As English becomes an established lingua franca in the ASEAN region, what should be the pedagogical approach to oral skills and pronunciation teaching in the region? Should teachers target common features and patterns developing in ASEAN English or target more "Western" pronunciation? This study strives to balance the discussion of the importance of phonological differences within lingua francas with the importance of mutual intelligibility, especially for political and educational entities. Empowering multilingual national teachers is crucial and should be accomplished without negating the assistance of visiting EFL teachers within the ASEAN context. Current teaching theory surrounding English as a lingua franca is largely lacking any congruency with current practice within the ASEAN region. English teaching in Vietnam is specifically explored, within the question of whether current lingua franca theory can be applied within the context in a pragmatic way.