English Articles: What to Teach

The current paper aims to demonstrate covert errors in Korean learners acquisition of English articles. The definite article, the, is used in the context of [+definite] in English. However, Korean English-language learners use the in the context of [+specific]. Application of incorrect rules delivers superficially well-formed usage, resulting in covert errors. Interviews with three primary English teachers revealed that their unawareness of the core properties of English articles and that they seldom provide proper instructions in relation to articles. It is also evident that slightly misleading instructions pertaining to articles fortify incorrect rules based on specificity, to the neglect of definiteness. Given that it is extremely difficult for English-language learners to detect the core properties of a definite article, it is necessary to provide formal instructions about article usage.