Overview of Article Use among Non-Native English Speakers
Articles – a, an, and the – while short in length – are critical to effective spoken and written communication in English. Native English speakers generally have an intuitive sense of article use; one commonly cited researcher (Hewson 1972, p.132) calls this a “psychomechanism”, through which native speakers use articles correctly but unconsciously.
The high frequency with which articles are used in the English language facilitates the unconscious use of articles among native speakers. The Oxford English Corpus, the largest collection of English written works, ranks the article “the” as the single most commonly used English word out of the over 2 billion words in its collection; “a,” is the sixth most commonly used work in English writings.
For those learning English as a second (or third!) language, articles present a unique challenge because they are a language area that simply does not exist in many commonly spoken non-English languages, including Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.
Even if articles do exist in some capacity in a researcher’s native language, the types of use of articles can differ dramatically between the native language and English. For example, while English has both definite, “the,” and indefinite, “a/an,” articles, Hindi and Arabic each have only one type of article. Specifically, Hindi has an indefinite article (ek), and its use is constrained to specific situations, and it lacks a definite article (Baldridge 1996). Conversely, Arabic has a definite article (“al”) but no indefinite article.
Because article use is such a common stumbling block for non-native English speakers, it is often a hallmark mistake that communicates to native English speakers that the author has a lack of written English mastery. Yet, correct article usage can be very challenging to implement. In one study of international students in the United States (CennetkuĹźu 2017), an interviewed student emphasize the challenges of articles:
“Besides that the use of “the” makes things difficult. I mean as we do not have “the‟ in our mother tongue, the use of “the‟ is very difficult. The use of a/an is very difficult. Yeah these are nightmares for us (Student Interview 4, 23-26)”
By investing time in improving your article use, you will not only write more confidently but will also stand apart as having a significantly stronger command of written English than other non-native speakers.
Specific Challenges to Article Use among Native Chinese, Hindi, and Arabic Speakers
Challenges with Articles among Native Chinese, Speakers
Because Chinese does not have a functional equivalent to English articles, Chinese learners of English commonly omit both definite and indefinite articles as they are initially learning the language. (Robertson 2000)
For example, where an English sentence would properly read:
“Postherpetic neuralgia is a common complication of shingles,”
native Chinese speakers in the early stages of English language learning will often write,
“Postherpetic neuralgia is common complication of shingles.”
Challenges with Articles among Native Hindi Speakers
Hindi has an indefinite article (“ek,” one; rough equivalent to the English article “a”) that is used with specific nouns only. Hindi has no definite article equivalent to the English article “the”.
Accordingly, Hindi speakers (Sharma 2005) will often avoid using the English indefinite article “a” when used with a nonspecific noun or noun phrase.
For example, where an English sentence would properly read:
“Participants were eligible for study inclusion if they had visited a pharmacy in the past 12 months,”
individuals for whom Hindi was a first or second (after their mother tongue) language will often write,
“Participants were eligible for study inclusion if they had visited pharmacy in the past 12 months.”
Challenges with Articles among Native Arabic Speakers
In Arabic, the definite article is used more frequently than the definite article in English. Accordingly, native Arabic speakers tend to overuse the English definite article (“the”) when writing in English.
For example, where an English sentence would properly read:
“Patient satisfaction was assessed using a validated questionnaire,”
native Arabic speakers will often improperly insert a definite article, writing instead:
“The patient satisfaction was assessed using a validated questionnaire.”
Further, because Arabic has no indefinite article, native Arabic speakers, when learning English writing, will underutilize indefinite articles. Put another way, because native Arabic speakers do not need to use an indefinite article in their native language, they often fail to recognize when one is required in English.
For example, where an English sentence would properly read:
“Biguanides are a class of oral antihyperglycemic agents,”
native Arabic speakers will often improperly forego the use of the indefinite article, “a”, writing instead:
“Biguanides are class of oral antihyperglycemic agents.”
How Can You Improve Your Article Use?
Given the challenges non-native English speakers face in learning proper article use, what recommendations can be made for those who want to improve their article use?
First, learn a few core rules to article usage in the English language. How does article use differ for singular vs. plural nouns? For countable vs. uncountable nouns? What are the different scenarios in which you would select an indefinite article over a definite article?
Second, PRACTICE. Native English speakers have the advantage of being exposed to article use as soon as they are exposed to language, allowing them to form an unconscious sense of when to use an article and which article to use. Practice is the best way to begin to consistently gain a more intuitive sense of English language article use. Try taking an existing paragraph and replacing the articles with “_____”. Include some blank spaces before nouns that are not preceded by articles. Later, go back and try to determine which, if any, article was used (a/an/the/no article).
Third, review your writing. When you proofread a section of your own writing, do one complete read-through where you focus exclusively on articles. Each time you see an “a,” “an,” or “the,” pause and assess whether (a) an article is warranted, and (b) you have selected the proper article. Where you see nouns that are not preceded by articles, pause to reflect whether you’ve appropriately omitted an article.
Summary
In summary, remember that you are not alone in feeling challenged by articles.
Millions of non-native English speakers face the same obstacles in over- or under-utilizing articles; specific patterns of improper article use often reflect the way in which articles are used in your native language.
Articles are one of the most difficult aspects of English, and it is often difficult to find help because most native speakers cannot easily articulate the reasons behind their article use.
The Scientific Writing Academy offers an entire course on article use, walking you through common rules for article use without getting bogged down by exceptions and rare situations. Unlike many courses, we use examples you’ll encounter in scientific writing, not just everyday sentences. Our community forums enable you to connect with experts, ask questions, and connect with colleagues from around the world who are also working to improve their writing and productivity. Click here to join our community at the Scientific Writing Academy now.