What is the hardest language to learn?

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It's incredible to know that there are thousands of languages spoken across the world, each with its unique set of challenges for learners. A question that often pops up is: "Which language is the hardest to learn?". Today we take a closer look at this question and consider different factors that make learning a language challenging.

What is the hardest language to learn?
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Learning a language is a complex process that involves several components, including phonetics (sounds), morphology (word formation), syntax (sentence structure), semantics (meaning), and pragmatics (communication in context). These factors all contribute to the perceived difficulty of a language.

Language Difficulty

ranks languages based on their difficulty for English speakers. Factors include similarity to English and script complexity.

FSI Language Difficulty Rankings

  • Ìý Category I: Easiest languages (e.g., Spanish, French, Italian)
  • Ìý Category II: Moderately difficult languages (e.g., German, Indonesian)
  • Ìý Category III: Difficult languages (e.g., Russian, Hebrew, Arabic)
  • Ìý Category IV: Very difficult languages (e.g., Chinese, Japanese, Korean)

In theory, you should also be able to apply this the other way around to work out how hard It would be for someone to learn English. But it isn't quite as simple as that in practice.Ìý

What about English?

Learning English can be challenging due to its irregular spelling, pronunciation and verb conjugation, despite its global dominance. However, learners have access to a wide range of resources, and the language's prevalence in media and technology makes it more accessible and easier to learn.

The English language poses a significant challenge toÌýsecond-language English speakers due to its vast range of vowel and consonant sounds, including diphthongs, which might be unfamiliar to them. One of the well-known difficulties is the inconsistency between spelling and pronunciation. The irregularities in English spelling are infamous, making it challenging for learners to comprehend.

Another hurdle can be the extensive vocabulary, compounded by words with multiple meanings. Even more casual language and idioms can confuse and contradict basic language rules.

What can impact difficulty?

Linguists have identified aspects that can make a language more difficult to learn, such as inflectional complexity, gendered nouns, and intricate verb conjugations. There are also other factors that can impact the ease or difficulty:

Native language

The difficulty of acquiring a new language can be influenced by the learner's native language. If a language shares linguistic features with one's mother tongue, it may be easier to learn due to similarities in grammar or vocabulary. For example, someone who knows German or French may have an easier time picking up English than a Japanese speaker due to the languages having some overlap. At the same time, a Japanese speaker may have an easier time learning Chinese.

Sometimes, these similarities can be owed to the history of a language, where a language may have derived from another/the same source or intertwined at some point. English borrows a significant number of and words.

Cultural influences

Learning a new language requires understanding of both cultural and practical aspects. Adapting to different social conventions, cultural norms, and language usage in varied contexts can be challenging.

For instance, some languages have a broader range of vocabulary for different occasions and levels of formality than others. In places like Korea, your age can even determine how you're addressed, how you should speak and how you/others around you behave.

If you come from a language that shares similar norms and conventions, you will likely have an easier time picking it up.

So, what's the hardest language to learn?

There’s no straight answer for this question. Learning a language is a highly individualized experience. The difficulty of learning a language can vary significantly from person to person based on their background, motivation, and exposure to the language.

Determining the hardest language to learn can be challenging, as language learning is a personal process influenced by multiple factors. Although evidence, such as the FSI rankings and linguistic analysis, provides a foundation for comprehending language difficulty, it isn’t always the solid answer. To simplify it though, the more different the language is from your own, the harder it’ll be. Don’t let this put you off; learning a language can be a gratifying experience. Need some reasons to help you decide if you should pick up English? Give our post 'Why should I learn English?'Ìýa read.Ìý

Fancy brushing up on your language skills or picking up a new language entirely? Check out the Mondly app.

Visit Mondly by ÃÛÌÒapp

References

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    How to encourage your teenage students to become independent learners

    By Nicola Pope

    Learning is a lifelong activity regardless of age, position, or ambition. Many teachers embody this philosophy themselves – and would like nothing more than for their teenage students to develop strategies to become independent learners.

    But teachers often feel frustrated when their students rely on them too much or show a lack of motivation and focus in the classroom.

    Let’s look at how to start a project that holds your students’ attention. We’ll also go into how you can help your students practice and develop a range of English language skills at the same time.

    The benefits of starting a project that interests your students

    Group projects are motivating because they give students a common objective to work towards. The need to work as part of a team teaches teens collaboration skills, such as accountability. When learners decide on roles within their groups it soon becomes apparent just how important it is for them to be responsible and do their part.

    Project work also often encourages students to push themselves beyond their comfort zones as they try and test new skills. This is often true when learners are required to present on a topic or learn how to do something practical (like using PowerPoint or Google Slides for presentation design).
    In addition, projects can test a variety of English language and 21st century skills such as:

    • critical thinking skills (for planning and development of ideas)
    • topic/subject-specific vocabulary
    • reading and listening comprehension (for researching)
    • speaking skills (for group work)
    • creative skills (for project development and production)
    • presenting skills (for the final delivery of the project)

    Furthermore, when projects take place over several classes, students often eventually get into a routine and seek less direction from the teacher. They know what needs to be done and get on with it in their groups. Of course, you will still need to monitor and offer guidance throughout the project.

    The key elements of an independent learning project

    Find a meaningful subject matter

    First, you’ll need to start with a topic that engages your students. To discover this, put students in groups (online in breakout rooms or in the classroom) and have them work together and mind map some local, national or global problems they would like to solve. For example:

    • The local theater has closed down and they want to set up a new drama club.
    • There is a lot of pollution in the capital city and they want to help reduce it.
    • The rainforest is being deforested and they want to create awareness.

    After they have a good-sized list, instruct each group to pick something they would like to learn more about. Alternatively, if your students are unlikely to find interesting problems to solve themselves, provide them with several short-level-appropriate reading materials about topics you think will catch their attention. That way they can learn about local or international issues and choose a project focus.

    Balancing guidance and instruction

    A vital goal of this project-based approach is to encourage students to be independent. That does not mean they should have no boundaries or objectives, however.

    You’ll need to set deadlines, tell them what you expect of them, and explain how they should present their projects at the end. And depending on their levels, your students will also need a certain amount of scaffolding. You can do this using a set of questions. For example:

    1. What is the main problem you want to solve?
    2. Who does it affect?
    3. Why is it important to change?
    4. What steps could you take to solve the issue?
    5. Who could help you do this?
    6. How could we do this as a group?
    7. How can we present the issue to make people care about it?

    These questions can form the basis of the project, which can last from one to several weeks, depending on their age, level and time restraints. Adapt the questions to suit your students and the specific needs of their projects.

    Facilitating teamwork

    Encourage students to work together to plan, research and present their ideas. Set days or classes by which certain project elements must be completed. This helps ensure that the students make progress and encourages them to ask you questions if they are stuck.

    Decide whether you want to give set times during your classes to work on the project, or whether you want to dedicate entire classes to their work. Also, think about how much work should be completed in your student's own time. Their workload, level of English, and access to technology will all impact your decision.

    For example:

    • Class one: Define the problem you want to solve. Consider what you need to find out, decide on individual roles and develop an action plan. Show the teacher your progress.
    • Class two: Research your project questions and share what you find with the group. Is there anything else you need to know? Show the teacher your progress.
    • Class three: Come up with a presentation outline and begin to work on it.
    • Homework: Each work on your individual presentation section.
    • Class four: Show the teacher your progress. Practice your presentations.
    • Class five: Practice and then deliver your presentations.

    You may wish to allow students the freedom to choose how they would like to present it. Give instructions on how long you expect the presentation to be. If working remotely, collaboration tools such as Google Docs, and are excellent for facilitating teamwork.

    Here are some ways you might ask them to present:

    • a poster and presentation
    • an online presentation (e.g. using PowerPoint)
    • a website (on paper or online)
    • a video presentation
    • a theatrical production
    • a podcast episode.

    Keep in mind that the objective is to help them research, present and deliver a project in English. Check in regularly on progress and provide feedback and help whenever needed.

    While it’s important to monitor and guide them with the English language as they work, it’s also crucial to let students make decisions for themselves.