10 Reasons Why English Is A Hard Language

The purpose of this article is to put language difficulty into perspective for native English speakers struggling with foreign languages. Languages like Japanese, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, or even easier languages like Spanish, can seem very difficult, just because were not used to them. English seems sooo easy and simple, but thats because weve been raised with it. Here are ten reasons why English is actually one of the hardest languages in the world.

THE WORLDS CRAZIEST SPELLING SYSTEM

English spelling is extremely counter-intuitive! Why is it that words like through, trough, and though sound so different? It seems like for virtually every rule a prescriptivist writes down to try and model English spelling, exceptions can be found.

The fact is, although its possible to make rough guesses at English spellings using phonetics, in order to really know English spelling, you have to memorize the spelling of every word. Even words whose spelling seems straightforward and simple, you still memorize (maybe subconsciously without even trying) just because otherwise when you wanted to spell it, youd have no way to know it was simple and straightforward.

There is a method to the madness of English spelling. Its based on etymology. Based on how a word is spelled, we can make guesses about where the word came from. German, French, Latin? Maybe somewhere more exotic like Japanese? This is very useful, because it keeps spelling consistent between different English-speaking nations.

English is pronounced rather differently in the United States, in Britain, in Australia, and in India. If, as so many people have suggested, spelling reform were attempted, which nation would be the standard? At most one nation could enjoy perfectly phonetic spelling. The others would just switch from one bizarre spelling system to another. And even for that one country, the spellings would become obsolete as the pronunciations of words changed. Even in the United States, pronunciations vary from dialect to dialect.

So, theres good reason for the English spelling system. Its one of the most successful spelling systems in the world, because of its flexibility and its strength across wildly differing dialects. But that doesnt mean its easy to learn! For a foreigner trying to l earn English, spelling is extremely difficult!

THE SOUND SYSTEM IS SO RICH

When you study a foreign language, youre liable to run into sounds which arent present in your native tongue. Part of the challenge is learning, mechanically, how to produce these sounds. In Japanese, theres a different R sound, which actually sounds something like a mix between R, L, and D. In Mandarin, there are a dozen sounds which are all really hard to learn. German is famous for its hard gutteral sound, which wed have to master if we wanted to get Johann Sebastian Bachs name right.

Generally, more exotic new sounds mean more difficulty learning a language. English has a very rich set of sounds. It has the ability to string consonants and vowels together almost arbitrarily. Take a look at the word, strengths. Theres only one vowel out of six or seven consonants, depending how you count! Again look at squirrel. A very difficult word for foreigners to learn to pronounce.

And this is only made worse by the crazy spelling system. Not only are there a million sounds to learn, but theres small indication from a words spelling which sounds are involved.

And, going the other direction, some foreigners must learn to identify certain sounds which they consider distinct. For example, English actually has two distinct L sounds, but we as English speakers cant hear the difference because we never need to in order to understand the language. But to, e.g., a native Russian speaker, suddenly there are two sounds floating around and both are to be considered identical. Its similar to learning Japanese, where the g of go and the ng of thing are treated as being identical.

SUBTLE ORDERING

In English, there are subtle ordering requirements which even English native speakers arent consciously aware of. We get them right every time, because we subconsciously know about them through practice, but that just makes it all the harder for foreigners, since these rules are so subtle and hidden.

The best example is adjective ordering. Compare, a cute little puppy to a little cute puppy. The first is fine, while the second sounds wrong. How is a foreigner to know which order to use? Can you explain it to them? (There is actually a method, but its rather complex a nd better to just learn subconsciously)

WHICH SYNONYM TO USE??

Because of its diverse, promiscuous etymological origins, English has lots of synonyms which, just from a dictionary definition, seem very similar if not identical in meaning. Part of becoming a master English speaker, is knowing which words to use when. Although synonyms are grouped up in a thesaurus, that doesnt mean the words are identical. Even if their official meanings are identical, different synonyms convey subtly different moods and ideas.

You can watch a movie or see a movie, but you can only watch TV, never see it. You cant view either of them, even though when you watch either of them, you become a viewer (and never a watcher, much less a seer!) Try explaining that to someone who speaks Arabic!

STRESS

In English, the entire meaning of a sentence can be changed by placing stress on a word. For example:

I entered my room. *I* entered my room. I *entered* my room. I entered *my* room. I entered my *room*.

A grammar of English usually only even addresses the meaning of the first, stressless, version of the sentence, even though a foreigner will hear all variations if theyre immersed deeply enough in the language.

For native speakers of stressless languages, its very difficult to even hear the stress at all. This counter-balances Mandarins dreaded tone system which English speakers always cite as evidence of Mandarins horrid difficulty.

POETIC, OLDER ENGLISH IS EVERYWHERE

In order to be really fluent in English, you cant just learn modern English, you must also know a little bit of older, more poetic English. Not actual Old English, since thats a whole other language entirely, but older English.

Here in downtown Columbus, theres a church which advertises with the message: Which part of Thou shalt not dont you understand? This slogan always makes me laugh, because, having studied languages, Ive come to see how the slogan must be extremely confusing to most ESL speakers. The truth is that, for a lot of speakers, Thou and shalt are both unfamiliar. And the fact that by stringing them together in essentially the same structure as You will not, you end up creating a command thats even worse!

Older English shows up in literature, plays, poetry even video games.

WHATS UP WITH THESE QUESTIONS??

In English, its very strange how the whole grammar of a sentence changes when the sentence is put in question form. It is warm becomes Is it warm? Notice how the it and the is are switched. To us, this is totally natural because weve been raised with it. To a lot of speakers of other languages, the whole device seems needlessly difficult.

Continuing with the It is warm example, there actually is a valid question, It is warm? Its interesting to ponder the difference in meaning between Its warm? and Is it warm? In the latter, the speaker genuinely doesnt know whether its warm. In the former, it seems almost like the speaker thinks its not warm, and is asking for re-confirmation.

These kinds of subtle distinctions make English a pretty difficult language grammatically.

IRREGULAR CONJUGATIONS OF VERBS, AND SIMILAR PHENOMENA

Some people who study Spanish think the verbs there are bad. English is stuffed full of irregular verbs! How come the past tense of buy is bought, and the past tense of sell is sold, and neither buyed nor selled are real words?

And thats just the usual conjugations of verbs, i.e., past tense and third person singular. There are other verb conjugations, but theyre just so irregular we dont even acknowledge them as conjugations. For example, taking an adjective and forming its -ness quality. As in, deriving swiftness from swift. This process is as irregular as you can get. Strong doesnt become strongness, it becomes strength, even though its opposite, weak, does become weakness. High becomes height, and if you mess up and say highness instead, it sounds like youre talking about some bizarre royal bloodline!

Sometimes you can even undo a conjugation and end up with a whole new word than what you started with. The word truthiness, for example, has recently been popularized. Another example is awesomeness. Awesome is actually derived from awe: something is awesome if it inspires awe (at least, thats the original meaning). So in theory, awesomeness and awe should be the same thing, and awesomeness shouldnt even be a word since it should be redundant, and yet, they dont mean the same things and awesomeness is a word.

THE CASE OF THE LEFTOVER CASES

Being derived from German, which has a heavy case system, English originally had its own heavy case system. English cases have mostly been phased out, but the remnants of a case system still exist, which almost means in English its the worst of both worlds.

Let me explain what cases are. Cases are different forms for words to indicate what function they serve in a sentence. For example, in the sentence the cat ate the fish, the fish is the object (its getting eaten), and the cat is the subject (hes doing the eating). There are no cases here; in order to tell who did the eating and who got eaten, we have to look at word order. If the sentence were the fish ate the cat, the meaning would be very diff erent!

In a cased language, the cat might have different forms, to indicate whether the cat is the subject, object, or something else (German has four different cases and Russian has even more). Similarly with the fish. The advantage of a cased system is that word order is more flexible. The forms of the nouns tell us what roles they play, so the order of the sentence is less crucial. The downside of the case system is that its more complicated, and theres more to memorize.

As I said, English is mostly case-free. But, there are leftovers from the old case system. Thats why we have I, me, mine and my. And why we have you, yours and your. And why we have he, him, and his, and we, us, ours and our. In each of these groups, its really the same word, just in different forms- different cases. So, part of learning English is learning a case system, even though its only used for a handful of words.

And English doesnt even get the positive advantages from its case system. Even in a sentence entirely using cased words, like I hit him, word order is still important Him hit I is totally incorrect unless your name is Yoda.

Incidentally, the leftover case system also explains the annoying who/whom dilemma, which many native English speakers are confused by, not to mention ESL speakers!

WHAT KIND OF WORD IS THIS, ANYWAY??

One of the most difficult things about English, is the fact that theres very little in the way of signals to tell you what kind of word a word is. For example, in Japanese and Spanish, all verbs have similar endings. Not so in English.

The lone exception is the English adverb, which often ends in -ly, but even this isnt a universal rule, and adverbs are about the least important words in a language anyway.

In English, the same word can even fall into multiple categories. Trust is a noun, but also a verb. Quiet is both a noun and an adjective (even though its opposite, loud, is only an adjective). Abstract is all three!

In fact, almost any adjective can be used as a noun, just put the in front of it: The dead shall walk the earth. And any noun can be used as a verb, like in the famous example, Ill cookie you! The possibilities are endless, as long as youre creative. All this makes Englis h a lot of funbut it also definitely makes the language complicated!

CONCLUSION

If you ever find yourself stressing out over learning a foreign language, just be glad you dont have to learn English as a second language!!

Why Exercise Is So Important For Your Mind,Mood And Body

Most of us know by now that we should be exercising on a regular basis. But do you really know why exercise is so important? Not only does working out help you shed a few pounds, but there are also many other compelling reasons to include some regular activity in your routine. Read on to get motivated for exercise. Exercise has many benefits. It reduces depression and instantly lifts mood due to the production of endorphins, the feel-good hormones. No matter how down you are feeling before you exercise, you will definitely feel a lot more upbeat by the end of your session. Exercise also helps you sleep better. The actual physical activity will ensure that your body and mind are ready for a great nights sleep. Another benefit is decreasing stress levels. Worries tend to diminish in size while you are concentrating on working out. Combined with the production of endorphins, stress and anxiety will decrease. Exercise improves focus and mental clarity. Research has shown that those who participate in regular exercise have less chance of suffering from Alzheimers and senility. It promotes better energy levels. It may sound unlikely, but the more you exercise, the more energy you will have. Feeling lethargic? Go for a brisk walk. Improved strength and stamina are common with regular exercise. Those bothersome chores will feel much easier, and you will be able to do more for longer. Exercise increases muscle tone, leaving you looking more defined. The extra muscle mass will also help to increase your resting metabolism. It can improve self-esteem and self-confidence. Once you start toning up, you will look better and feel better. The extra energy, stamina, and endorphins will spill over into other areas of your life. You will feel more in control of yourself and your life. Exercise can improve balance and coordination, as well as cardiovascular fitness, helping reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack. Aerobic activity will improve both the health and efficiency of your heart and lungs. The improved circulation results in a glowing complexion and improved transportation of oxygen around the body. With regular exercise, there is a decreased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Exercise increases bone strength, helping to alleviate the painful condition known as osteoporosis (loss of calcium in bones). Regular exercise also promotes a healthy immune system. Getting Started Thirty minutes every day is ideal. If 30 minutes is too big a call, try to break it up into smaller intervals. Go for a walk at lunchtime, or use the stairs at the office instead of the elevator. Use your car less and make an effort to ride a bike or walk. It all adds up. Types of beneficial exercise include brisk walking, jogging, running, swimming and aquaaerobics, tennis, skating and rollerblading, skiing, yard work, walking the dog, dancing, resistance work, fitness classes, sports, cycling, skipping rope, and just running around and playing with the kids. Try to find activities that you are good at and enjoy. If you have fun while you are working out, you will want to keep going, and your sense of well-being will be heightened. If you dont enjoy your workout, swap to something else. Once you have incorporated a regular workout into you daily routine, you will quickly notice the difference when you skip a session. Having less energy and feeling more stressed and anxious are some of the most obvious symptoms that quickly return. Once you have started exercising regularly, you will wonder how you ever managed without it. Your body and health will reward you as well.

Advantages Of Food Pyramid

Features The Food Pyramid breaks down the types of food into five categories. These include fruits, vegetables, grains, oils and meats and beans. It also defines the types of nutrients found in each. Benefits By knowing the nutrients in foods, you can determine how much of each type of food to eat and in what quantity each day. This is helpful when determining a healthy diet plan. Significance Knowing what is healthy to eat is essential in reducing the chance of becoming obese. According to Healthy Americans.org, at least 30 percent of the children in 30 states are considered obese. Prevention/Solution Since the Food Pyramid provides specific dietary guidelines, it is useful as an educational tool. Both parents and teachers can train children to develop proper eating habits at an early age, which can help prevent childhood obesity. Resources The online version of the Food Pyramid contains access to valuable tools such as menu planners and diet trackers. These can help consumers develop and stick to a healthy diet.

Healthy LifeStyles
You hear a lot about living a healthy lifestyle, but what does that mean? In general, a healthy person doesn't smoke, is at a healthy weight, eats healthy and exercises. Sounds simple, doesn't it? The trick to healthy living is making small changes...taking more steps, adding fruit to your cereal, having an extra glass of water...these are just a few ways you can start living healthy without drastic changes. Exercise One of the biggest problems in America today is lack of activity. We know it's good for us but avoid it like the plague either because we're used to being sedentary or afraid that exercise has to be vigorous to be worth our time. The truth is, movement is movement and the more you do, the healthier you'll be. Even moderate activities like chores, gardening and walking can make a difference. Just adding a little movement to your life can: Reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes Improve joint stability Increase and improve range of movement Help maintain flexibility as you age Maintain bone mass Prevent osteoporosis and fractures Improve mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression Enhance self esteem Improve memory in elderly people Reduce stress So, even if you opt for small changes and a more modest weight loss, you can see the benefits are still pretty good. One study has found that just a 10% weight reduction helped obese patients reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and increase longevity.

Simple Ways to Move Your Body You can start the process of weight loss now by adding a little more activity to your life. If you're not ready for a structured program, start small. Every little bit counts and it all adds up to burning more calories. Turn off the TV. Once a week, turn off the TV and do something a little more physical with your family. Play games, take a walk...almost anything will be more active than sitting on the couch. Walk more. Look for small ways to walk more. When you get the mail, take a walk around the block, take the dog for an extra outing each day or walk on your treadmill for 5 minutes before getting ready for work. Do some chores. Shoveling snow, working in the garden, raking leaves, sweeping the floor...these kinds of activities may not be 'vigorous' exercise, but they can keep you moving while getting your house in order. Pace while you talk. When you're on the phone, pace around or even do some cleaning while gabbing. This is a great way to stay moving while doing something you enjoy. Be aware. Make a list of all the physical activities you do on a typical day. If you find that the bulk of your time is spent sitting, make another list of all the ways you could move more-getting up each hour to stretch or walk, walk the stairs at work, etc. Learn about more ways to fit in exercise. Eating Well Eating a healthy diet is another part of the healthy lifestyle. Not only can a clean diet help with weight management, it can also improve your health and quality of life as you get older. You can use the new MyPlate to determine how many calories you need and what food groups you should focus on or, if you're looking for smaller changes, you can use these tips for simple ways to change how you eat: Eat more fruit. Add it to your cereal, your salads or even your dinners Sneak in more veggies. Add them wherever you can--a tomato on your sandwich, peppers on your pizza, or extra veggies in your pasta sauce. Keep pre-cut or canned/frozen veggies ready for quick snacks. Switch your salad dressing. If you eat full-fat dressing, switch to something lighter and you'll automatically eat less calories.

Eat low-fat or fat-free dairy. Switching to skim milk or fat free yogurt is another simple way to eat less calories without having to change too much in your diet. Make some substitutes. Look through your cabinets or fridge and pick 3 foods you eat every day. Write down the nutritional content and, the next time you're at the store, find lowercalorie substitutes for just those 3 items. Find more ideas for healthy foods with this Healthy Foods Grocery List. Creating a healthy lifestyle doesn't have to mean drastic changes. In fact, drastic changes almost always lead to failure. Making small changes in how you live each day can lead to big rewards, so figure out what you can to be healthy today.

Why It Is Important To Eat Healthy

There are two good reasons to eat healthy foods on a regular basis. The first is to enjoy robust health now. If you're active and enjoy sports, you might need essential vitamins and minerals for top physical performance. If you have a medical problem, getting the best nutrition will support your body and help it heal. The second reason to choose a nutritionally healthy diet is to enjoy healthy aging by experiencing fewer chronic maladies and preserving your vitality for as long as possible. Prevent Obesity A poor diet is often one that is high in fat and salt, and low in vitamins and minerals. This combination can cause you to gain weight and won't keep your body functioning properly, leaving you vulnerable to disease and medical emergencies such as heart attack and stroke. Being overweight puts a strain on your body, and feeling unhealthy affects your mental health. According to the U.S. Surgeon General (see References below), 300,000 lives a year could be saved if Americans maintained healthy weights. 4 Burner Gas Cooktop Upto 50% Off. 1 YR Warranty Free Delivery. Hurry, Buy Now! www.HomeShop18.com/Gas_Burner Sponsored Links 5 Foods That Burn Belly Fat The Ultimate Healthy Living Toolbar Get Daily Fitness Tips & More. Free www.dailyfitnesscenter.com Sponsored Links Prevent Broken Bones Bone health is directly related to controlling weight and getting the best nutrition. If you are obese, your bones absorb more stress and shock. If you don't get enough calcium, magnesium and potassium, your bone cells will be deprived of the elements for growth. You might be more susceptible to bone fractures, back pain and osteoporosis. It is important to eat healthy, low-fat vegetables, fruit and dairy or soy products every day to get the best nutrition for your bones. Prevent Diabetes The Surgeon General reports that eight of 10 diabetics are obese or overweight. In some cases, this is due to an unhealthy diet. Being overweight in a diabetic condition increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke, which can be fatal.

Prevent Heart Disease Coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease are serious chronic conditions that are hereditary or brought on by poor diet and exercise. The good news is that these disorders can largely be prevented by eating healthy foods that are high in fiber and low in saturated fat. Grains, legumes and dark green leafy vegetable provide the best nutrition for heart health. Feel Better When you get enough vitamins and minerals and less fat in your diet, you'll have more energy to do both simple and strenuous tasks. Energy lets you exercise daily, for better mental and physical health. More exercise and less stress let you sleep better, through reduced back and joint pain, sleep apnea and digestive upset. When you eat healthy foods, you'll enjoy a better quality of life now and as you age.

Synopsis:The Cursed
The Curse is about a girl, named Azreen, her parents and sister, Madhuri. Azreen , a strongheaded girl is studying in London but has to take a leave from her study when she receives the news about her sisters death. She is curious about the cause of her sisters sudden death. When she reaches home, her sisters body has been brought to the cemetery. She overhears a village gossiper, Puan Normala talks about her sisters death. Normala claims that her sister has been murdered and has shed white blood.

On her return, Azreen discovers a few truths about her family and people around her. First she finds out that her sister has been in love with Asraf, and has planned to marry and divorced her husband, Hj Ghani. Second, Awang, the Shaman has actually caused the accident which his parents are involved in and causes her mother to become paralysed. Third, she learns that Madhuri is actually her adopted sister and the crazy woman is Madhuris biological mother. Fourth and finally, she discovers that Madhuri has accidentally been killed by her father.

There is one old woman whom Azreen has turned to for emotional support. The old woman lives alone in an abandoned house in the jungle. Azreen learns a lot about life from this wise old woman. The old woman however dies in a fire started by Asraf who has blamed her for his grandmothers death.

At the end, Azreen returns to London to finish her study. She has learned a valuable lesson from her short break at her little village in Langkawi Island. She has learned to forgive others and to look ahead.