Everyone has heard that English is a difficult language to learn. But why is that? Is it really harder than other languages? And what can be done to make the process easier?
When someone first starts to learn English, they may ask themselves, “why is English so hard to learn?” There are many reasons why English can be difficult to learn, but in this blog post, we will discuss nine of the most common ones.
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We will look at some reasons why English is hard to learn and suggest ways to overcome these challenges.
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How Hard Is It to Learn English Compared to Other Languages?
It is generally agreed that English is one of the more difficult languages to learn, but exactly how hard is it compared to other languages?
One study compared the difficulty of learning English to six other popular languages – Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Swedish.
The results showed that English was in the top three hardest languages to learn, along with Spanish and French. German was found to be the fourth hardest language to learn, followed by Italian, Portuguese and Swedish.
So what makes English so hard to learn? Let’s take a look at nine of the most common reasons.
Reasons Why English is Hard to Learn
There are many reasons why English can be difficult to learn. This blog post will discuss nine of the most common ones. In this post, we will look at some reasons why English is hard to learn and suggest ways to overcome these challenges.
1. Exceptions to rules
One of the reasons why English can be difficult to learn is that there are many exceptions to the rules. This means that there are many instances where normal grammar rules don’t apply.
For example, the regular rule for forming the plural of a word is to add -s. However, there are many words where this rule doesn’t apply, such as “men” and “women”. In these cases, you would simply add -es to form the plural.
Another example is the use of articles. The article “a” is used before a word begins with a consonant sound, while “an” is used before a word begins with a vowel sound.
However, there are some exceptions to this rule, such as the word “hour”, which is pronounced as if it began with a vowel sound, even though it begins with a consonant letter.
So how can you remember all of these exceptions? One way is to use flashcards. Write the exception on one side of the card and the rule on the other side.
Then, when you encounter an exception in your reading or writing, you can flip over the card and see how to properly form the plural or use the appropriate article.
2. Grammatical Concepts
Another reason English can be difficult to learn is because it contains many grammatical concepts not found in other languages. For example, English has three forms of verbs – past, present and future – while other languages may only have two or one forms.
English also has two words for every number – singular and plural. Other languages may only have one word for each number. This can be confusing for language learners who are trying to learn English grammar rules.
3. Vocabulary
One of the biggest challenges for language learners is learning new vocabulary words. English has one of the largest vocabularies of any language, with around 170,000 words in common usage.
This can be daunting for language learners who are trying to expand their vocabulary skills.
4. The order of words
Another challenge for English language learners is learning how to properly order words in a sentence. In English, it is important to put the most important information at the beginning of a sentence and then follow with less important information. For example:
Incorrect: Yesterday, we went bowling after school and had pizza for dinner.
Correct: Yesterday we had pizza for dinner after we went bowling.
Putting the less important information first can change the meaning of what you want to say. This can be confusing for language learners who are used to putting information in a different order in their own language.
5. Emphasis
In English, it is possible to change the meaning of a sentence by changing the emphasis of words. For example, the sentence “I didn’t do it” can have different meanings depending on which word is stressed.
If you stress the word “did”, it means that you deny that you did something. However, if you stress the word “I”, it means that someone else did something, but you don’t know who.
6. Pronunciation
Another challenge for language learners is pronunciation. English has many words that are pronounced differently than they are spelled.
This can be confusing for language learners who are trying to learn how to read and pronounce English words.
7. Homophones
A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but has a different meaning. For example, the words “flower” and “flour” are homophones.
This can confuse language learners because they may not know which word to use when they hear it.
8. Idioms
An idiom is a phrase with a meaning different from the words’ literal meaning.
For example, the phrase “it’s raining cats and dogs” means it is raining very hard. Another idiom, “cool as a cucumber,” means being confident, calm, and self-possessed.
This can confuse language learners because they may not know the phrase’s meaning.
So, these are some of the reasons why English can be difficult to learn. However, don’t let these challenges discourage you from learning the language. With time and practice, you will be able to overcome these challenges and become proficient in English.
10 Tips to Learn English Quickly
Do you want to learn English quickly? Check out these ten tips to help you accomplish your goal!
1. If you want to learn English quickly, it is important to speak with native speakers. Speaking with native speakers will help you improve your pronunciation and fluency. It will also help you learn new vocabulary and slang words.
Preply is a website that connects language learners with native English speakers for conversation lessons. Preply provides a convenient online platform where you can find a teacher who meets your needs and schedule lessons that fit into your schedule. Speaking with a native speaker is the best way to improve your English skills.
Find a method that works for you. Some people learn best by listening to English conversations, others by reading texts, and others through grammar exercises. Find the method of learning English that works better for you and stick to it.
2. Listen to English audiobooks or podcasts while you are driving or working out. Listening to English audiobooks or podcasts is a great way to improve your listening comprehension skills. It will also help you learn new vocabulary and slang words.
3. Set realistic goals. Learning a language takes time and effort. Don’t expect to be fluent in English overnight. Set small goals that you can achieve in the short term, such as learning 20 new vocabulary words each week.
4. Create a study schedule. Dedicate a specific time each day to studying English. Consistency is key to making progress, even if only for 30 minutes.
5. Read English children’s books to improve your vocabulary skills. Kids’ books can help you learn new words. You can also learn how to read and pronounce words better.
6. Watch English movies and TV shows to improve your language understanding. Netflix has many films and series in English with subtitles. This is a great way to improve your language skills because you can see how the words are used in context. Watching English movies and TV shows is also a fun way to learn English.
7. Use an English-language learning app on your phone or tablet. There are many English-learning apps available for download. One of the most popular apps is Duolingo. It is a free app that offers translation and pronunciation of words in over 80 languages. It also has a built-in dictionary and verb conjugator.
8. Join an English-speaking club or group in your community. Speaking clubs are a perfect way to improve your English skills. Joining an English-speaking club or group in your community is a fun and easy way to learn more about the language. You will have the opportunity to speak with native English speakers, learn new vocabulary and slang words, and practice your pronunciation.
9. Practice reading aloud so that you can improve your pronunciation skills.
10. Take an online course to improve your grammar and writing skills. There are many online courses that can help you improve your grammar and writing skills. One of the best online courses is the English Grammar Bootcamp offered by British Council.
The course is designed for learners who want to improve their grammar and writing skills. It covers all aspects of English grammar, from verb tenses to sentence structure. The course is also available in Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese.
Conclusion
Though it may seem difficult at first, with some practice and effort, anyone can learn to speak English fluently. Following these tips will help you make progress in your language learning journey. Which of these tips are you going to try first?
