What do you find most difficult about English?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the challenges and nuances of learning English, particularly for non-native speakers. Participants share specific difficulties related to grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and idiomatic expressions, as well as their experiences with the language compared to others.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant highlights the complexity of the word "over," noting its various meanings and uses in different contexts.
  • Another participant appreciates that English phrases are often the same for both masculine and feminine cases, contrasting it with Slavic languages.
  • Several participants express confusion over the correct usage of phrases like "talking to," "talking with," and "talking at," with differing opinions on their meanings and contexts.
  • The distinction between "to" and "too" is mentioned as a common source of difficulty, with some participants providing mnemonic aids.
  • Pronunciation challenges are raised, particularly with words like "pyramid" and "sure," with participants sharing their uncertainties about correct pronunciations.
  • One participant notes the annoyance of missing out on words while writing, leading to incorrect sentences.
  • Another participant mentions the relative ease of learning English compared to Chinese.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of difficulties with English, with no consensus on which aspects are the most challenging. Some agree on certain points, such as the confusion surrounding specific phrases, while others present differing views on the meanings and usage of those phrases.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various English dialects and their potential impact on understanding and usage, indicating that regional differences may contribute to confusion.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to language learners, educators, and linguists exploring the complexities of English as a second language.

  • #61
D H said:
Talking at, exemplified. "I am not a robot. I am a unicorn."



Ok, you guys do realize cleverbot is not actually an AI. This is the internet's greatest troll ever. It is a chat that randomly hooks you up with other cleverbot users and frequently switches the user you're talking to.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
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  • #62
Borek said:
I may have problems posting a link to a study, especially one in English, but as far as I know it is true. Problem is, English is not transparent - that is, there is no easy and simple dependence between spelling and pronunciation. In general, the more transparent the language is, the easier it is for dyslexics - that's why dyslexia is a serious problem in English speaking countries (and Poland!), but is much less of a problem in places like Italy and Spain.
Then French is a nightmare.
 
  • #64
Evo said:
I think the US misdiagnoses dyslexia more than any other country. A big scam here is getting your doctor to give you a note saying you are dyslexic in order to have more hours to complete the SAT, there was a thread here about it.

As if it was different here :frown:

I know of school heads who force their personnel to test children for dyslexia, so that they will have more time to write exams - in hope that will make school look better. And we are talking about kids in Polish primary school, up to 12 yo. What do we teach them?
 
  • #66
Build vs built is still a major problem for me, so I tend to avoid it.

I never had a knack for languages, and one of my kids is dyslexic, so I guess it's in my genes.
 

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