Why is the English Language Such a Challenging Language to Learn?
May 14, 2018
It is a common anecdote that English is a complex and challenging language to learn as a second language. The reality is, that the difficulty of learning a new language is relative to your starting point. Your first language is that starting point, learning Spanish when your first language is Italian is less challenging than if a Mandarin speaker is learning Italian. Some languages are related.
Why is the English Language Challenging?
But, the truth of the matter is, when learning English there are some specific reasons it can be challenging for everyone.
- English spelling rules are often broken. (friend vs. weird)
- English spelling does NOT consistently guide pronunciation. (wind as in “the wind is blowing” vs. find, mind, kind is a perfect example. Or said vs. bread.)
- Irregular past tenses are challenging to learn. (Become is not “becomed” it is “became)
- Phrases that change the meaning of a word. (“Cut it out” is not the same as handing someone scissors and asking them to literally cut something out.)
- Slang – well, this is a problem when learning every second language.
What is Easy About the English Language?
To be fair, let us talk about where English is easier than some other languages so we can end on a positive note.
- There is not a feminine and masculine form of verbs that change based on who or what it is applied to.
- Nouns of inanimate objects are not masculine or feminine, they are just “it” when applying a pronoun.
If English is your second language, you likely have some additional ideas of why it was a struggle to learn. You might also have found some parts of it easier. In any case, we hope your journey has been successful and if you are looking to improve your English accent now that you have learned the language or while you are still learning it, we hope you’ll consider Carolina Speech Services your best source for accent modification classes in-person or online. (704) 845-1605