poll

ralph   Sat Nov 12, 2005 3:59 am GMT
do you agree guys that english is an easy language to learn comparing to other languages.
The Swede   Sat Nov 12, 2005 3:54 pm GMT
I can say that English is an easy language to learn, specially the grammar, but when it´s about spelling there are quite many languages which is easier.
Guest   Sat Nov 12, 2005 4:00 pm GMT
yes very easy
Rob   Sat Nov 12, 2005 4:16 pm GMT
Yes, I could speak English before I was 2, but I still can't speak any other languages!
Adam   Sat Nov 12, 2005 6:43 pm GMT
"Yes, I could speak English before I was 2, but I still can't speak any other languages! "

Doesn't mean it's an easy language to learn.

Nearly everyone can speak their native language at that age - whether it Chinese, Finnish, Slovakian.
Frances   Sat Nov 12, 2005 9:00 pm GMT
Don't you think it depends on where you are coming from? A German speaker would find English easier to learn than say a Mandarin speaker
Brennus   Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:21 pm GMT
Opinions are split almost 50-50 among foreigners I've met. A young woman from Hungary I knew back in the 80's, who spoke very good English amnd worked at a Denny's restaurant , told me that she didn't think that English was hard at all. On the other hand, a few years later I heard a Polish ex-patriate from Argentina in another Denny's restaurant tell an American friend that he had a harder time learning English than Spanish.
Hopeful   Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:45 pm GMT
yes, verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry!
leysa   Sun Nov 13, 2005 1:23 am GMT
I think it's easier to learn but then again english movies and music are so popular throughout the world so that helps alot too.
Guy   Sun Nov 13, 2005 11:19 am GMT
I'd say English is fairly easy to learn as for grammar, but the pronunciation and spelling are very hard.
abc   Sun Nov 13, 2005 1:22 pm GMT
way easier
Mark   Mon Nov 14, 2005 2:18 pm GMT
See it depends what sort a learning you are looking forwards to.
English,
When it comes to composition, writing its difficult you need to remember a lot of grammatical rules that arethesame in some structures but varies with usage.
Secondly such an international language, a lingua franca, having alot of development being made with so many upgrades andadditions in all forms its difficult to keep up with it specially when it comes to non native speaker.
So it all depends upon yournecessity to learn orwhich areas you need to master.
On the whole, its difficult but not impossible and on the contorary, easy, amusing, enjoying with infinite resources to consult from.....
Whatever it is its not that much difficult but hactic, needs devotion and very integrated effort plus passion too.............
Paul N.   Mon Nov 14, 2005 3:35 pm GMT
Earlier, Adam said in this venue: “Despite being the world's lingua franca, English is the most difficult European language to learn to read”. He pointed out that British kids find it more difficult to learn to read than their peers from other countries.

I would rephrase Adam’s sentence into: “Despite being the world's lingua franca, English is one of the most difficult European language to learn”

Paul N.
Paul N.   Mon Nov 14, 2005 3:43 pm GMT
Erratum: “Despite being the world's lingua franca, English is one of the most difficult European languages to learn”

Paul N.
Stan   Mon Nov 14, 2005 3:59 pm GMT
<< Yes, I could speak English before I was 2, but I still can't speak any other languages! >>

Shouldn't you consider taking a course in language development in infants. The best period of learning a language is between the ages of 1 and 8. Infact, at the age of two, a child is expected to be capable of the following in his/her language:

1) Can name a number of objects common to his surroundings

2)Is able to use at least two prepositions, usually chosen from the following: in, on, under

3)Combines words into a short sentence-largely noun-verb combinations (mean) length of sentences is given as 1.2 words

4)Approximately 2/3 of what the child says should be intelligible

5)Vocabulary of approximately 150-300 words

6)Can use two pronouns correctly: I, me, you, although me and I are often confused

7)My and mine are beginning to emerge

8)Responds to such commands as "show me your eyes (nose, mouth, hair)"