Teaching the English Definite Article through Reading Comprehension: A Pertinent Context in a Foreign Language Classroom

Abstract

This study reports on the use of the English definite article, which forms a problem for EFL learners in formal writing. Specifically, the study attempts to measure the teaching of English definite article through reading comprehension tasks which are assumed to be suitable tactic in a Sudanese EFL classroom. In this concern, the study also intends to pinpoint the errors of the English definite article that emerge in the writings of Sudanese students of English. The study used descriptive-analytic and experimental methods for data collection. Data collection took place before and after training on the use of the definite article of English. Training continued for four weeks after which students took a posttest. Importantly, three native speakers (Americans) also took the test as a control group. Analysis revealed that as Arabic-speaking students of English, students tend to omit the English definite article before post-modified nouns, while they confuse ‘the’ in generic and specific contexts. Students also tend to add definite articles in contexts where no articles are required. In the light of the results obtained, teaching English definite article through reading comprehension tasks proved to be effective in improving the students’ performance.