The English language is certainly a difficult language to learn. But whether or not it's the most difficult to learn is a matter of interpretation. Simply because learning any language is a long and difficult process. You have to draw parallels between what you already know, and what you're trying to learn. On top of that, you need to understand the grammar rules so that you can understand, and be understood. You need to learn how to pronounce words correctly, how to read and write. It doesn't matter which language you are trying to learn - learning another language is a hard thing to do. Some people say that Gaelic is the hardest language to learn, and in honor of St. Patrick's Day, here's 3 reasons why learning Gaelic is so darn difficult...
Gaelic or the English language? 3 Reasons why Gaelic is so difficult to learn:
1. Same words different meanings
Gaelic is one of those languages where the same word has multiple meanings. Take the word Liath for example. It means both Grey and Blue, because it usually describes both the sky and/or the sea. So for learners who are starting out and recognize that word, they will need more descriptors to determine if the speaker or author is talking about the sky or the sea since it means both.
2. Extremely long vocabulary words
In many languages, vocabulary words are simple enough to learn... for the most part. In English you might say "excuse me" to get a waiter's attention. In French, you would say "garçon" and in Spanish you would say "disculpe." In Gaelic, you would say the equivalent of "Waiter" which is "neach-frithealaidh." In this way, learning Gaelic is similar to learning German in that there are very long words, that are hard to pronounce because they are filled with consonants.
3. Words that sound similar to the untrained ear
Gaelic is one of those languages where you really need to listen carefully to pick up on the subtleties of pronunciation. For example, the Gaelic word for "fog" is ceothath. The equivalent of "wind" is gaothach. And "ice" in Gaelic is reothadh. For beginners, it can be hard to hear the nuances of pronunciation in another language that you have never heard before. So to the untrained ear, these words might all sound the same.
Regardless of which language you speak, we always encourage people to learn a new language. The prospect of learning Gaelic, or the English language can seem daunting. But as the amount of people who speak Gaelic is decreasing every year, it might be a fun exercise to try it out for a little bit. Who knows? You might even like it!
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