Re: Helping a non-native speaker

[Milan Davidovic <shl_ctf -at- yahoo -dot- ca>]

--- "J.A.W.D. Glennie" <jawd_glennie -at- yahoo -dot- com> wrote:
> Does anyone know any techniques that I can recommend
> to help him use articles more consistently?

No techniques from me, but a few thoughts based on my
experience.

In second language acquisition theory (or so I recall
from my days in the teaching biz), it is believed that
learners develop their own rules -- their own
"theory", pretty much -- of how the target language
works. As they use the language, they test
(consciously or otherwise) their theory. They observe
(again, consciously or otherwise) the results and and
if they perceive that their theory works, it's
maintained. If they spot a discrepancy, and they can't
let it pass, they'll work to modify the theory.

However, keep in mind that articles interact with the
surrounding text, so what you're seeing may be an
indication of his theory of how nouns (and noun
phrases) in English work. Drilling on a/an/the itself
may not get him far.

My advice: contact an ESL professional.

Milan
http://altmilan.blogspot.com
http://www.terminus1525.ca/studio/view/2758


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