A Study Of The Influences Of Initial Proficiency And Exposure To English On Language Attrition Among Chinese Non-English Majors

English is the most widely learned foreign language and plays an important rolein China. However, when learners finish their formal study or training, they find it ishard for them to maintain. A reasonable explanation for this phenomenon is languageattrition, which has formed into a new independent discipline and has gained broadlyfocuses since "Conference on the Attrition of Language Skills" in1980. The literatureon language attrition is relatively little, especially in second language attrition area.Most of studies in this field have been carried on by European, North American orJapanese scholars on the basis of learners from western countries or from Japan.However, compared with its popularity abroad, only a few papers were related withthis area. In the mean time, most of them merely do the introductory work.Therefore, conducting more English attrition researches is of great importance both intheory and in practice.Researchers have found that language attrition is affected by various factors.The main objective of the present study is to explore the influence of English initialproficiency and exposure to English on language attrition among Chinese collegegraduates who have finished formal English training for four years. Three morespecific questions are thus tackled:(1) Is there any attrition of learners’ proficiencyafter systematical English learning for four years? Which aspect of language skill，listening, reading or writing is more vulnerable to attrition?(2) How does Englishinitial proficiency affect the language attrition?(3) How does exposure to Englishaffect language attrition?In order to solve the research questions,90subjects were initially selected fromnon-English major students graduated from Qufu Normal University in June,2010.Finally,73subjects were fit for the research. Two research instruments, the StudentQuestionnaire and the Proficiency Test were used in the study. Besides, in the presentstudy, CET4in June,2008was used as the Language Proficiency Test. Data collected from the Questionnaire and the Proficiency Tests is analyzed by SPSS16.0.The findings of the research can be concluded in the follows:(1) Significantlanguage attrition is observed after termination of English formal study for four years.The attrition of listening, reading and writing skill is investigated in the present study.It turns out that productive skill (writing skill) is more vulnerable to attrite thanreceptive skills (listening skill and reading skill).(2) Initial proficiency level affectsthe language attrition greatly. The high proficiency group demonstrates more attritionrate and leaves more remainder. The low proficiency group, however, shows lessattrition rate and leaves less remainder. Besides, no correlation is reported betweeninitial proficiency and the attrition rate; while negative correlation exists between theinitial proficiency and the attrition rate in the low proficiency group.(3)Exposure toEnglish is an important factor affecting attrition. A small amount of contact isreported among the subjects. No artificial interference contact is found in the presentstudy. Significant negative correlation is revealed between the exposure factor and theattrition rate.