EFL students' use of English articles at different proficiency levels : a comparison of context and task type

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the use of English articles by beginner, intermediate, and advanced level Turkish EFL students at Pamukkale University. It examined whether the accuracy of article use by the students varied with respect to the types of noun phrase (NP) contexts, and analyzed the types of errors committed by the students in using English articles. It also investigated whether the accuracy of article use varied with respect to the proficiency levels and the tasks that were given to the students. The data were collected through a multiple choice task and a written production task. The results of these tasks revealed that the accuracy of article use by students varies with respect to the types of NP contexts in the multiple choice task. However, there is no significant difference among the types in terms of the accuracy of article use in the written production task. Moreover, each proficiency level tended to omit or substitute the articles when they make a mistake. However, the variety and frequency of these errors depended on the proficiency level of the students, type of the NP contexts, and the tasks that were given to the students. The study also revealed that the accuracy of article use varied with respect to the proficiency levels, and the tasks that were given to the students.