English is a very commonly spoken language, often being an extremely popular second language in many countries where it isn’t even natively spoken.
It seems to be almost ubiquitous in terms of being able to find an English speaker anywhere in the world you should find yourself, almost without exception in the modern world. However, equally ubiquitous is its reputation as one of the most nonsensical and complex languages in the entire world.
Why is the English language so hard to learn?
Being spoken in well over 100 countries, you might think English would be a straightforward language to learn. However, it’s actually not so easy!
In terms of what makes English difficult to learn, there are a lot of contributing factors, but it mostly comes down to the stark differences between the rules of English, and the rules of most other languages.
What makes English hard to learn is simply down to these rules, or lack thereof. English often sets up certain rules for spelling, grammar, and pronunciation, and proceeds to break them quite frequently.
A big contributing factor to this is that English is a hybrid of parts taken from romance languages, Germanic languages, and Norse languages. English is often comically referred to as three languages standing on top of each other in a trench coat, and much truth is said in jest!
Why is English hard to learn for foreigners?
So, why is English hard to learn for non-native speakers, even those who speak languages that English was originally based on? In a word, exceptions. By virtue of being a combination of so many languages, the English language is full of exceptions to its own rules where these languages intersect.
These exceptions also tend to have no discernible logic behind why they are the way that they are, which means the only way to know them is to just have seen them before.
To that end, we will go over a few of the things that makes English hard to understand, and what you can do to make life easier for yourself when learning. English may be a complex language that’s difficult to pick up, but it’s certainly popular enough to be worth the trouble!
Hard English Words
While there are not really that many specific common words that make English hard to learn, the sheer size and extent of the vocabulary used in the English language can be a challenge enough on its own. With well over a million words to choose from, English is quite simply a huge language.
The sheer extent of the vocabulary cannot be overstated, and while some of them are very simple and far more common, there are a lot of words that can be very confusing when you first come across them.
Whether that be a confusing spelling, pronunciation, conjugation, or any other number of factors, the literal words English uses can be quite the challenge to master.
In this category of words that make English hard to learn examples include infamously “yacht”, which would give a non-native speaker seeing it written no clue it is in fact pronounced “yot” and vice versa.
English is almost infamous for having a huge array of words with pronunciations that just make no sense based on the spelling.
Aside from “yacht” as we mentioned before, there are seemingly an endless number of others where the pronunciations are needlessly confusing, even based on the rules English sets for itself.
Words like “mischievious”, “colonel”, “epitome”, and “lieutenant” all have pronunciations that would baffle anyone who thought English would ever follow a nice set of rules.
All of this is to say nothing of the multiple words that are pronounced the same way in English! Words pronounced the same but spelt differently has been a devil of the English language for a long time.
One of the most common examples, the “there, their, and they’re” spellings, is practically infamous for how often even native English speakers get it wrong!
How to learn English grammar easily
One of the most effective ways of learning English grammar is consuming as much native English-speaking content as possible. Watching a lot of films to learn English for free, as well as podcasts, TV shows, and radio is a great way to get a huge working familiarity with the language.
Hearing how English grammar is commonly formed by native speakers will passively give you a good idea of what sounds right, and this can be more useful than trying to work out the specifics of exceptions to rules. That’s just the nature of the complexities of English!
Is it hard to learn English vocabulary and slang?
The slang and idioms that English seems to be rife with can be very difficult to approach. English is a global language, and as such has developed many words and turns of phrase that make it difficult to learn English quickly for practical use.
Sure, if you learn English language as it might be taught from fundamentals you will still be speaking the language, but in reality a lot of the English you hear spoken is much more nuanced than the Queen’s English.
Can you learn English online to learn English vocabulary?
One of the more common ways that people are picking up English passively is through the internet. Since over 60% of websites and chat rooms are primarily English, almost everyone who uses and interacts via the internet will speak English.
This constant exposure to English means that people will naturally start to pick the language up, and can be a great way to get familiar with modern conversational English in the way it is actually used.
Many advice and tech support threads, computer game communities, and a myriad other online communities all converse primarily in English, making it as close as you are going to get to the Language of the internet.
All of this is really just an overview of the many challenges that face someone wanting to learn English, the endlessly complex language that it is. However, if you want to learn English online or in person, then help is at hand.
English is an incredibly versatile language that is well worth learning, and this is where a private tutor such as those found right here on Superprof can be crucial.
Learning a language on your own is a daunting challenge, but tutoring is well known and well documented to be the most effective way to learn a language, for many combined reasons.
As well as giving you ample opportunity to gain English-speaking practise, which is invaluable in its own right, Superprof tutors can tailor your learning experience to you specifically.
Since everyone has their own style of learning, this means you will get a program of learning most suitable to your needs, rather than the generalist approach an app or book would offer you.
Superprof tutors are all experts in the language in their own right, each with their own unique teaching style to choose from. Fortunately, with many of them offering their first lesson for free, choosing the right tutor for you has never been easier, so go forth and learn!
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