Articles and Resource Control

Abstract

The paper discusses how the resource control hypothesis introduced earlier by the author accounts for the rather mysterious fact that English articles are rendered in Slavonic-languages by word order and vice versa. The definite versus indefinite distinction is viewed as a manifestation of the variable depth of nominal phrase processing. The depth of processing is determined by the availability of resources, which is indirectly controlled by the speaker with sufficient precision; articles appear to be only some of several resource control devices available in natural language. Articles Teaching the proper use of articles to the students whose native language does not posses them is one of the most difficult tasks. Despite the effort of both the teachers of English who are and who are not native speakers, no satisfactory teaching