Pronunciation learning strategies and their relationship with the perception and production of english vowels and diphthongs among Chinese EFL learners of english

This study examines the impact of Pronunciation Learning Strategies (PLS) on the perception and production of English vowels and diphthongs among Chinese learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). While prior research has explored various aspects of pronunciation learning, few studies have directly investigated the relationship between PLS use and phonetic outcomes, particularly within tonal language contexts such as Chinese. The present study aims to determine whether the application of PLS enhances Chinese EFL learners' ability to perceive and produce English vowels and diphthongs, as well as to identify the most effective strategies. A true experimental design was employed involving 628 first-year undergraduates from six Chinese universities. Participants were assigned to either an experimental group, which received 14 pronunciation training sessions, or a control group, which received no training. Data were collected using three instruments: the PLS scale, a vowel perception task, and a vowel production task. Results indicated no statistically significant change in overall PLS use in either group. However, the experimental group demonstrated significant improvement in both vowel perception and production. A strong correlation was observed between perception and production performance, metacognitive strategies proving particularly effective in enhancing outcomes. Theoretically, this study advances the understanding of how PLS influence phonetic learning. Practically, the findings suggest that integrating PLS, particularly metacognitive strategies, into pronunciation instruction can improve second language outcomes and contribute to curriculum design and technology assisted learning.