Using metalinguistic explanations to help advanced ESL/EFL learners overcome their problems with the use of English articles and reference representation

This study reviews the difficulties that learners of English as a second or foreign language encounter in the use of English articles and puts forward some suggestions that can help advanced learners overcome their problems. It has been observed that learner performance may be deceptive and accurate article selections may be led by inappropriate assumptions, so explicit instruction is needed to enhance learners’ explicit knowledge. In the teaching of English articles, explicit analyses using metalinguistic explanations should be used to eradicate learners’ misconceptions. Their understanding of the use of different structures for showing genericity, of the distinction between definiteness and specificity, and of the differences between English articles and similar but distinct language items in their mother tongues should be strengthened. Self-learning resources such as learners’ dictionaries can also be used to supplement teaching and learning, especially when the judgments of noun countability are at issue. It is with heightened explicit knowledge of the English article system and enhanced awareness of the use of different articles for representing different references that advanced learners will be able to master English article use competently.