Language: Language is Confusing!

 In 2012 while living in Peru I embarked in learning a new language – Spanish – it was hard going but I picked it up. I am not fluent but I got by and still can. I seem to understand more Spanish then I can speak, but that is a good thing.

I thought Spanish was a hard language to learn because of all the different conjugations and past, present, subjunctive participles etc. But then my Peruvian friends said that English was far more difficult language to learn. And I wondered why.

Well, one of the reasons is because we have so many words that sound the same even if they are spelt differently and this can be very confusing for a learner.  

So what are some of these words?

There                    Their

Where                  Wear

Hear                      Here

Fair                        Fare

Pail                         Pale

Knot                      Not

Plain                      Plane

Beech                   Beach

Weather              Whether

It can be hard for non-native speakers to pick up the different meanings of the words, and it is hard for us native speakers as well!!

And did you know what to call such a word that sounds the sane as another word but differs in meaning? – It is called a homophone.

I learnt that new today. It is always good to learn something new every day.

And then to add to the confusion of the English language – there are differences between the English spoken in America, Britain, Australia, South Africa etc. But Spanish is just as confusing as every country that speaks it, speaks it differently and words can have mean different things too like they can in the different English’s!

Language is confusing.