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【Abstract】Attribution is a psychological concept，whereas it has important application in second language acquisition （SLA）.Based on Weiner’s Motivation Attribution Theory and other studies abroad，researchers at home have done lots of work on Chinese students’，especially non-English majors’ English-learning attribution，where the SLA attribution theory，foreign language teaching attribution，attribution’s influence on learning motivation and success or failure attribution and its countermeasures are analyzed and discussed.The results show that correct attribution of success and failure will promote autonomous learning，however，incorrect attribution can lead to learned-helplessness.Aiming to correct the inappropriate attribution，strategies are proposed for students and teachers in the end of this paper to improve non-English majors’ English-learning.
【Key words】Non-English majors； Second language acquisition； English learning； Attribution； Improving strategies
【摘要】归因是心理学中的概念，但在二语习得方面有很重要的应用。在韦纳动机归因理论和其他国外研究的基础上，我国学者对中国学生，尤其是非英语专业大学生的英语学习归因情况做了大量研究，并从二语习得归因理论、外语教学归因、归因对学习动机的影响、成败归因及其对策等方面进行了阐述和讨论。结果表明，正确的成败归因将促进自主学习，而不适当的归因可能导致习得性无助。对此，文末给出了学生和老师的归因改进策略以促进非英语专业大学生的英语学习。
【关键词】非英语专业大学生 二语习得 英语学习 归因 改进策略
Attribution is a major factor which influences second language acquisition.It has both positive and negative impact on a learner’s motivation.Attribution is not a new field in psychology，however，its application in the field of SLA is only decades old，which has attracted lots of experts and scholars to spend time and energy in.
1.The Definition of Attribution and Relevant Theories
1.1 The Definition of Attribution
Attribution refers to the process that people analyze and deduce the causes of one’s own and others’ behaviors，namely the individual chooses from a variety of factors which might lead to the behavior to find out the reason and estimate its property and psychological process.
1.2 Attribution Theories
The attribution theory is originated from psychology.Heider，an American social psychologist，first proposed the Attribution Theory in the 1950s，and distinguished attribution into internal attribution （character attribution） and external attribution （situation attribution）.On this basis，Jones and Davis proposed the Corresponding Inference Theory in 1965，Kelley the Cube Attribution Theory in 1967，and Abramson the Attribution Theory of Style in 1978.
From 1972 to 1982，American social psychologist Weiner referred to and summed up predecessors’ thought and gradually put forward his own attribution system.At the beginning，Weiner deemed that ability，effort，task difficulty，and luck are four main factors people perceive when they account for success and failure，which all consist of two dimensions：control point and stability.According to the control point dimension，reasons are divided into internal and external factors，and the stability dimension to stable and unstable factors.For the four categories，ability is internal and stable； effort is internal and unstable； task difficulty is external and stable； while luck is external and unstable. Table 1 The Interrelations between Categories and Dimensions of Weiner’s Primary Attribution Theory
Internal External
Stable Ability Task difficulty
Unstable Effort Luck
Later，Weiner developed his theory.Two factors of physical and mental condition and external environment，and one dimension of controllability were added into the system to form the latest Motivation Attribution Theory.Similarly，the controllability dimension consists of controllable and uncontrollable factors.So far，there are six categories and three dimensions，and their interrelations are as bellow：
Table 2 The Interrelations between Attribution Categories and Attribution Dimensions of Weiner’s Motivation Attribution Theory
Attribution
Categories Attribution Dimensions
Stability Control Point Controllability
Stable Unstable Internal External Controllable Uncontrollable
Ability √ √ √
Effort √ √ √
Task difficulty √ √ √
Luck √ √ √
Physical and
mental condition √ √ √
External
environment √ √ √
Weiner’s Motivation Attribution Theory has become the significant attribution theory in various fields such as psychology，sociology，pedagogy and linguistics.
2.Application of Weiner’s Motivation Attribution Theory in Non-English Majors’ English Learning
2.1 Studies Abroad of Attribution Theory in Second Language Acquisition
Attribution analysis in SLA began to boom since the 1990s.Early in 1991，Crookes and Schmidt had applied the Motivation Attribution Theory to study the language acquisition phenomena.Thereafter，Dornyei studied the motivation attribution’s effect on SLA in different teaching environments.Moreover，Oxford et al.discussed the influence from the perspective of theory framework，and Schmidt et al.probed it from the angle of internal structure and external connections point.These above studies form the basis of the researches at home and abroad.
2.2 Studies in China of Weiner’s Motivation Attribution Theory in Non-English Majors’ English Learning
There are also series of researches about attribution’s influence on SLA at home.Hu Xueyun and his colleagues first applied attribution to foreign language teaching field.In their paper，Weiner’s theory was expended into eight types and was used for attribution training in teaching.Wang Chuming also involved in this topic in his thesis Cognitive and Emotional Factors in Foreign Language Learning. In the year 2002，Qin Xiaoqing made a survey and analysis of 500 non-English majors’ attribution preference in English learning，and found out that attribution had not only direct impact on foreign language learning motivation but also indirect impact through self-confidence，learning valence，learning purposes，and goals set for learning.In his study，SLA attribution was distinguished into four categories：learning environment attribution，classroom teaching attribution，language talent attribution and effort attribution.He also did case analysis through talking with several of the participants.At the same time，Jiang Xiaohong researched 307 non-English majors of six colleges in different cities in her master’s thesis，and used SPSS to do analysis of variance （ANOVA），correlation analysis and regression analysis.The results showed that success and failure attribution was significantly correlated with learning strategies，and the regression mold of ability，effort and luck to success attribution and luck to failure attribution could predict the trend of learning strategies.Then various studies boomed in the late 2000s and early 2010s.Students of freshmen，graduates，special majors in different places and topics of attribution
【Key words】Non-English majors； Second language acquisition； English learning； Attribution； Improving strategies
【摘要】归因是心理学中的概念，但在二语习得方面有很重要的应用。在韦纳动机归因理论和其他国外研究的基础上，我国学者对中国学生，尤其是非英语专业大学生的英语学习归因情况做了大量研究，并从二语习得归因理论、外语教学归因、归因对学习动机的影响、成败归因及其对策等方面进行了阐述和讨论。结果表明，正确的成败归因将促进自主学习，而不适当的归因可能导致习得性无助。对此，文末给出了学生和老师的归因改进策略以促进非英语专业大学生的英语学习。
【关键词】非英语专业大学生 二语习得 英语学习 归因 改进策略
Attribution is a major factor which influences second language acquisition.It has both positive and negative impact on a learner’s motivation.Attribution is not a new field in psychology，however，its application in the field of SLA is only decades old，which has attracted lots of experts and scholars to spend time and energy in.
1.The Definition of Attribution and Relevant Theories
1.1 The Definition of Attribution
Attribution refers to the process that people analyze and deduce the causes of one’s own and others’ behaviors，namely the individual chooses from a variety of factors which might lead to the behavior to find out the reason and estimate its property and psychological process.
1.2 Attribution Theories
The attribution theory is originated from psychology.Heider，an American social psychologist，first proposed the Attribution Theory in the 1950s，and distinguished attribution into internal attribution （character attribution） and external attribution （situation attribution）.On this basis，Jones and Davis proposed the Corresponding Inference Theory in 1965，Kelley the Cube Attribution Theory in 1967，and Abramson the Attribution Theory of Style in 1978.
From 1972 to 1982，American social psychologist Weiner referred to and summed up predecessors’ thought and gradually put forward his own attribution system.At the beginning，Weiner deemed that ability，effort，task difficulty，and luck are four main factors people perceive when they account for success and failure，which all consist of two dimensions：control point and stability.According to the control point dimension，reasons are divided into internal and external factors，and the stability dimension to stable and unstable factors.For the four categories，ability is internal and stable； effort is internal and unstable； task difficulty is external and stable； while luck is external and unstable. Table 1 The Interrelations between Categories and Dimensions of Weiner’s Primary Attribution Theory
Internal External
Stable Ability Task difficulty
Unstable Effort Luck
Later，Weiner developed his theory.Two factors of physical and mental condition and external environment，and one dimension of controllability were added into the system to form the latest Motivation Attribution Theory.Similarly，the controllability dimension consists of controllable and uncontrollable factors.So far，there are six categories and three dimensions，and their interrelations are as bellow：
Table 2 The Interrelations between Attribution Categories and Attribution Dimensions of Weiner’s Motivation Attribution Theory
Attribution
Categories Attribution Dimensions
Stability Control Point Controllability
Stable Unstable Internal External Controllable Uncontrollable
Ability √ √ √
Effort √ √ √
Task difficulty √ √ √
Luck √ √ √
Physical and
mental condition √ √ √
External
environment √ √ √
Weiner’s Motivation Attribution Theory has become the significant attribution theory in various fields such as psychology，sociology，pedagogy and linguistics.
2.Application of Weiner’s Motivation Attribution Theory in Non-English Majors’ English Learning
2.1 Studies Abroad of Attribution Theory in Second Language Acquisition
Attribution analysis in SLA began to boom since the 1990s.Early in 1991，Crookes and Schmidt had applied the Motivation Attribution Theory to study the language acquisition phenomena.Thereafter，Dornyei studied the motivation attribution’s effect on SLA in different teaching environments.Moreover，Oxford et al.discussed the influence from the perspective of theory framework，and Schmidt et al.probed it from the angle of internal structure and external connections point.These above studies form the basis of the researches at home and abroad.
2.2 Studies in China of Weiner’s Motivation Attribution Theory in Non-English Majors’ English Learning
There are also series of researches about attribution’s influence on SLA at home.Hu Xueyun and his colleagues first applied attribution to foreign language teaching field.In their paper，Weiner’s theory was expended into eight types and was used for attribution training in teaching.Wang Chuming also involved in this topic in his thesis Cognitive and Emotional Factors in Foreign Language Learning. In the year 2002，Qin Xiaoqing made a survey and analysis of 500 non-English majors’ attribution preference in English learning，and found out that attribution had not only direct impact on foreign language learning motivation but also indirect impact through self-confidence，learning valence，learning purposes，and goals set for learning.In his study，SLA attribution was distinguished into four categories：learning environment attribution，classroom teaching attribution，language talent attribution and effort attribution.He also did case analysis through talking with several of the participants.At the same time，Jiang Xiaohong researched 307 non-English majors of six colleges in different cities in her master’s thesis，and used SPSS to do analysis of variance （ANOVA），correlation analysis and regression analysis.The results showed that success and failure attribution was significantly correlated with learning strategies，and the regression mold of ability，effort and luck to success attribution and luck to failure attribution could predict the trend of learning strategies.Then various studies boomed in the late 2000s and early 2010s.Students of freshmen，graduates，special majors in different places and topics of attribution