Teaching the English Articles as a Binary System

The English article system can be taught as a binary division between classification ( a and Ø) and identification (the). All the other elements of article usage can be understood within this framework, allowing a one form/one function correspondence for a and the. Furthermore, the notions of classification and identification can be introduced as distinct concepts before the various rules for article usage are taught. This simplified schema is presented as a pedagogical tool for selecting the appropriate article, a universally acknowledged difficulty for nonnative speakers of English.