The most difficult thing about learning English

With English gaining the status of lingua-franca the importance of learning English language is increasing day by day. However, learning a language in one™s adolescence is not as easy as it is for a child. For non-native speakers, English grammar and syntax pose quite a challenge during language learning. A survey by Reddit asking English language learners which aspects of the language they find to be most difficult, revealed some interesting facts.

Among the most challenging aspects of English language are its syntax, use of phrasal verbs, exceptions and pronunciation. The structure of English sentences is very different from other languages and the use of adjectives and adverbs along with the right form of verb is almost a challenge for learners of this language.

An example of this is A small green shirt and not a green small shirt. Learners are perplexed by the rules behind sentence structure of the language. Phrasal verbs are another confusing aspect of the language; a phrasal verb is made by combining a verb and a preposition, each time the preposition changes the meaning of the phrasal verb changes. So, it is hard for English language learner to differentiate between call on and call at.

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The subtle difference between vowel sounds can be sometimes really embarrassing for a learner as they try to pronounce beach but end up calling it bitch. The silent letters in words like island, climb and knowledge are highly problematic for a beginner. Exceptions make the learning process harder; one has to remember each grammatical rule as well as its exceptions.

Another biggest challenge is learning to pronounce the English words; vowels often do not correspond to the pronunciation. Then there are idioms which are interesting though yet, are extremely perplexing. How can one know that burying the hatchet means to end the fight?