and the relevance of adaptation to multilingual environments. Implications derive from integrating Philippine English into curriculum, as well as developing cross cultural communication skills.