Foreign Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics May 5-7 2011 Sarajevo 15 On the Acquisition of English Articles with Bosnian L 2 Learners of English
Regarding the discrepancy between the English and the Bosnian language concerning an article system, this paper attempts at clarifying the difficulties for Bosnian L2 learners of English. Based on a similar study and an experimental study with Bosnian learners, this paper illustrates and copes with the very apparent and widely present issue of English articles among Bosnian learners. The principles of Definiteness and Specificity are introduced to contrast the two languages, aiding to a deeper understanding of this conceptual difference between English and Bosnian. The paper first states the current position of the English (definite and indefinite) article in the light of the Bosnian language, and specifies their respective Bosnian equivalents, eventually giving a suggestion to a deeper understanding.