So You Think Learning English is Easy?

I had the pleasure to speak with a young man from Kenya recently. He’s in the states to get his college degree in the medical profession. His accent was noticeable but his English was right on. It made me think about just how difficult it must be to learn a different language especially English.

I have been told that English is one of the most difficult languages to learn and I can understand why. Think about all the words in the English language that have different meanings, are spelled the same, yet are pronounced differently as well.

For instance:
The bandage was wound around the wound.
The farm was used to produce produce.
We must polish the Polish furniture.
and The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

There are many more words with double meanings like desert, present, bass, dove, object, invalid, row, close and sewer just to name a few.

So when someone actually learns English as a second language, you have to take your hat off to them. It could not have been very easy.