Do you think English is hard?

[Apulu_backagain]

It's a really embarrassing question to ask as someone who has already published a book as a 15 year old and as someone who reads a lot of books and gets a good score in all English literature exams but my god, English feels tough after a level.

I can comfortably read a fiction or self help book or books like 'Power' by Robert Greene but it is just so hard for me to read essays like 'Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren' by Keynes and those SAT evidence based reading and writing and TOEFL questions, like I need to read them 2-3 times to be really clear about what the texts mean and sometimes I'm so pissed off practicing these questions that I just blankly read them without really getting into it lol.

And I do speak it fluently but when I'm writing or typing then I overthink about what I'm actually writing and the grammar rules just never make sense to me, I just go with whatever feels right.

[Cubus]

English grammar is pretty easy, as it's very minimal. Just two grammatical cases, no grammatical genders, no grammatical moods etc.

What is hard is English writing and English pronunciation.

With writing the problem is a letter is not tied to the sound, so if you do not know by heart how each word should be written, you can only guess it. Quick example: the correct spelling is "ice cream" and not "eyes cream" even though both of these sound exacly the same.
How are you supposed to know that the first time you hear this word? You can't.

When it comes to pronunciation, English again has a problem that a letter is not tied to a specific sound, which makes some letters be pronounced in a few different ways, depending on the word.
Like "o" can be pronounced as "o" in words like "mob" or "rob". BUT it can also be pronounced as "ow" in words like "broke" or "smoke". BUT "o" can also be pronounced as "a" in words like "stop" (despite there clearly being "o" there, when you write it). Or "g" being sometimes pronounced like "g" and sometimes like "j" (famous "gif" debate).
And don't even make me start on how it all varies depending on a country and accent (like: Britts don't pronounce "r" even though they still write it).

Other famous examples are
- "knight" and "night" being pronounced exactly the same (so, why do you need "k" for?)
- "scared" and "scarred" - words that always confused me, cause the first is pronounced "skerd" and the second one is pronounced "skard" - even though the difference in writing is not by "a" and "e" but by the latter word having one "r" more. Why?
- the word "bass" having two different pronunciations (but exactly the same spelling) depending on the meaning of the word. If by "bass" you mean a type of guitar then you pronounce it "beys". If by "bass" you mean a fish species then you pronounce is "bas". Why would the pronunciation be determined by the meaning of the word?

[Apulu_backagain]

I know right, it's not a very logical language as compared to other European and Asian languages.

[Cubus]

Thanks for Most Helpful, Apple

[Tarifa]

Learning a new language will always require some effort, but English has two advantages.

1. The grammar isn't that difficult, certainly not if you compare it to French, Spanish and German. Verb tenses, for instance, are not that hard if you compare them to French. Granted, there are irregular forms you will need to learn and practice.

2. English is widely spoken all over the world. Depending on the country you live in - and the language you learned as a child and use daily - there is a high possibility that you hear English in daily situations. You can listen to music, watch a film or documentary in original EN version, read books. You're spoilt for choices. Even if you don't get it all, hearing it and trying to grasp the meaning within the context is a great help.

Learning a language is like going up a slope, and then you stagnate and come to a plateau. Your skill stays put at a certain level and you have the feeling you're not progressing. You need to consolidate what you learned by practicing it in daily life. If that proves difficult, try to find a native English speaker who wants to learn your language. Just see it as a fun exchange.

Going from an intermediate level to proficiency level is a steeper slope still. It will take years. Take it one step at a time.

[Apulu_backagain]

English is not a new language, infact that's the first language which I was professionally taught by a teacher when I was 3 but after a level it becomes a tad bit complex. I never focused on my grammer classes and it is obviously showing now, I always went with 'write whatever feels right'. I'm trying to improve now because I need to take TOEFL or IELTS.

[Tarifa]

You need a good grammatical base. And practice on top of that.

You need to find a good grammar book with lots of exercices to apply what you've learned. But it needs to be accessible as well. A lot of the grammar books in the old days were just boring lists of rules. That's not really going to help.

I had the same problem with French. Although it is my second mother tongue and speak it fluently since I was a kid, I never paid much attention to grammar and spelling, because I took it all for granted. Take little steps at a time, focus on foreseeable results in short time spans and don't rush. Learning should be fun and serve a purpose, not be a chore.

[Apulu_backagain]

Thanks for the advice

[Tarifa]

Thanks for the MHO.

[purplepoppy]

Even native first language English speakers can struggle with it, especially when it comes to legal or technical stuff which often isn't written in a clear way.

We even have organisations like the " Plain English Campaign' who try to encourage companies to write in a way people understand.

[Apulu_backagain]

I know right, even few scientists complain about how unnecessarily complex scientific or research papers are.

[Jennz6]

@apulu_backagain

English is difficult for all people, even if it is your first language

[Apulu_backagain]

I see

[Theonly2121]

Egggsactly

[AI Opinion]

English can indeed feel challenging, especially with complex texts or specific exam formats. Your experience aligns with many who master reading fiction yet find academic and evidence-based texts more demanding. It's essential to recognize that proficiency grows with exposure to diverse material. For essays like Keynes', try breaking them into sections, summarizing each before moving on. Regarding writing, practice enhances confidence—focus on clarity and expression rather than perfect grammar initially. Transitioning through different English styles can be tough, but with persistent practice and patience, it becomes more manageable. Stay curious, and trust in your abilities.

[ChicoFromThe305]

Glad to see you haven't let go of all the book stuff, as for English, English isn't an easy language to learn and depending on your first language it can be even more complicated and easier to other first languages, I think

[Apulu_backagain]

I mean I'm not reading novels and non academic books now like I did a year ago but does a book on differential calculus count? Lol

I think English, Italian, Spanish is easier to learn than many other languages but after a level it's a bit complex. at least Indian English is like easier version of British English.

Do you sometimes struggle with it as a native speaker?

[ChicoFromThe305]

I was kinda born into both languages so I can't really say but they have different vocab levels and the higher the level the harder the words so I guess you can never learn too much I guess

[Apulu_backagain]

I see

[Aiko_E_Lara]

Depends on the mother tongue or when you started learning English. Most people here are taught English at a very young age and it's part of the school. Sometimes we're banned from speaking our native language at schools.

[Apulu_backagain]

Same over here in English medium school. My school is a British council school so it's strictly recommended to speak in English though no one takes it seriously when high school starts.

[Anonymous]

English is my first language so no it doesn’t seem hard to me.

[Apulu_backagain]

That's great! Are regular English speakers also fluent with old English?

[Opinion Owner]

I don’t know. I can’t speak on behalf of all English speakers.

[Cheerfull009]

I am not an English man but still I am very good in this language

[Apulu_backagain]

That's great

[permanentem]

Nice try pedophile, but posting on a commit where your pedo friend already blocked me just shows how much of a coward you are.

[strateguy632]

It is but not for you.

[Apulu_backagain]

I know basic English but I struggle reading extremely factual papers or college level academic essays.

[Awantika03]

It is hard because sometimes I mistake during writing

[wkhan_87]

Not that hard but it's grammar is kinda weird.

[beenherebefore]

Not hard.