Definite and indefinite article accuracy in learner English: A multifactorial analysis

• Published in: Studies in second language acquisition Vol. 46; no. 3; pp. 710 - 740
• Main Authors: Derkach, Kateryna, Alexopoulou, Theodora
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, USA Cambridge University Press 01.07.2024
• Subjects: Accuracy; Brazilian Portuguese; Chinese languages; Computers; Corpus analysis; Count/Mass distinction; Cultural Context; Electronic Equipment; English as a second language learning; English Language Learners; German language; Morphosyntax; Nouns; Reference (Semantic); Reference Materials; Romance Languages; Russian language; Semantics; Students
• ISSN: 0272-2631; 1470-1545
• DOI: 10.1017/S0272263123000463

We present a learner corpus-based study of English article use (“a”/“the”/Ø) by L2 learners with four typologically distinct first languages (L1s): German and Brazilian Portuguese (both have articles), Chinese and Russian (no articles). We investigate several semantic and morphosyntactic factors—for example, specificity, prenominal modification that can affect article use. Our analysis of 660 written scripts from the Education First Cambridge Open Database confirms the lower overall accuracy of learners with no-article L1s. Our main finding is the differential effect of specificity on definite and indefinite articles: learners tend to associate specificity with “a,” which implies article omission with nonspecific indefinite singulars and overuse of “a” with specific indefinite mass nouns. Prenominal modifiers further contribute to perceived specificity, leading to article overuse with modified indefinite mass nouns. However, in definite contexts, prenominal modifiers are associated with increased article omission.