How the Experiences of the Multilingual Education Setting in Liangshan Influence the Construction of Yi Secondary Students’ Self-identity

This qualitative case study investigates Yi students’ language practices in two middle schools in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, China, as well as how they navigate their linguistic choices. It develops a framework by integrating the chronotopic identity lens and translanguaging lens to analyse Yi students’ self-identity. Data from language maps, interviews, and observations reveal that both Mo1 and Mo2 schools predominantly relied on Mandarin in class teaching. While their engagement with Nuosu was motivated by exams, students continued to speak Nuosu to maintain their Yi identity after class. This study advances understandings of minority students’ self-identity in multilingual learning contexts.