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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  • A teacher helping a teenage student working at her desk in a library

    How teachers can use the GSE for professional development

    By Fajarudin Akbar
    Reading time: 4.5 minutes

    As English teachers, we’re usually the ones helping others grow. We guide learners through challenges, celebrate their progress and push them to reach new heights. But what about our own growth? How do we, as educators, continue to develop and refine our practice?

    The Global Scale of English (GSE) is often seen as a tool for assessing students. However, in my experience, it can also be a powerful guide for teachers who want to become more intentional, reflective, and confident in their teaching. Here's how the GSE has helped me in my own journey as an English teacher and how it can support yours too.

    About the GSE

    The GSE is a proficiency scale developed by ÃÛÌÒapp. It measures English ability across four skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing – on a scale from 10 to 90. It’s aligned with the CEFR but offers more detailed learning objectives, which can be incredibly useful in diverse teaching contexts.

    I first encountered the GSE while exploring ways to better personalize learning objectives in my Business English classes. As a teacher in a non-formal education setting in Indonesia, I often work with students who don’t fit neatly into one CEFR level. I needed something more precise, more flexible, and more connected to real classroom practice. That’s when the GSE became a turning point.

    Reflecting on our teaching practice

    The GSE helped me pause and reflect. I started reading through the learning objectives and asking myself important questions. Were my lessons really aligned with what learners at this level needed? Was I challenging them just enough or too much?

    By using the GSE as a mirror, I began to see areas where I could improve. For example, I realized that, although I was confident teaching speaking skills, I wasn’t always giving enough attention to writing development. The GSE didn’t judge me. It simply showed me where I could grow.

    Planning with purpose

    One of the best things about the GSE is that it brings clarity to lesson planning. Instead of guessing whether an activity is suitable for a student’s level, I now check the GSE objectives. If I know a learner is at GSE 50 in speaking, I can design a role-play that matches that level of complexity. If another learner is at GSE 60, I can challenge them with more open-ended tasks.

    Planning becomes easier and more purposeful. I don’t just create lessons, I design learning experiences that truly meet students where they are.

    Collaborating with other teachers

    The GSE has also become a shared language for collaboration. When I run workshops or peer mentoring sessions, I often invite teachers to explore the GSE Toolkit together. We look at learning objectives, discuss how they apply to our learners, and brainstorm ways to adapt materials.

    These sessions are not just about theory: they’re energizing. Teachers leave with new ideas, renewed motivation and a clearer sense of how to bring their teaching to the next level.

    Getting started with the GSE

    If you’re curious about how to start using the GSE for your own growth, here are a few simple steps:

    • Visit the GSE Teacher Toolkit and explore the learning objectives for the skills and levels you teach.
    • Choose one or two objectives that resonate with you and reflect on whether your current lessons address them.
    • Try adapting a familiar activity to better align with a specific GSE range.
    • Use the GSE when planning peer observations or professional learning communities. It gives your discussions a clear focus.

    Case study from my classroom

    I once had a private Business English student preparing for a job interview. Her speaking skills were solid – around GSE 55 – but her writing was more limited, probably around GSE 45. Instead of giving her the same tasks across both skills, I personalized the lesson.

    For speaking, we practiced mock interviews using complex questions. For writing, I supported her with guided sentence frames for email writing. By targeting her actual levels, not just a general CEFR level, she improved faster and felt more confident.

    That experience reminded me that when we teach with clarity, learners respond with progress.

    Challenges and solutions

    Of course, using the GSE can feel overwhelming at first. There are many descriptors, and it can take time to get familiar with the scale. My advice is to start small: focus on one skill or one level. Also, use the Toolkit as a companion, not a checklist.

    Another challenge is integrating the GSE into existing materials, and this is where technology can help. I often use AI tools like ChatGPT to adjust or rewrite tasks so they better match specific GSE levels. This saves time and makes differentiation easier.

    Teachers deserve development too

    Teaching is a lifelong journey. The GSE doesn’t just support our students, it also supports us. It helps us reflect, plan, and collaborate more meaningfully. Most of all, it reminds us that our growth as teachers is just as important as the progress of our learners.

    If you’re looking for a simple, practical, and inspiring way to guide your professional development, give the GSE a try. It helped me grow, and I believe it can help you too.

    Additional resources