Non-native English speakers: What was the hardest part about learning English for you?

Question

I've been told that the usage of articles (the, a, etc.) is somewhat difficult because there are rules for it, but there a ton of exceptions to the rules, as well. I believe it, too, because knowing when to use an article or not in Spanish is difficult at times for me.

Also, I would think that the pronunciation would be rather difficult because it seems that there are just more exceptions than there are rules in English pronunciation.

So, I'm curious about what you found the most difficult about learning English, or what you found not difficult at all. Did you find it easy to learn English? What is your native language? Did knowing your native language (or other languages you've learned) help with your understanding of English, or no?

If you were a non-native English speaker (i.e., someone who speaks English, but it's not their native language--the people the question was addressed to), then I'm sure you could have understood the question.

When you learn a language in school, you learn the correct usage and grammar, and you can read it very well long before you are fluent. Many non-native English speakers tend to write better than a lot of native English speakers for that reason, too.

Answer 1

The hardest part was not the actual words and grammar but what lies beneath.

For example, if my boss told me: "I suggest you'll do XXX". I understood it as a simple suggestion as he noted. Today I know that English is a language of understatements and what my boss actually meant: "you better do this or else..."

The best way to learn a language, including the cultural language:
To have local friends.
To read a lot - start with easy children's books and go up.
Watch the sitcom Channel through the ages. Any English TV will teach you the language, but the sitcoms will teach you the culture and the evolvement of the language through the decades.

My first language is Hebrew. It is extremely different, because we use different letters altogether and we write from right to left.

Today my English is very good. I also translate from my native language to English and vice versa.

Good luck
Buena Suerte

Answer 2

I'm Dutch and I never had any serious problems learning English. I don't speak or write it flawless but I'm doing OK. It's quite easy to learn English because it's all around us on TV and in music. I think it's absolutely a great language. The English vocabulary has more words than the Dutch vocabulary and therefore you can somehow be more precise in expressing what you want to say. Tricky part about speaking the language is the "th"sound. Yes, I love the English language and I always aced it in school.

Answer 3

For me English has always been quite easy to learn. I had a very good English teacher at school. A thing that also has helped me a lot, is that all the movies or TV series have subtitles in our own languages, so we here in Finland hear English, American or Canadian English spoken and that is a real advantage. And I just love English and want to learn more and more. We in Finland have 2 native languages, Finnish and Swedish. Only about 5 % of the population here speak Swedish and I am one of them, of course I speak Finnish too. Speaking Swedish has also helped me to learn English as both languages have same roots.

Answer 4

Hi Cynthia C: Mi native language is spanish. The hardest part of learning english to me is... I've learned english all by myself. Nobody taught me (that's why my english is too bad). Altought, the esaiest part of learning english is... if you really like to, everything is easier. I don't know any native english speaker (that would really help me a lot), but I watch movies, tv series, etc. And I don't worry about articles, rules and so on. That things you and me will learn on the way.

P.S. Also the hardest part to learning english to me is... the accent.
By the way, talking (to chat) with some spanish speaker (a good one) would help a lot. I mean it.

Answer 5

I have been using English for more than 40 years but I am definitely not a native speaker and I do not have an English speaking environment here in my daily life. The hardest part is tenses, countable/not countable nouns, and slangs. Pronunciation is not a big deal although I cannot successfully imitate any British or Aussie accents.

Answer 6

i'm italian and i studied english at school but it's a lot of time i don't practice it speaking. the only thing it saves me is that i remember some fundamental grammar rules but i know that, often, even in writing i committ many errors.

anyway the most difficult thing i found in this language is the use of composed verbs....to use a verb+in/off/down/up etc. that change the meaning of the baisc verb. in my language this doesn't exist and every verb got it's on significate so that in english too i'm deviated to use english in an italian grammatical way.

sorry if i haven't been clear.

Answer 7

Well the hardest problem I've had was the Conditional Sentences and how to use them correctly (It was confusing when I was told to use past to mean present!)Also,I find it really difficult to learn American Slangs!(eg.you say Chill out instead of Calm down or sth) Anyhow,I love English so I'm sure I'll be able to stand all these difficulties , to be able to talk English as well as a native American one day(Put me right if I'm wrong!) Just remember(Hang in there!Things will improve for you!) :)

Answer 8

If i did not speak english I dont know if i could of got through your question. I am sure the hardest thing is all the words we have that are spelt different yet sound the same and mean two totally different things...

Answer 9

im german and i dont really have problems with learning english. the only problems that i have are (but only sometimes :) ):
1. the "th"
2. the tenses, they are so confusing!

Answer 10

tenses
sihdilar mani!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!