A Survey On Attitudes Toward Letter Words Among University Students

At present, the popularity of letter words attracts a majority of scholars' attention, and their study perspectives on letter words vary from person to person, such as definition, formation, classification, standardization, attitude and transmission of letter words, etc. And it is the topic on attitudes toward letter words that really stirs fierce disputes. Therefore, it is worthwhile to research people' attitudes toward letter words.The thesis selects both undergraduates and postgraduates as subjects, and they are divided into six groups: undergraduates whose majors are related to foreign languages; undergraduates whose majors are related to Chinese; undergraduates whose majors are others; postgraduates whose majors are related to foreign languages; postgraduates whose majors are related to Chinese; postgraduates whose majors are others. Via questionnaire and interview, the thesis aims at researching their cognition, emotion, using and status attitudes toward letter words, and probing into influence of majors and education degree on the four attitudes.The present study finds that 75.3% undergraduates and 87% postgraduates are positive toward letter words on cognition aspect, and so are 48.6% undergraduates and 46.9% postgraduates on emotion aspect. Majors generate some differences for two attitudes. Students whose majors are foreign languages are more positive toward letter words, and those whose majors are Chinese are less positive, and other majors group is in middle degree. In the meanwhile, education degree affects their attitudes. Undergraduates are more positive or negative toward some items, and postgraduates are close to neutral. On using attitudes, occasions play a more essential role in deciding whether subjects would choose letter words or characters, however majors and education degree affect slightly. And in their opinions, letter words should be restrictively used, namely, in formal occasion, such as in textbook of Chinese, letter words should be prohibited; in mass media, letter words should be utilized as little and standard as they can; but in some informal occasion, such as on Internet, they should be utilized in lager number; in common life, letter words should be used based on one's willing. On status attitudes, 65% undergraduates and 72% postgraduates believe letter word is a middle form between Chinese characters and western words.In addition, the thesis also analyzes reasons for such attitudes from the features of letter words, language users, and environment on society and language according to the theory of ecolinguistics. At last, some suggestions on letter words are given to government and masses, and the thesis also points out that the destiny of letter words should be decided by the three groups: government, language professors and masses, in the condition of properly utilizing letter words to create a harmonious language environment.