PF; FO; INEXPERIENCED IN ACFT; INADVERTENTLY EXTENDED LEADING EDGE DEVICES THINKING HE WAS EXTENDING SPD BRAKES CAUSING ACFT DAMAGE DUE TO HIGH SPD LEADING EDGE DEVICE DEPLOYMENT.

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DURING A DSCNT INTO ATL ON APR/XX/96 WE WERE GIVEN A XING RESTR OF 14000 FT AND 250 KTS AT DALAS INTXN LOCATED 18 MI SE OF RMG VOR. THE COPLT; BEING NEW TO THE AIRPLANE (28 HRS IN TYPE) ASKED TO USE THE AIRBRAKES FOR THE DSCNT. AFTER DETERMINING THAT APCH CTL HAD GIVEN US A LATE DSCNT. I GAVE THE FO PERMISSION TO USE THE AIRBRAKES. DURING THAT TIME APCH CONTACTED US AGAIN TO GIVE US 11000 FT. AS I WAS RESPONDING; THE COPLT INADVERTENTLY EXTENDED THE FLAP/LEADING EDGE HANDLE RATHER THAN THE AIRBRAKE HANDLE. AFTER REALIZING HIS MISTAKE (1-2 SECONDS LATER) HE RETRACTED THE HANDLE AND NOTIFIED ME IMMEDIATELY. HOWEVER; STRUCTURAL DAMAGE HAD ALREADY OCCURRED ON THE R WING. AS PIC FLYING WITH A NEW COPLT; I SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAYING MORE ATTN TO HIS MOVEMENTS; AS WE WERE IN A BUSY ENVIRONMENT AT THE TIME. I BELIEVE THAT THE FO BEING NEW TO THE AIRPLANE IN A BUSY ENVIRONMENT WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THAT I WAS BUSY WITH APCH CTL AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE FO MORE CLOSELY. AS A RESOLUTION TO THIS KIND OF PROB; A PERSON WHO IS NEW TO AN ACFT SHOULD BE MORE AWARE OF WHAT SWITCH OR LEVER IS BEING ACTUATED. YOU MUST TAKE YOUR TIME EVEN WHEN AROUND A BUSY ARPT AREA.