Have you ever wondered why English might be so difficult to learn?

Without a doubt, the English language is one of the most challenging languages to learn, predominantly due to the vast number of inconsistencies and exceptions to the rule. Being constantly around students trying to improve or perfect their English at our Center, I would like take a stab at sharing with students and parents why English can be such a difficult and challenging subject.

In general, it is a difficult language because there are so many "exceptions" to the rules; rather it be in grammar (which affects writing) or phonics (which affects spelling and speaking). It is not fixed, and is being subjected to an increasing number of changes. One only needs to read Shakespeare to appreciate that language is alive and alters in time. English is a culmination of many languages, including French, Latin, German and Greek. And perhaps this diversity of the tributary languages from which English has developed, can be seen as a fundamental reason for the peculiarities of English.

There are a number of inconsistencies in the English language.

For example:

1) The farm was used to produce produce.

2) We must polish the Polish furniture.

3) They were too close to close the door.

While there is, or must once have been, a reason for these, they are often seen to be completely peculiar and irregular. Similarly, English plurals can prove a stumbling point for English language learners and often made fun of in limericks and poems.

We’ll begin with a box,

and the plural is boxes;

but the plural of ox

became oxen not oxes;

One fowl is a goose,

but two are geese,

Yet the plural of moose should never by meese.

When students joins our Centre, we often see many who are in a vicious cycle struggling with English, showing lack of interest, or even scared, because they simply cannot understand, so they distance themselves from it, and of course they will perform poorly. Often these students are attempting to pick up the language at school, where they are forced to memorize grammar rules that they often cannot relate to. Telling students about nouns, pronouns, adjectives, or adverbs is not going to help them understand how to form a sentence, because they are unable to visualize or put all these "words" into something they understand.

At EduSteps, we firmly believe that if students can develop an "instinct" whereby they say "that doesn't look right" or "that sounds weird", then the student will understand. It is a delightful experience for our teaching staff when their eyes light up to say “I really get it”, and then (very soon) they are able to write and speak smoothly and properly. How to develop this "instinct" is a continual process and takes the combined efforts of students, parents, and caretakers at home alongside EduSteps.

At EduSteps, it is our ability to convey and explain complex rules and concepts that can be easily understood by our learners. However, in order to develop this "instinct", students that make the most progress are usually the ones that are able to review and revise with their parents or caretakers at home. A simple 10 to 15 minutes revision two to three times a week, there will be a huge difference, because they are at a stage where they are absorbing, developing, and growing. If parents and caregivers are able to offer a certain amount of exposure to the student, and this exposure is consistent and continuous, they will notice their children "naturally" pick up the language, understand faster, start using it in their everyday conversation, and see improved results at school.

At EduSteps, it is our ability to convey and explain complex rules and concepts that can be easily understood by our learners.

We take the worry out of learning English!