Is English A Difficult Language?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sweet-Annie

muhsin: I think I didn't make myself clear on that one. It’s really hard to put in words a definition for that (if you don't know Spanish). So let me give you a definition I found on the internet.

"In most varieties of Spanish, there are two singular forms of the second person pronoun: Usted and tú. The former is a formal pronoun, used for social superiors and new acquaintances. The latter is familiar. 'Tutear' is a verb meaning 'to address someone as "tú"'. However, the meaning isn't purely linguistic: It indicates familiarity. Thus, 'Puedes tutearme' (You can address me as "tú"') is an invitation to familiarity. The connotation is similar to the English phrase 'to be on a first name basis with', but I can't think, off-hand, of an English term or phrase that describes personal relationships through linguistic usage in the same way."

---

Your language (Spanish, eh?) it works just like my language.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Goodfella

Its indicated below your user name that you're a new member. But, you need not to specify who you like to answer your question. Even the native speaker himself won't like know this answer.

---

I know I don’t have to, but I just want to find out how things seem from their perspective. To me, it’s all the same if someone says, for instance, aubergine or eggplant, but to native speakers one of these two might sound strange. Or not. So that’s why I’m asking. Are those differencies important in real-life situations? Or when a dictionary says AmE it means the word is used MAINLY in AmE, but there’s no problem I use it in BrE? You've already answered this, but I'd also like to see what other people think...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AliasX

I know I don’t have to, but I just want to find out how things seem from their perspective. To me, it’s all the same if someone says, for instance, aubergine or eggplant, but to native speakers one of these two might sound strange. Or not. So that’s why I’m asking. Are those differencies important in real-life situations? Or when a dictionary says AmE it means the word is used MAINLY in AmE, but there’s no problem I use it in BrE? You've already answered this, but I'd also like to see what other people think...

---

Okay. I now fathom what you were saying.I hope English natives will offer this help very anon.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AliasX

I know I don’t have to, but I just want to find out how things seem from their perspective. To me, it’s all the same if someone says, for instance, aubergine or eggplant, but to native speakers one of these two might sound strange. Or not. So that’s why I’m asking. Are those differencies important in real-life situations? Or when a dictionary says AmE it means the word is used MAINLY in AmE, but there’s no problem I use it in BrE? You've already answered this, but I'd also like to see what other people think...

---

Somebody here needs your response natives speakers of English! Where are you?

It can go either way. Sometimes a word is used mainly in American English or British English but can be understood in either, and sometimes it's specific just to one or the other. It really depends. In some cases the terms AmE or BrE refer to slang, which really wouldn't be understood by anyone outside the region it originated in, unless the slang spread in popularity.

In real life, speaking BrE to an American might bring a small bit of confusion, but that's easily corrected, I think.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Goodfella

Its indicated below your user name that you're a new member. But, you need not to specify who you like to answer your question. Even the native speaker himself won't like know this answer.
To me (a person with infant-like English) it certainly will sound differ but well understood. More expecially that nowadays, AmE is widely spoken even in Great Britain eg in BBC programs etc. Isn't it my people?

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by higley

It can go either way. Sometimes a word is used mainly in American English or British English but can be understood in either, and sometimes it's specific just to one or the other. It really depends. In some cases the terms AmE or BrE refer to slang, which really wouldn't be understood by anyone outside the region it originated in, unless the slang spread in popularity.

In real life, speaking BrE to an American might bring a small bit of confusion, but that's easily corrected, I think.

---

I thank God that my forgoing thought is along the line as above reply made by higley manifest.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by higley

In real life, speaking BrE to an American might bring a small bit of confusion, but that's easily corrected, I think.

---

That’s all I wanted to know, thanks :thumbs_up

English is a very easy language to learn I think. I thought German, French and Spanish was more difficult.

(I'm a student English teacher)

English seems a very easy language in the beginning, as we are "bombardised" by it as the majority of the films, songs and everything it is in English so we are getting used to it.
But in a higher lever of speach English isnt such an easy language. For me Italian, Spanish and generally the languages that are based on latin are much more easy to learn.

Evi

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Evi

For me Italian, Spanish and generally the languages that are based on latin are much more easy to learn.

---

Spanish and Italian are so similar. My mom lived in Italy for a year and spoke only Spanish when she moved there. She picked up Italian rather easily.

I only took Spanish for a year (French too) at secondary school and I'd love to take some courses sometime. I'm considering language travel.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dorian Gray

English is a very easy language to learn I think. I thought German, French and Spanish was more difficult.

(I'm a student English teacher)

---

You said that because (maybe) you are not expose in learning other languages you enumerated. I don't quiet mean its (English) difficult rather, from what others said about other languages I learnt that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dorian Gray

Spanish and Italian are so similar. My mom lived in Italy for a year and spoke only Spanish when she moved there. She picked up Italian rather easily.

I only took Spanish for a year (French too) at secondary school and I'd love to take some courses sometime. I'm considering language travel.

---

Great dear. How many languages can you now speak and write. It sounds you can speak many. I wish I could do such.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Evi

English seems a very easy language in the beginning, as we are "bombardised" by it as the majority of the films, songs and everything it is in English so we are getting used to it.
But in a higher lever of speach English isnt such an easy language. For me Italian, Spanish and generally the languages that are based on latin are much more easy to learn.

Evi

---

I am very delighted having your contribution in this thread.
Pls. don't ask me for the reason.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by muhsin

I am very delighted having your contribution in this thread.
Pls. don't ask me for the reason.

---

Don't ask for reply? Right?

I've studied two languages at school, English and Swedish. I think English is a lot easier than Swedish, but maybe it's just because I've heard English much more than Swedish. Music, movies, tv-series, advertisements - you can't possibly avoid English in Finland, and that makes learning it much easier than learning other languages.