Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
6-2014
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Program
Linguistics
Advisor
Gita Martohardjono
Subject Categories
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | Linguistics
Keywords
definite article, determiners, second language acquisition
Abstract
Along with preposition use, native-like article use is one of the greatest difficulties for learners of English, particularly for those learners whose first languages do not have articles. And unlike many other areas involved in the mastery of the language, articles continue to present a challenge for advanced learners. A significant number of article usages are complex in that they are neither simple to explain (in that the does not encode definiteness or contextual uniqueness) nor strictly idiomatic. This paper a) provides an overview and critique of the scholarship on articles and their acquisition, b) takes a detailed look at several of the complex usages (noun phrases with genitive phrases, modified by the adjective "wrong," or with a possible generic reading), and c) examines article acceptability judgments by English language learners with article-less L1s and by native speakers, both college students and adults.
Recommended Citation
Somogyi, Victoria, "Some complexities in English article use and acquisition" (2014). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/286