英文冠詞（the, a/an, Ø）的使用經常困擾著大多數的英語學習者，Huebner (1983) 和 Thomas (1989)的研究顯示，若外語學習者的母語（L1）中沒有冠詞系統，在學習有冠詞系統的目標語（L2）時，可能無法正確判別冠詞的使用情境。Ionin和Wexler (2004) 的研究也有同樣結論，即外語學習者的母語會影響其冠詞的使用，尤其是在殊指(Specificity）與定指(Definiteness）語境下，學習者往往難以決定使用何種冠詞較為適當。為了探討目標語的冠詞使用情形，我們建構一個語料庫，從語料庫裡去研究台灣英語學習者冠詞使用情形。進而提出下列問題：一、相較於其他研究，冠詞類型在語料庫呈什麼樣的分佈狀態？二、哪些因素會影響台灣英文系學生寫作的冠詞誤用類型？此研究資料來自Academic Writing Textual System (AWTS)語 料庫，我們將三十位國立成功大學外文系學生的自然語料，蒐集於此語料庫，分析文中冠詞的使用情形。藉由分析此三十位學生寫作表現，來探討台灣學生冠詞習得的可能現象。為此，我們發展一套嚴密的線上語料標記系統來檢驗冠詞的使用情形。此系統包含語意成分（Semantic Features）及英語冠詞的特性，其中語意成分也涵蓋其他的背景知識（Specific and Hearer Knowledge）。
分析結果顯示：一、學習者過度使用限定（Definite Article）和非限定冠詞(Indefinite Article），而虛冠詞（Zero Article）的使用較為不足；二、在某些特殊情境下，學生常用限定冠詞代替非限定冠詞；三、儘管特殊（Specific）和非特殊（Non-specific）語意環境之間的差異相當大，但在非特殊語意環境下，限定冠詞經常被用來取代虛冠詞；四、最後，在複合名詞片語（Associated Clause）中，定冠詞有被過度使用的傾向。結論，就寫作活動而言，英語學習者在其寫作論述裡必須考量語意關係（Semantic Relationships）及聽者（或讀者）知識間的關聯。

The English articles, the, a/an, and Ø can be troublesome for English language learners. Huebner (1983) and Thomas (1989) demonstrated that English L2 learners whose L1s do not have the equivalent of an article system encounter problems using articles. Ionin and Wexler (2004) found that such learners fluctuate between definiteness and specificity. Thus, the current study examined English L2 article use using a corpus-based study with Taiwanese English learners to determine the distribution patterns of English article types in Taiwanese college students’ academic writing as well as the potential factors influencing English article substitution and error patterns in their academic writing. The corpus-based analysis used natural data collected for the Academic Writing Textual Analysis (AWTA) corpus, investigating the written language of 30 undergraduate English language majors. A detailed online corpus tagging system was developed to examine article use, covering semantic (specific and hearer knowledge) as well as other features of the English article. The results indicated that learners overused both the definite and indefinite articles but underused the zero article. The definite article was substituted for the indefinite article in specific environments. Although no significant difference existed between specific and non-specific semantic environments in zero article substitutions, a significant difference emerged between plural and non-count/mass nouns. Finally, learners frequently overused the definite article in associated clauses. These results suggest that, in regard to writing, learners need to focus on the semantic relationships of specificity and hearer (or reader) knowledge.

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