A Diachronic Study On English Diphthongs Acquisition Of English Majors From The Perspective Of Dynamic Systems Theory

English has become an international language,and the acquisition of English pronunciation,which is the foundation of English,is vital to English learners,especially to English majors.Vowels are one of the most critical parts of English pronunciation,and diphthongs are important within them.When acquiring English diphthongs,different learners may experience distinctive leaning processes.Many researchers studied English diphthongs from different perspectives.However,most linguistic researchers carried out the studies in a linear and cause-and-effect way,ignoring environment,learning conditions and other factors,as well as the interactive relationship among them.Compared with the traditional theories,Dynamic Systems Theory believes that the language development is a dynamic and complex process,following a nonlinear path,and it possesses the characteristics of DST,respectively,constantly changing,complex and nonlinear,chaotic and unpredictable,sensitive to initial conditions,attractor states and repeller states,and completely interconnected.Dynamic Systems Theory challenges the traditionally linear mode of language development,and supplies a new perspective for the study of language acquisition.On the basis of Dynamic Systems Theory,contrastive analysis and diachronic empirical method are applied to study English majors’ situations of English diphthongs acquisition through one year.The thesis summarizes the variable regularities of English diphthongs acquisition by drawing and observing sliding process curve figures,and it mainly focuses on the situations of tongue heights and tongue lifting positions of English diphthongs.All of the analyses are displayed by tables and figures,and the factors which contribute to the variable regularities of English diphthongs acquisition are obtained with questionnaires.Through analysis of English diphthongs acquisition,it finds that:(1)The four times’ records of English diphthongs through one year change as time goes by except for that of the diphthong /au/.(2)Through the analysis with SPSS,it finds that there is no direct relations between learning time and learning effects,that is,English diphthong s acquisition is a nonlinear and complex process.(3)The variations of three types of English diphthongs are different from each other at the aspect of tongue heights and at the tongue lifting positions,and they have their own characteristics.(4)Some students come into the attractor states when pronouncing certain English diphthongs.(5)The variations of English diphthongs acquisition through one year are highly sensitive to their initial conditions.(6)Five types of factors closely interact with each other and contribute to the variable regularities of English diphthongs acquisition together.The thesis explains the variable regularities of English diphthongs acquisition made by Chinese students from a new perspective.It can provide some suggestions on English diphthongs teaching and learning.