The Hardest Language?

[asaratis]

It is not logical, nor accurate. The fact is that difficulty in acquiring another language is relative to a great many factors, not the least of which is what L1 a language-learner is starting from.

Quite simple in fact. If there is the slightest bit of difference between the difficulties of learning any two languages, the harder to learn of the two is the more difficult. .

Languages are very complex and composed of many different aspects. Language A may have more variation in one aspect and Language B may have more variation in another, all of which is still relative to the learner's L1. "Difficult" is always going to be relative. Do you see what I mean?

Of course. However, each learner will likely find one language more difficult than the other. This does not negate my posit.

 

[Unkotare]

and to learn...and the obscurity enhances the difficulty of learning.

For whom?

People that do not live near someone willing and able to teach it.

That's part of it. So...................?

 

[Unkotare]

Quite simple in fact. If there is the slightest bit of difference between the difficulties of learning any two languages, the harder to learn of the two is the more difficult. .

Languages are very complex and composed of many different aspects. Language A may have more variation in one aspect and Language B may have more variation in another, all of which is still relative to the learner's L1. "Difficult" is always going to be relative. Do you see what I mean?

Of course. However, each learner will likely find one language more difficult than the other. This does not negate my posit.

You were positing a general truth, which you just negated yourself.

 

[Lovebears65]

The language of Pittsburgh. It seems to be English but it is not LOL I know I was born and raised there.. Like gum band is rubber band, Jumbo is Bologna , Red up is to get a room ready or clean, just to name a few PITTSBURGHESE .com

 

[asaratis]

Languages are very complex and composed of many different aspects. Language A may have more variation in one aspect and Language B may have more variation in another, all of which is still relative to the learner's L1. "Difficult" is always going to be relative. Do you see what I mean?

Of course. However, each learner will likely find one language more difficult than the other. This does not negate my posit.

You were positing a general truth, which you just negated yourself.

Not at all. My posit is and has been that you are wrong to say there is no most difficult language to learn. My scenario of comparing two, finding a detectable difference in difficulty to show than one is more difficult than the other is quite simple to understand. I have not negated it and still cannot believe that you don't agree. It is patently obvious, but since you appear incorrigibly obstinate, I will disengage...leaving you to claim that you have won.

Here's you original text:

The Hardest Language?
There isn't one. Really.

Your answer is obviously incorrect. There is one...for each person trying to learn two languages.

 

[Unkotare]

Here's you [sic] original text:

The Hardest Language?
There isn't one. Really.

And I was correct, there isn't one. Really. The above statement, absent any additional qualifying information, will be understood by a native speaker of English as referring to a general truth and not a reference to some unnamed specific individual.

 

[longknife]

There is a somewhat easy rule to learning English

words ending in ion usually has a Latin base

words that don't spell like they sound usually comes from German

Example Haus = House
Decepcio'n = deception

Brot = bread

 

[Meathead]

...........................................................

You do understand the difference in learning a language and spelling it I trust.

I understand that it is part of the written language. I also understand that there are many aspects that make up any language and its use, such that "harder" or "easier" are meaninglessly relative terms in any practical sense.

I disagree, but I do understand that difficulty is certainly relative to languages you command. English,in addition to spelling, has certain aspect difficult to learners. Homonyms abound as do phrasal verbs, but beyond that English is not difficult to learn. The language has lost case and most inflection which are among the greatest challenges for those who do not speak a related language. Frisian is the only the only other language in the immediate English family and is spoken only by a few older people in Holland and Denmark.

 

[Meathead]

Btw: West Frisian language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[longknife]

Btw: West Frisian language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I don't see anything hard in that.

It appears to be a combination of Nieder Deutch und Nederlaendisch

 

[Meathead]

Btw: West Frisian language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I don't see anything hard in that.

It appears to be a combination of Nieder Deutch und Nederlaendisch

Those who migrated to England were most closely related to the people of the Frisian Islands (coast of Holland with favorable wind currents toward Britain). It is not a difficult construct.

 

[longknife]

One of my favorite research/reference sites is Wiktionary. It provides etemology of just about every word and amazing to read.

Check out Frisian - Wiktionary

 

[PrometheusBound]

Womanese.

Incomprehensible even after years of devoted study.

"How do you write women so well?"
"I think of a man. And I take away reason and accountability."

Jack Nicholson, As Good As It Gets

 

[PrometheusBound]

They say that English is the most difficult language to learn.


Judging by the butchering of the language by those who presumably speak it as a first language, I believe it...

I've always heard that too. First is the huge number of homonyms, then the exceptions to every rule taught. i before e, except after c; except...

"When sounded as A, as in neighbor and weigh" That is why sheik is pronounced "shake." If you hear it pronounced "sheek" by a media hack, he has no right to his job.

 

[PrometheusBound]

What's really interesting is that people are so interested in the idea that there is a "most difficult" language.

As someone who HAD to learn English in order to survive, since in my time there were no government handouts, and really, no self-respecting immigrant would have taken it, had it been there, let me say that English is a very easy language to learn.

When I was in high school, I was told that when you want to learn a language, learn grammar. It makes no difference how many words you can translate.

If you think in your mother tongue and try to express your thoughts in English, translated word for word, you will sound idiotic.

The same teacher said that grammar is like the skeleton in the body, if you don't know grammar, you don't know the grammar your language will collapse when yo try to speak.

And the Diploma Dumbos who screech "Grammar Nazi!" every time they're caught proving how worthless their education is also prove that they were just as stupid in job-related courses. It doesn't matter what kind of grades they get; obviously, they got grades by cramming for exams and forgetting the material soon afterwards. Common sense should tell us that getting a job just because you go four years without a job is stupid.

 

[Unkotare]

but beyond that English is not difficult to learn.

I don't know how many times I have to reiterate that such declarations are meaningless. I might also point out that millions of people disagree with your subjective view on the matter, for whatever that's worth.

 

[Unkotare]

What's really interesting is that people are so interested in the idea that there is a "most difficult" language.

As someone who HAD to learn English in order to survive, since in my time there were no government handouts, and really, no self-respecting immigrant would have taken it, had it been there, let me say that English is a very easy language to learn.

When I was in high school, I was told that when you want to learn a language, learn grammar. It makes no difference how many words you can translate.

If you think in your mother tongue and try to express your thoughts in English, translated word for word, you will sound idiotic.

The same teacher said that grammar is like the skeleton in the body, if you don't know grammar, you don't know the grammar your language will collapse when yo try to speak.

And the Diploma Dumbos who screech "Grammar Nazi!" every time they're caught proving how worthless their education is also prove that they were just as stupid in job-related courses. It doesn't matter what kind of grades they get; obviously, they got grades by cramming for exams and forgetting the material soon afterwards. Common sense should tell us that getting a job just because you go four years without a job is stupid.

An anti-college education rant?

 

[PrometheusBound]

English is, in fact, not a difficult language at all.

It is however very difficult in spelling. .

...........................................................

You do understand the difference in learning a language and spelling it I trust.

The alphabet English uses was not designed for the language, it is Latin after all. We have no letter dedicated to "sh" one of the most common sounds of the English language. Have you ever paused to of how many different ways there are of representing it?

We also have superfluous letters: C can be replaced by K or S, X by KS, and Q by KW.

 

[PrometheusBound]

One of my favorite research/reference sites is Wiktionary. It provides etemology of just about every word and amazing to read.

Check out Frisian - Wiktionary

I like to refute the experts in etymology. For example, they refuse to consider that dog was around for 3,000 years before it was written down, even though they found a word in Greek like that. Using common sense, dog must be related to Latin digitus and Greek daktulos "finger," and Greek deiknumi, "I show." The original meaning of dog in Indo-European was "pointer (used in hunting)."

Also many is related to manus, "hand," because, as it well attested by anthropologists, primitives denoted any number over 2 by waving their hand. Also, the Greek root of mathematics is manthano.

 

[Unkotare]

And the Diploma Dumbos....

The what now?