Error Analysis in English Vowel Acquisition: A Case Study of Yi Ethnic Junior High School Students in Liangshan

Abstract

This study focuses on the challenges faced by Yi minority students in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, China, in acquiring English phonetics within a trilingual educational context (Yi/Mandarin/English). Through field questionnaire surveys, various phonetic errors made by Yi students in English vowel pronunciation were identified and statistically analyzed. The study attempts to explore the underlying causes from the perspectives of language acquisition and trilingual education. Additionally, exam-oriented motivational factors further exacerbate learning difficulties. The research reveals a dual transfer mechanism: cognitive-perceptual filtering dominated by L1 phonological categories and socio-affective influences such as classroom anxiety. Based on dynamic multilingualism and selective transfer theories, an integrated intervention framework is proposed, combining contrastive tri-lingual vowel training with culturally responsive pedagogy. Key strategies include articulatory visualization, pronunciation activities grounded in Yi oral traditions, and structured perceptual-production training sequences. This approach transforms L1 transfer from a learning obstacle into a pedagogical resource, offering practical solutions for improving vowel acquisition in minority trilingual education contexts. The study emphasizes the importance of integrating psycholinguistic perspectives with culturally sustaining pedagogy to effectively address persistent phonological challenges in third language acquisition.