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I was taught that with the word language, the definite article is used.

  1. The English language versus English

  2. The English language Teacher versus English teacher

What are article usage rules for 'a/the English Language teacher'?

Oleksii
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user118736
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  • Suggested migration to [ell.se] if found suitable. – Kris Apr 28 '15 at 04:53
  • The English Language teacher is incorrectly capitalized but grammatical. The English language teacher is grammatical and capitalized correctly. An English language teacher is grammatical as well. English language teacher without an article is grammatical. The English language is grammatical. An English language is grammatical. English language with no article is grammatical. They just all mean different things. This is like asking if cat or dog is correct. Both are equally correct, but you use them in different circumstances, for different reasons, and to a different effect. – RegDwigнt Apr 28 '15 at 09:15
  • @RegDwigнt Whilst the linked to question has some very good answers, it isn't sufficient for answering the needs of this question .... So, I'm voting to reopen. – Araucaria - Him Apr 28 '15 at 12:29
  • @Kris, RegDwight - is this question really duplicate? There is a separate article usage rule for 'the ______ language' case, which is not contained in the earlier answer on the topic. So, if a person does not know the rule he or she may not be able to ask a precise question. – Oleksii Apr 28 '15 at 13:18
  • @javaNoobs I'm not the one who said it's a dupe (though the closure box attributes it to me). This belongs to [ELL.SE] I said. – Kris May 02 '15 at 13:25

1 Answers1

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In case of 'The English language teacher', 'the' refers to 'teacher', and 'English language' is an adjective. Consider these examples:

I am a teacher.

-What subject do you teach?

-I am an English language teacher.

You can rephrase the last sentence in this way:

I am a teacher of the English language

Another example, Cambridge University published

'Grammar for English Language Teachers', not 'the English Language Teachers'.

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Oleksii
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