A Study Of English Attrition Among Non-English Major Students From The Perspective Of Dynamic Systems Theory

Language attrition is the inverse process of language acquisition and includes first language attrition and second or foreign language attrition. Foreign language attrition refers to the decline or stop of the use of certain language in the first language environment and the language competence gradually declines as time goes by. This thesis mainly focuses on English attrition in foreign language environment. Compared with the researches on language attrition abroad, the researches on language attrition in China started a little later and there are many researches on introductions to language attrition theory abroad and relatively a small number of empirical researches. Freeman introduced Dynamic Systems Theory to applied linguistic researches. DST indicates that the process of language development is non-linear and both language attrition and language acquisition are the important components of language development. The DST approach provides a new angle for language attrition researches.To investigate the conditions of English attrition in foreign language environment, this thesis is to carry out quantitative empirical research among 201 non-English major freshmen in Northeast Forestry University in order to explore whether the participants will undergo English attrition after three-month stop of formal English instruction and elucidate the phenomenon of English attrition and the related factors influencing English attrition from the perspective of DST. The following research instruments, namely English Learning Motivation Questionnaire designed by Gao Yihong and English Placement Test, are used to collect data and SPSS 19.0 is used to analyze the collected data. This thesis is to investigate the following 4 research questions:(1) After three-month stop of formal English instruction, whether there will be language attrition among the participants in the study? (2) Are there any differences in English attrition among the participants with different pre-attrition English proficiency? If there are some differences, which kind of participants suffer more English attrition, participants with high pre-attrition English proficiency or participants with low pre-attrition English proficiency? (3) Among seven different types of English learning motivation, which is the predictive indicator of restraining English attrition? (4) Referring to these two factors:pre-attrition English proficiency and English learning motivation, which is the predictive indicator of restraining English attrition?The research results can be summarized as:(1) The overall language skills of the participants undergo obvious attrition after three-month stop of formal English instruction, but the English attrition rate among all the participants is different; (2) The English attrition rate of participants with different pre-attrition English proficiency is different and presents the negative correlation with pre-attrition English proficiency, that is to say, English attrition rate of high initial English proficiency group is lower than that of low initial proficiency group; (3) Among seven types of English learning motivation, intrinsic interest and social responsibility motivation are predictive indicators of restraining English attrition; (4) Referring to these two influencing factors:pre-attrition English proficiency and English learning motivation, pre-attrition English proficiency is the predictive indicator of restraining English attrition.The paper studies English attrition from the perspective of DST and analyzes language and elucidates the influencing factors from DST perspective. The research enriches the research results of English attrition under the instruction of DST and provides the reform of college English curriculum with new reflections.