Re: articles

[sstrand@bgnet.bgsu.edu (Sharon Strand)]

cliff asked
 why do I have a problem with "giving" articles to
>those who need them?  If article usage is something that non-native
>writers learn over a period of years of exposure to English, what
>difference does it make if I "withhold" this information.  I mean, am I
>simply making a difficult situation worse by contributing to their misuse
>of a surface feature that I know readers are anal about?  Don't know,
>but thought I'd share and see what y'all think.
>

we give away articles here all the time.  our resident esl expert has told
us that it takes 7 years total immersion in english for someone whose first
language does not have a system of articles to learn most of the places
they go.  so we offer articles as needed and try to explain why it would be
needed so that maybe the non native speaker can learn the nuances of the
rules as well.  and i do mean try as sometimes we can't really say why the
article is needed, just that our ear tells us it is.


Sharon E. Strand
Assistant Director Academic Enhancement/Writing Lab
303 Moseley Hall
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH  43403
sstrand@bgnet.bgsu.edu