A Review of Pronunciation Challenges Faced by ESL Learners from Different Varieties of Chinese

Accurate pronunciation plays a vital role in second language (L2) acquisition, yet many Chinese English learners continue to face persistent challenges due to negative transfer from their first language (L1). While prior studies have largely focused on Standard Mandarin, the impact of other Chinese varieties such as Cantonese and Sichuan dialect has received less systematic attention. This review aims to synthesize existing empirical findings on the pronunciation difficulties experienced by ESL learners from these three representative Chinese language varieties. Drawing on over thirty peer-reviewed studies, this review categorizes learners challenges into segmental and suprasegmental domains, identifies common and dialect-specific error patterns, and analyzes the phonological features driving these patterns. The paper further highlights research gaps, particularly the lack of cross-dialect comparison, the limited exploration of suprasegmental transfer, and the narrow participant demographics. By adopting a comparative approach, this review intends to enhance theoretical insights into L2 pronunciation acquisition and provide evidence-based guidance for dialect-sensitive pronunciation instruction, ultimately supporting more effective communication for diverse Chinese ESL learners.