An Empirical Study On Non-English Majors’ English Writing Attrition In Aspects Of Gender, Initial Language Proficiency And Motivation

Language attrition, as the inverse process of the language learning, refers to the loss of language skill in a certain language due to the lack or cease of using over time. English writing attrition is an aspect of language attrition. Aiming at exploring the participants’ English writing attrition after ceasing regular English learning in class for about six months, and discussing the influences of participants’ genders, initial language proficiencies, and motivations towards English writing attrition, this thesis carries out an empirical research on the English writing attrition of 83 non-English majors in the class of 2012 in Shenyang Normal University, uses English writing tests, questionnaire, and interview as research methods, and adopts both quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis in order to conduct two stages’ researches. The researches at Stage One are carried out in June, 2014. At this time, the participants would finish their two-year regular English learning in class. This stage includes English writing pre-test and English writing motivation questionnaire. The researches at Stage Two are carried out in December, 2014. At this time, the participants had stopped their regular English learning in class for six months. This stage includes English writing post-test and semi-structured group interview.Through the analysis of SPSS 20.0, the main research findings and results focus on the following three aspects. First, in the gender perspective, this thesis reveals that males suffer from more obvious English writing attrition than females, which shows that the genders could affect the English writing attrition. Second, at the initial language proficiency level, this research suggests that the higher the initial language proficiency is, the lower the degree of English writing attrition is. That is, the initial language proficiency and the English writing attrition belong to the “inverse” relationship. Third, in the respective of motivation, its study is divided into two aspects: one is the motivation types, and the other is the motivation intensity. When it comes to the motivation types, this thesis classifies English writing motivation into the instrumental motivation, situational motivation, and cultural motivation. It could be seen that among them, the instrumental motivation is the primary motivation of the participants, but students with this kind of motivation is the easiest to suffer from English writing attrition. However, the minimum number of students who belong to the cultural motivation could confront the English writing attrition best. When it comes to the motivation intensity, this study discovers that the stronger one’s English writing motivation is, the lower the degree of one’s English writing attrition is.Consequently, this research has both theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, it has testified the existence of English writing attrition; it has verified the theoretical framework of language attrition; and it has proved the influences of genders, initial language proficiency, and motivation towards English writing attrition. Practically, in order to fight against the English writing attrition, teachers should improve the English teaching reasonably. First, teachers should pay attention to the gender differences in the process of English teaching. It would be helpful to use different teaching methods for the respective groups. Second, teachers should focus on cultivating students’ English abilities to make their initial language proficiency levels to a certain degree, in order to counter the possible English writing attrition. Third, teachers should pay attention to distinguish the students’ motivation types and intensities. It may be beneficial to guide the students from passive learning mode to active learning mode, and to develop their desire of learning English writing, aiming to achieve the stability of the English writing skill.