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geekhack Community => Off Topic => Topic started by: SpAmRaY on Thu, 17 April 2014, 13:43:32

Title: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Thu, 17 April 2014, 13:43:32: http://www.tickld.com/x/english-isnt-as-easy-as-you-think

A friend shared this with me , made me think of all the times someone on here has said, 'I'm not a native english speaker..'

English is all I know and I'm not very good at it. :))
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: baldgye on Thu, 17 April 2014, 14:02:57: English is hard
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Zeal on Thu, 17 April 2014, 14:09:26: Interesting read...

"Double brewed coffee" was suggested under your topic :p

http://www.tickld.com/funny/t/761837

"I can throw an orange at 60% the speed of light"
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Zombly on Thu, 17 April 2014, 14:44:57: I enjoyed reading that, made me feel smart for once as I am better than someone at speaking and reading the english language, by someone I mean people who can't speak englisih at all, so I smarter den all of dem.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Harrowed on Thu, 17 April 2014, 16:48:28: Every language has its difficulties and weird properties. Here's finnish for you:

(http://phonetics.ucla.edu/appendix/languages/finnish/finnish.gif)
(https://media.riemurasia.net/albumit/mmedia/lp/8kv/hggt/3175/1337031120.jpg)
(https://media.riemurasia.net/albumit/m34359/1185822129.jpg)
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Tym on Thu, 17 April 2014, 16:52:45: I confused Shadovved with this one :)

If Flammable means "something will burn" what does inflammable mean?
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: noisyturtle on Thu, 17 April 2014, 17:14:25: Anyone from Wales here? Or Inuit?
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Tym on Thu, 17 April 2014, 17:20:23: Quote from: noisyturtle on Thu, 17 April 2014, 17:14:25
Anyone from Wales here? Or Inuit?

Photeqk?
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: baldgye on Thu, 17 April 2014, 18:09:46: Quote from: Harrowed on Thu, 17 April 2014, 16:48:28
Every language has its difficulties and weird properties. Here's finnish for you:

Agreed, trying to get your head around male/female versions of words and ****... and Italian has **** like 'yous' (you plural) like **** hows a dyslexic suppose to deal with that kinda nonsense? Hard, that's how.

People born in English speaking countries are both super lucky and both super ****ed. Most western European countries have super awesome education systems that teach English early on so most people in Europe who aren't from the UK have a pretty good (if basic) grasp of English, while if your from the UK chances are you can order **** off a menu in France and the only other skill you have is to shout English at people slowly... Or if your like me, I was taught both German and French in such a way as I know neither, that said I can still say 'hello' in german... hallo!
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Tym on Thu, 17 April 2014, 18:23:43: Don't worry baldgye we can both go and order

"Une burger "
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: baldgye on Thu, 17 April 2014, 18:45:31: vat ist das?!
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Candyflip on Thu, 17 April 2014, 18:58:09: Quote from: baldgye on Thu, 17 April 2014, 18:09:46
Quote from: Harrowed on Thu, 17 April 2014, 16:48:28
Every language has its difficulties and weird properties. Here's finnish for you:

Agreed, trying to get your head around male/female versions of words and ****... and Italian has **** like 'yous' (you plural) like **** hows a dyslexic suppose to deal with that kinda nonsense? Hard, that's how.

People born in English speaking countries are both super lucky and both super ****ed. Most western European countries have super awesome education systems that teach English early on so most people in Europe who aren't from the UK have a pretty good (if basic) grasp of English, while if your from the UK chances are you can order **** off a menu in France and the only other skill you have is to shout English at people slowly... Or if your like me, I was taught both German and French in such a way as I know neither, that said I can still say 'hello' in german... hallo!
I believe most of European languages have the plural of 'you'. It is polite and expected to when talking to elder or formal to say it even if you are speaking to one person if that makes any sense. But it is natural to us and yes most of the people here learn English even in pre school so basically everyone knows it. Most (including me) have 3rd and 4th language in school. I studied Russian and French in mid and high school, now I am studying German in College..
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: hwood34 on Thu, 17 April 2014, 19:48:59: A friend is in the process of trying to learn Bulgarian, which has more conjugations than you can even imagine
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: ideus on Thu, 17 April 2014, 19:53:46: Any language as a second one is not easy unless you live in a place it is spoken at for a considerable amount of time. You will always have some residual accent, and people can tell you are not a native speaker. I do not care much about it, but fact is it is always there.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: tp4tissue on Thu, 17 April 2014, 22:07:49: Hrrmmm?

this is the result of the fact that language is alive.. and transforms over time.. eventually things get jumbled because it's unnecessary to be absolutely precise (as far as daily use)...

Did you eat rice today?

If a majority of people in one time period agree that Rice is now called Gypsum.. Then it doesn't freakin matter..

Because sooner or later, someone will decide that because starchy-rice tends to cause / correlate with Diabetus, to rename rice.. Arsenic..

and then everyone will call rice Arsenic...

No biggie..

(http://emoticoner.com/files/emoticons/onion-head/bled2-onion-head-emoticon.gif?1292862492)

notice how diabetus isn't a word.. but I can bet you within the next 50 years, it will be in the official dictionary.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: rowdy on Thu, 17 April 2014, 23:37:43: I was tasked with helping some of our immigrant employees with their English, after they moved to Australia.

They learned English most of their lives, so they spoke it pretty well, but lacked a lot of the nuances.

Some of the questions they asked me about the structure of sentences I have no idea.

I'm like, I speak the language, but I don't know how or why, I just do.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: dorkvader on Thu, 17 April 2014, 23:54:52: I like asking people to pronounce "the worst word in the world is the word war". Depending on where they are from it may be difficult.

Also, we get sweet stuff like "james while john had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher." (insert punctuation as needed.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Sifo on Fri, 18 April 2014, 00:59:03: **** English

From: Someone who speaks other languages
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Mandolin on Fri, 18 April 2014, 01:03:08: English is ubiquitous. Even if it's not your mothers tongue, it's just a click away from a vast source of resources and places to practice it. Once you get the basic gasps of the grammar, the rest is just practice and adding upon it. There's certainly a learning curve with the grammar that's about the hardest thing to get used to, but I think once you get a second language going, if you pick up on another one it gets easier with time as you kinda switch mindsets easily. The earlier in life you get to learn another language, the better.

And about vocabulary, you never stop learning new terms throughout your life. The big issue comes when you try to learn a language where no one in your community speaks it (or just a few). If you don't practice, it slowly fades away.

Speaking 2 or more languages is not a big deal in some places.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: dustinhxc on Fri, 18 April 2014, 01:03:24: Quote from: Harrowed on Thu, 17 April 2014, 16:48:28
Every language has its difficulties and weird properties. Here's finnish for you:

Show Image
(http://phonetics.ucla.edu/appendix/languages/finnish/finnish.gif)

Show Image
(https://media.riemurasia.net/albumit/mmedia/lp/8kv/hggt/3175/1337031120.jpg)

Show Image
(https://media.riemurasia.net/albumit/m34359/1185822129.jpg)

Lol!! Wow .. That looks hard!
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: iri on Fri, 18 April 2014, 02:06:32: english isn't really hard. it's just very ****ed up and illogical.

Quote from: hwood34 on Thu, 17 April 2014, 19:48:59
A friend is in the process of trying to learn Bulgarian, which has more conjugations than you can even imagine
oh, come on. there are only four cases, and they aren't always used. hungarian, for example, has THIRTY cases.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Latin00032 on Fri, 18 April 2014, 05:15:05: http://m.imgur.com/gallery/JVvIB
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: tp4tissue on Fri, 18 April 2014, 05:54:46: I wish our brain had Ethernet or a fiber optics 10GB/s port

Can't wait...

Then I could spam you guys ultra-faster

(http://www.cute-factor.com/images/smilies/onion/073.gif)
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Zeal on Fri, 18 April 2014, 10:48:28: Quote from: tp4tissue on Fri, 18 April 2014, 05:54:46
I wish our brain had Ethernet or a fiber optics 10GB/s port

Can't wait...

Then I could spam you guys ultra-faster

Show Image
(http://www.cute-factor.com/images/smilies/onion/073.gif)

But can your WPM keep up? :p
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Smasher816 on Fri, 18 April 2014, 11:59:49: Quote from: iri on Fri, 18 April 2014, 02:06:32
english isn't really hard. it's just very ****ed up and illogical.

That sounds about right. I swear there isn't a single rule that is not broken in at least 10 relatively common cases.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: eth0s on Fri, 18 April 2014, 13:09:00: Welly good English I have learnt.

Important it is to be speaking properly.

English from Yoda I was taught hella good.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Malphas on Fri, 18 April 2014, 13:54:55: English is one of the easiest languages in the world to learn, along with the other Germanic languages.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: hashbaz on Fri, 18 April 2014, 15:24:15: Quote from: Smasher816 on Fri, 18 April 2014, 11:59:49
That sounds about right. I swear there isn't a single rule that is not broken at least 10 relatively common cases.

This is the key thing, I think. English is terribly inconsistent compared to other languages. Even after you grasp how the grammar works and memorize root words you have to learn through slow experience the various exceptions and different (inconsistent) forms of those words.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: fohat.digs on Fri, 18 April 2014, 17:20:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMZsDaTxaKo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMZsDaTxaKo)
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: iri on Fri, 18 April 2014, 17:25:56: Quote from: Malphas on Fri, 18 April 2014, 13:54:55
English is one of the easiest languages in the world to learn, along with the other Germanic languages.
-Malphas, native speaker.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Smasher816 on Fri, 18 April 2014, 17:46:07: Quote from: fohat.digs on Fri, 18 April 2014, 17:20:00
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMZsDaTxaKo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMZsDaTxaKo)

Ahhh, there is this horrible high pitched sound in that video. Make it stop, make it stop. :-\
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Malphas on Fri, 18 April 2014, 17:56:43: Quote from: iri on Fri, 18 April 2014, 17:25:56
Quote from: Malphas on Fri, 18 April 2014, 13:54:55
English is one of the easiest languages in the world to learn, along with the other Germanic languages.
-Malphas, native speaker.
But it genuinely is. Germanic languages are simple as **** compared to basically everything else.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: noisyturtle on Fri, 18 April 2014, 18:42:43: English is easy to learn, but difficult to master. A big part of this is globalization though, and I wouldn't have thought this 50-60 years ago.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: rowdy on Sat, 19 April 2014, 01:40:14: English is a language of a few rules and many, many exceptions.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: PointyFox on Sat, 19 April 2014, 02:50:19: English is easy. That's why even most of the morons in America know it.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: iri on Sat, 19 April 2014, 03:55:56: Quote from: Malphas on Fri, 18 April 2014, 17:56:43
Quote from: iri on Fri, 18 April 2014, 17:25:56
Quote from: Malphas on Fri, 18 April 2014, 13:54:55
English is one of the easiest languages in the world to learn, along with the other Germanic languages.
-Malphas, native speaker.
But it genuinely is. Germanic languages are simple as **** compared to basically everything else.
Russian is one of the easiest languages in the world to learn, along with the other Slavic languages.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: baldgye on Sat, 19 April 2014, 03:58:05: Quote from: PointyFox on Sat, 19 April 2014, 02:50:19
English is easy. That's why even most of the morons in America know it.

Your confusing English with American ;)
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: iri on Sat, 19 April 2014, 04:02:12: Quote from: baldgye on Sat, 19 April 2014, 03:58:05
Quote from: PointyFox on Sat, 19 April 2014, 02:50:19
English is easy. That's why even most of the morons in America know it.

Your confusing English with American ;)
excuse me, in which one of those "you're" and "your" is the same thing?
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Tym on Sat, 19 April 2014, 04:06:19: "Hey you! You're a banana"

"Hey you, is that your banana?"
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: baldgye on Sat, 19 April 2014, 04:13:54: Quote from: iri on Sat, 19 April 2014, 04:02:12
Quote from: baldgye on Sat, 19 April 2014, 03:58:05
Quote from: PointyFox on Sat, 19 April 2014, 02:50:19
English is easy. That's why even most of the morons in America know it.

Your confusing English with American ;)
excuse me, in which one of those "you're" and "your" is the same thing?

Sorry, I can't properly reply to someone correcting my (a dyslexics) grammar when you can't even start a sentence with a capital letter ;)

BOOM
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: iri on Sat, 19 April 2014, 04:48:40: Quote from: baldgye on Sat, 19 April 2014, 04:13:54
Quote from: iri on Sat, 19 April 2014, 04:02:12
Quote from: baldgye on Sat, 19 April 2014, 03:58:05
Quote from: PointyFox on Sat, 19 April 2014, 02:50:19
English is easy. That's why even most of the morons in America know it.

Your confusing English with American ;)
excuse me, in which one of those "you're" and "your" is the same thing?

Sorry, I can't properly reply to someone correcting my (a dyslexics) grammar when you can't even start a sentence with a capital letter ;)

BOOM
DYSLEXIA.
seems to be a very common thing in the uk.
also an excellent cop-out for those who can't differ between "lack" and "luck".
i need the same sort of cop-out for my awful grammar.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: baldgye on Sat, 19 April 2014, 05:03:07: Quote from: iri on Sat, 19 April 2014, 04:48:40
Quote from: baldgye on Sat, 19 April 2014, 04:13:54
Quote from: iri on Sat, 19 April 2014, 04:02:12
Quote from: baldgye on Sat, 19 April 2014, 03:58:05
Quote from: PointyFox on Sat, 19 April 2014, 02:50:19
English is easy. That's why even most of the morons in America know it.

Your confusing English with American ;)
excuse me, in which one of those "you're" and "your" is the same thing?

Sorry, I can't properly reply to someone correcting my (a dyslexics) grammar when you can't even start a sentence with a capital letter ;)

BOOM
DYSLEXIA.
seems to be a very common thing in the uk.
also an excellent cop-out for those who can't differ between "lack" and "luck".
i need the same sort of cop-out for my awful grammar.

Yeah defo is a total cop-out... All these 'special' needs are people benefit scamming... I mean clearly I'm an idiot (with an IQ that puts me in the top 10%) because I can't to maths and have poor spelling and grammar... And people like you who pick out posts on forums for bad grammar are clearly the geniuses of the modern world picking apart the arguments and opinions of clear idiots like me.

....or was that all bull****? Sorry I'm still trying to figure out who tym was talking about... All these yours and yours got me all muddled... GIVE ME ALL THE BENEFITS (random all caps because you did it and your a grammar master so it must be right)
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Findecanor on Sat, 19 April 2014, 05:09:41: Quote from: Candyflip on Thu, 17 April 2014, 18:58:09
I believe most of European languages have the plural of 'you'.
"You" is already plural, the plural of the older "thou". English made away with the less polite form.

In Sweden, the opposite was done in Swedish in the 1960's. The use of "you" to address a single person politely was rationalized a way in the spirit of equality, but then emerged the custom of spelling the singular form with a capital letter as a way of being more polite ...
I have heard of instances where old people have got offended when someone had by mistake used the plural form to address them.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Tym on Sat, 19 April 2014, 05:14:26: Baldgye were you on "Benefit's Street" ?

Are you really White Dee?

Dear god the program was horrendous, I nearly cried :))
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: baldgye on Sat, 19 April 2014, 05:20:31: I kinda wish I knew who you where taking about, but I never watched... I didn't even know it existed until it was in the news lol
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Tym on Sat, 19 April 2014, 05:30:19: Don't worry, you didn't miss anything. Although if you're in the mood, then its one of the funniest programs on TV, while I was watching I just kept thinking back to this though.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: baldgye on Sat, 19 April 2014, 05:34:37: Hahahahahaha yeah I can imagine... Though you say that, I might see people with equally serious disabilities being ATTACKED by people who simply don't understand our plite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: iri on Sat, 19 April 2014, 05:41:25: Quote from: baldgye on Sat, 19 April 2014, 05:03:07
Quote from: iri on Sat, 19 April 2014, 04:48:40
Quote from: baldgye on Sat, 19 April 2014, 04:13:54
Quote from: iri on Sat, 19 April 2014, 04:02:12
Quote from: baldgye on Sat, 19 April 2014, 03:58:05
Quote from: PointyFox on Sat, 19 April 2014, 02:50:19
English is easy. That's why even most of the morons in America know it.

Your confusing English with American ;)
excuse me, in which one of those "you're" and "your" is the same thing?

Sorry, I can't properly reply to someone correcting my (a dyslexics) grammar when you can't even start a sentence with a capital letter ;)

BOOM
DYSLEXIA.
seems to be a very common thing in the uk.
also an excellent cop-out for those who can't differ between "lack" and "luck".
i need the same sort of cop-out for my awful grammar.

Yeah defo is a total cop-out... All these 'special' needs are people benefit scamming... I mean clearly I'm an idiot (with an IQ that puts me in the top 10%) because I can't to maths and have poor spelling and grammar... And people like you who pick out posts on forums for bad grammar are clearly the geniuses of the modern world picking apart the arguments and opinions of clear idiots like me.

....or was that all bull****? Sorry I'm still trying to figure out who tym was talking about... All these yours and yours got me all muddled... GIVE ME ALL THE BENEFITS (random all caps because you did it and your a grammar master so it must be right)
i said my grammar was ****, pay some more attention, please :p
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: baldgye on Sat, 19 April 2014, 05:45:00: FORGIVE ME IM JUST A CHEAP BENEFIT ****
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Malphas on Sat, 19 April 2014, 05:46:49: Quote from: iri on Sat, 19 April 2014, 03:55:56
Quote from: Malphas on Fri, 18 April 2014, 17:56:43
Quote from: iri on Fri, 18 April 2014, 17:25:56
Quote from: Malphas on Fri, 18 April 2014, 13:54:55
English is one of the easiest languages in the world to learn, along with the other Germanic languages.
-Malphas, native speaker.
But it genuinely is. Germanic languages are simple as **** compared to basically everything else.
Russian is one of the easiest languages in the world to learn, along with the other Slavic languages.

Agreed, but English is still easier. The good thing about Slavic languages though, is that once you know one you basically know 90% of all of them, which obviously isn't the case with Germanic, Romance, etc.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Malphas on Sat, 19 April 2014, 05:49:42: Quote from: iri on Sat, 19 April 2014, 04:02:12
Quote from: baldgye on Sat, 19 April 2014, 03:58:05
Quote from: PointyFox on Sat, 19 April 2014, 02:50:19
English is easy. That's why even most of the morons in America know it.

Your confusing English with American ;)
excuse me, in which one of those "you're" and "your" is the same thing?

Let's just replace both of them with "ur" pls.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: baldgye on Sat, 19 April 2014, 05:51:37: You mean u're?
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: iri on Sat, 19 April 2014, 06:15:05: Quote from: Malphas on Sat, 19 April 2014, 05:46:49
Quote from: iri on Sat, 19 April 2014, 03:55:56
Quote from: Malphas on Fri, 18 April 2014, 17:56:43
Quote from: iri on Fri, 18 April 2014, 17:25:56
Quote from: Malphas on Fri, 18 April 2014, 13:54:55
English is one of the easiest languages in the world to learn, along with the other Germanic languages.
-Malphas, native speaker.
But it genuinely is. Germanic languages are simple as **** compared to basically everything else.
Russian is one of the easiest languages in the world to learn, along with the other Slavic languages.

Agreed, but English is still easier. The good thing about Slavic languages though, is that once you know one you basically know 90% of all of them
also they lack this --

Dearest creature in creation,
Study English pronunciation.
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.
I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.

Just compare heart, beard, and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,
Sword and sward, retain and Britain.
(Mind the latter, how it's written.)
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as plaque and ague.
But be careful how you speak:
Say break and steak, but bleak and streak;
Cloven, oven, how and low,
Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.

Hear me say, devoid of trickery,
Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore,
Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles,
Exiles, similes, and reviles;
Scholar, vicar, and cigar,
Solar, mica, war and far;
One, anemone, Balmoral,
Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel;
Gertrude, German, wind and mind,
Scene, Melpomene, mankind.

Billet does not rhyme with ballet,
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.
Viscous, viscount, load and broad,
Toward, to forward, to reward.
And your pronunciation's OK
When you correctly say croquet,
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.

Ivy, privy, famous; clamour
And enamour rhymes with hammer.
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,
Doll and roll and some and home.
Stranger does not rhyme with anger,
Neither does devour with clangour.
Souls but foul, haunt but aunt,
Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant,
Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger,
And then singer, ginger, linger,
Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge,
Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.

Query does not rhyme with very,
Nor does fury sound like bury.
Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.
Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath.
Though the differences seem little,
We say actual but victual.
Refer does not rhyme with deafer.
Foeffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
Mint, pint, senate and sedate;
Dull, bull, and George ate late.
Scenic, Arabic, Pacific,
Science, conscience, scientific.

Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.
We say hallowed, but allowed,
People, leopard, towed, but vowed.
Mark the differences, moreover,
Between mover, cover, clover;
Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
Chalice, but police and lice;
Camel, constable, unstable,
Principle, disciple, label.

Petal, panel, and canal,
Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal.
Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,
Senator, spectator, mayor.
Tour, but our and succour, four.
Gas, alas, and Arkansas.
Sea, idea, Korea, area,
Psalm, Maria, but malaria.
Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean.
Doctrine, turpentine, marine.

Compare alien with Italian,
Dandelion and battalion.
Sally with ally, yea, ye,
Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key.
Say aver, but ever, fever,
Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver.
Heron, granary, canary.
Crevice and device and aerie.

Face, but preface, not efface.
Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.
Large, but target, gin, give, verging,
Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging.
Ear, but earn and wear and tear
Do not rhyme with here but ere.
Seven is right, but so is even,
Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen,
Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk,
Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.

Pronunciation -- think of Psyche!
Is a paling stout and spikey?
Won't it make you lose your wits,
Writing groats and saying grits?
It's a dark abyss or tunnel:
Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale,
Islington and Isle of Wight,
Housewife, verdict and indict.

Finally, which rhymes with enough?
Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?
Hiccough has the sound of cup.
My advice is give it up!
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: paicrai on Sat, 19 April 2014, 11:22:51: Quote from: PointyFox on Sat, 19 April 2014, 02:50:19
English is easy. That's why even most of the morons in America know it.
They don't, and they don't even know their equivalent.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: tp4tissue on Sat, 19 April 2014, 14:26:26: Quote from: baldgye on Sat, 19 April 2014, 05:51:37
You mean u're?

goin'wt mphas on's 1.. ur 4 all cases
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: jabar on Sat, 19 April 2014, 14:50:12: Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Findecanor on Sat, 19 April 2014, 18:24:13: Quote from: jabar on Sat, 19 April 2014, 14:50:12
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.
It's pronounced "buy-sen". :p
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: rowdy on Sat, 19 April 2014, 19:43:51: Quote from: baldgye on Sat, 19 April 2014, 03:58:05
Quote from: PointyFox on Sat, 19 April 2014, 02:50:19
English is easy. That's why even most of the morons in America know it.

Your confusing English with American ;)

Your confusing [of] English with American [is very humourous].

Makes sense to me!
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Coreda on Sat, 19 April 2014, 23:58:21: Quote
Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France

'Hamburger' actually makes sense, as it originates from Hamburg, Germany. Parts of the English language aren't consistent though, which is easy to see even as a native speaker.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: C5Allroad on Sun, 20 April 2014, 00:39:31: This is why English is hell on Foreign language speakers.
Go over there to get their phones.
Wut?
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: baldgye on Sun, 20 April 2014, 01:18:59: Quote from: rowdy on Sat, 19 April 2014, 19:43:51
Quote from: baldgye on Sat, 19 April 2014, 03:58:05
Quote from: PointyFox on Sat, 19 April 2014, 02:50:19
English is easy. That's why even most of the morons in America know it.

Your confusing English with American ;)

Your confusing [of] English with American [is very humourous].

Makes sense to me!

Wut?
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: rowdy on Sun, 20 April 2014, 03:24:08: Quote from: HUNTERANGEL121 on Sun, 20 April 2014, 00:39:31
This is why English is hell on Foreign language speakers.
Go over there to get their phones.
Wut?

Much of English is derived, sometimes very directly, from foreign words.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: rowdy on Sun, 20 April 2014, 03:26:13: Ok, double post, yes, but a separated related question that people might respond to.

To wish someone a peasant eating experience, we'd say something like "bon appetite", which is literally French for "good appetite".

Is there any alternative? Something literally English (or at least part of the English language derived from something older than the French expression)?
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: MissMurd3r84 on Sun, 20 April 2014, 03:44:21: I am currently working with some youth who are from either non-English speaking households or are new to Australia and fairly new to English.. One of the things I am trying to help them with is language support, as well as a billion other tasks. Sometimes I find it frustrating trying to work out the easiest way for me to explain to them what something means, due to the fact that I just "know" what it means without having to know the reasoning behind it, if that makes sense.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: rowdy on Sun, 20 April 2014, 03:51:45: Quote from: MissMurd3r84 on Sun, 20 April 2014, 03:44:21
I am currently working with some youth who are from either non-English speaking households or are new to Australia and fairly new to English.. One of the things I am trying to help them with is language support, as well as a billion other tasks. Sometimes I find it frustrating trying to work out the easiest way for me to explain to them what something means, due to the fact that I just "know" what it means without having to know the reasoning behind it, if that makes sense.

Yep, exactly. I was asked to proof-read some documentation by one of our non-native-English-speaking guys, and the expressions he used in it were all over the place.

Re-reading it, you could work out what he meant, but some of the wording was completely backwards to what you'd usually write.

He asked me to explain a bit better some of the rules and how did I know one version was right and the other wasn't, and I couldn't really explain.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: leesofi on Sun, 20 April 2014, 04:18:27: Korean learn english skill in school. But just for TOEIC and getting the job.
For enjoying the keyboarding, almost geekhacker`s english is not hard to me, but someone`s one still make me google or dictionary.
Also abbreviation word and their own code`s one make me headache. ex) CC`s long term code.
For foreign language speakers, some word need easier.
But in korean forum, nobody request correct korean(hangul) to foreigner. They write english, we reply by EASY english.
Someone(korean) want to join Geekhack GB, they give up cuz hard english to understanding in thread.(+ long-trem waiting,paypal and strange gb system)
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: tinlong117 on Sun, 20 April 2014, 05:00:51: I started to learn English when I was 2 y/o or something. Sadly, I still found it hard sometimes even I learnt it for more than a decade.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: mauri on Sun, 20 April 2014, 09:49:10: Quote from: iri on Fri, 18 April 2014, 17:25:56
Quote from: Malphas on Fri, 18 April 2014, 13:54:55
English is one of the easiest languages in the world to learn, along with the other Germanic languages.
-Malphas, native speaker.

The math checks out boys
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: yasuo on Sat, 04 October 2014, 03:18:56: bahasa is easier than english, no difference gender but affixes make confused :))
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: paicrai on Sat, 04 October 2014, 03:55:03: i think it's a pretty easy language to learn and understand
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Grim Fandango on Sat, 04 October 2014, 04:11:07: At least it is easier than Dutch. I think I make more spelling and grammar mistakes in Dutch than I do in English. Even though I am a native speaker.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: JackMills on Sat, 04 October 2014, 04:54:06: Quote from: Grim Fandango on Sat, 04 October 2014, 04:11:07
At least it is easier than Dutch. I think I make more spelling and grammar mistakes in Dutch than I do in English. Even though I am a native speaker.
My Dutch is still much better than my English. But I hear a lot of non-native speakers complain about how difficult it is to learn.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Oobly on Mon, 06 October 2014, 15:29:12: Quote from: Harrowed on Thu, 17 April 2014, 16:48:28
Every language has its difficulties and weird properties. Here's finnish for you:

Show Image
(http://phonetics.ucla.edu/appendix/languages/finnish/finnish.gif)

Show Image
(https://media.riemurasia.net/albumit/mmedia/lp/8kv/hggt/3175/1337031120.jpg)

Show Image
(https://media.riemurasia.net/albumit/m34359/1185822129.jpg)

Being a native English speaker who has moved to Finland I believe I have at least some relevant perspective on this. English is harder than Finnish overall. Sure, Finnish is totally different from any other language except Estonian (and distantly related to Hungarian) so it's pretty hard for an English speaker to learn and get used to (also, the 14 cases which modify the ending of all the words is tough), but English has so many exceptions to the rules and different words (or parts of words) which are spelt the same yet pronounced differently, sayings and words borrowed / imported from so MANY other languages and rules that often don't make sense... English is hella hard. Finnish is just hard.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: noisyturtle on Mon, 06 October 2014, 15:34:44: Easy to learn. Difficult to master.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: iri on Mon, 06 October 2014, 15:56:41: Quote from: Oobly on Mon, 06 October 2014, 15:29:12
English is harder than Finnish overall. Sure, Finnish is totally different from any other language except Estonian (and distantly related to Hungarian) so it's pretty hard for an English speaker to learn and get used to (also, the 14 cases which modify the ending of all the words is tough), but English has so many exceptions to the rules and different words (or parts of words) which are spelt the same yet pronounced differently, sayings and words borrowed / imported from so MANY other languages and rules that often don't make sense...
i can forgive finnish all its non-indoeuropeness just for the fact that it is always clear how to pronounce a written finnish word, including the stress. also for not having 5783490752 native accents in the country of origin. also, for the word for a dragon (which is "salmonsnake").
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: sunshine on Tue, 07 October 2014, 01:23:23: Quote from: baldgye on Thu, 17 April 2014, 14:02:57
English is hard

I do not agree with you .I think all language have something in common.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: tp4tissue on Tue, 07 October 2014, 01:45:06: Quote from: sunshine on Tue, 07 October 2014, 01:23:23
Quote from: baldgye on Thu, 17 April 2014, 14:02:57
English is hard

I do not agree with you .I think all language have something in common.

LOLOL... no really? ALL languages have something in common ?

That's almost like saying ... all colors have something in common because we see with our eyes.

(http://www.clubtuzki.com/emoticons/tuzki_046.gif)
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: Lord of Narwhals on Tue, 07 October 2014, 04:00:46: English is okay when compared to many other languages because the grammar is pretty easy (unlike Russian which I took for one year). The fact that the word "you" is both singular and plural is a little annoying though.
I'm pretty sure almost all languages have words which mean completely different things.
In Sweden "gift" means married and poison, "sex" means sex and six, "ren" means reindeer and clean.

(http://41.media.tumblr.com/aefb2836489011944819dff278ba9625/tumblr_n85aqaYA6Q1svfxm1o1_1280.png)
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: iri on Tue, 07 October 2014, 05:55:53: Quote from: Lord of Narwhals on Tue, 07 October 2014, 04:00:46
English is okay when compared to many other languages because the grammar is pretty easy (unlike Russian which I took for one year).
come on, we only have six cases!

Quote from: Lord of Narwhals on Tue, 07 October 2014, 04:00:46
I'm pretty sure almost all languages have words which mean completely different things.
In Sweden "gift" means married and poison, "sex" means sex and six, "ren" means reindeer and clean.
in russian,
эфир = the ether and live broadcast;
коса = plait, scythe and spit;
мир = peace and the world;
финка = a finnish knife, a finnish woman and also a slang word for finland;
брак = marriage and defect (lulz);
there's loooots of those.
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: yasuo on Tue, 07 October 2014, 07:36:50: by oxford
Arabic is the most difficult
followed by Russia and China third; D
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: tp4tissue on Tue, 07 October 2014, 11:36:55: Quote from: yasuo on Tue, 07 October 2014, 07:36:50
by oxford
Arabic is the most difficult
followed by Russia and China third; D

is the oxford evaluation with respect to Westerners only?

for example if you went from Chinese > Jpn, that is obviously not going to be as hard as Eng > Jpn or Eng > Chn...
Title: Re: Do you think english is easy?
Post by: yasuo on Tue, 07 October 2014, 20:24:23: Quote from: tp4tissue on Tue, 07 October 2014, 11:36:55
Quote from: yasuo on Tue, 07 October 2014, 07:36:50
by oxford
Arabic is the most difficult
followed by Russia and China third; D

is the oxford evaluation with respect to Westerners only?

for example if you went from Chinese > Jpn, that is obviously not going to be as hard as Eng > Jpn or Eng > Chn...
i think the structure of languange if like you mean it's depends where you come from :))