Ethnocentricity, Barry. Because *we* speak it, it msut be the hardest to learn. (Psst--lots of others pretty much feel the same way.)
It helps when learning a language, if you grew up in one or already learned one that was similar. Then the others in that group most likely would be easier.
Sal
On Mar 5, 2006, at 2:38 PM, TurquoiseB wrote:
I don't think it's a matter of dumb and dumber; some
languages really are harder for a non-native speaker
to learn because they are less internally consistent
in terms of grammar and syntax and usage. According
to many people I've met who, late in life, became
multilingual in many languages, English was one of
the toughest to master.
