Originally Posted by
Chuck M
I recall as a kid an elementary school teacher telling us how difficult the English language is to learn as a second language. She pointed out due to all the slang and idioms Americans use, it sounds nonsensical. My wife and I know someone from England that said that the slang and idioms here cause her to have to think about what is being said.
OK admit as a native English I'm biased, but in my (mostly failed) attempts at learning other language I don't see that. I mean, due to the various cultural invasions over time, common words in English have been reduced to the lowest common denominator. Look at grammar -- conjugations, declensions, English seems reduced to a minimum. None of this agricola, agricolae, agricalarum or hic, haec, hoc. Verb tenses maybe a wash. Or look at East Asian with the honorifics. Don't think a westerner could ever get that right.
As far as dialects/slang what culture doesn't have that?
scott s.
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