L2 pronunciation training should unequivocally be linked to complex daily life experiences (Derwing 2017). Each client comes from a different background, participates in a different environmental context and engages in different activities within those contexts (Threats 2008). This is a particularly challenging aspect in the L2 practice (Derwing 2017). The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, also known as the ICF-Model (WHO 2001, 2013), offers a conceptual framework that acknowledges the intricate dimensions of human functioning and incorporates personal and contextual factors that can influence participation in daily live (Heerkens and de Beer 2007; Ma, Threats, and Worrall 2008). This paper provides an exploration of the application of this model to pronunciation and intelligibility difficulties in L2 learning. We apply the model to a specific L2 learner, Mahmout and demonstrate how its use allows for consideration of factors much broader than the phonological or phonetic challenges Mahmout faces. Mahmout must be able to generalize that what he has learned into functional communicative competences to improve his participation. The ICF-model (WHO 2001, 2013) is used globally in a broad array of healthcare professions, including Speech and Language Therapists (SLT’s). Yet, it is not a customary tool, nor probably an obvious one, used by L2-professionals (Blake and McLeod 2019). Of course, our goal is not to classify pronunciation problems of L2 learners as disabilities. The model proves a useful tool to view the individual L2 learner as a whole, and part of a larger system. It may allow L2 professionals to tailor their intervention to the individual’s needs and situation and will consequently be able to establish priorities in instruction to enable appropriate goal setting for each individual (Blake and McLeod 2019). It allows identification of influencing barriers or facilitating factors within the stagnation or improvement of pronunciation (Blake and McLeod 2019; Howe 2008).
