Skip to content
  • Categories
  • Recent
  • Tags
  • Popular
  • Users
  • Groups
Skins
  • Light
  • Cerulean
  • Cosmo
  • Flatly
  • Journal
  • Litera
  • Lumen
  • Lux
  • Materia
  • Minty
  • Morph
  • Pulse
  • Sandstone
  • Simplex
  • Sketchy
  • Spacelab
  • United
  • Yeti
  • Zephyr
  • Dark
  • Cyborg
  • Darkly
  • Quartz
  • Slate
  • Solar
  • Superhero
  • Vapor

  • Default (No Skin)
  • No Skin
Collapse

The New Coffee Room

  1. TNCR
  2. General Discussion
  3. Learning English is hard

Learning English is hard

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General Discussion
30 Posts 10 Posters 338 Views
  • Oldest to Newest
  • Newest to Oldest
  • Most Votes
Reply
  • Reply as topic
Log in to reply
This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
  • Doctor PhibesD Offline
    Doctor PhibesD Offline
    Doctor Phibes
    wrote on last edited by
    #19

    If English was that hard, the Brits would all speak French or Welsh or something.

    I was only joking

    1 Reply Last reply
    • Aqua LetiferA Aqua Letifer

      @LuFins-Dad said in Learning English is hard:

      @Aqua-Letifer said in Learning English is hard:

      @LuFins-Dad said in Learning English is hard:

      @Aqua-Letifer said in Learning English is hard:

      @89th said in Learning English is hard:

      I wonder how those here, who had to learn English, like @Klaus and @Doctor-Phibes feel about this.

      My 5 year old is learning how to read. She's doing quite good well.

      Anyway... I am reminded very often now about how inconsistent the language is. Row row row your boat? Yes it has "ow" in it, but it sounds like "roe", not "r-ow". Oh how to spell 4, it's four, but just ignore the u. It's like for.... which rhymes with door, but that has two o's in it. Know (which is the same as No) what I mean?

      Same here, she's reading her first stories. I try to get her to sound things out but as you illustrate, that's probably a very stupid way to go.

      Not really. Phonics is still the most effective method to teach reading https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/03/11/phonics-schools-students-read-learn/

      I really don't see how. Rough dough plough and all that. I don't see how that makes any sense to a kid.

      But, that's what we do because it's (1) different from the school, so, hey, broader strategies and (2) shit it's how I was taught, so it's at least something I know.

      Simple. You’re focusing on the exceptions,

      No, I'm focusing on the language I studied. And it's not simple at all.

      House, Spouse, Doubt, Stout, About and Shout don't sound like Soup, You, Coupe or Route.

      Brief, Siege, Field and Niece don't sound like Science, Ancient, Efficient or Patient.

      Cat, Ball, Father and War.
      Bread, Steak and Heart.
      Son, Women and Womb.

      English is one of the most if not the very most inconsistent language on the planet when it comes to pronunciation inconsistency.

      LuFins DadL Offline
      LuFins DadL Offline
      LuFins Dad
      wrote on last edited by
      #20

      @Aqua-Letifer said in Learning English is hard:

      @LuFins-Dad said in Learning English is hard:

      @Aqua-Letifer said in Learning English is hard:

      @LuFins-Dad said in Learning English is hard:

      @Aqua-Letifer said in Learning English is hard:

      @89th said in Learning English is hard:

      I wonder how those here, who had to learn English, like @Klaus and @Doctor-Phibes feel about this.

      My 5 year old is learning how to read. She's doing quite good well.

      Anyway... I am reminded very often now about how inconsistent the language is. Row row row your boat? Yes it has "ow" in it, but it sounds like "roe", not "r-ow". Oh how to spell 4, it's four, but just ignore the u. It's like for.... which rhymes with door, but that has two o's in it. Know (which is the same as No) what I mean?

      Same here, she's reading her first stories. I try to get her to sound things out but as you illustrate, that's probably a very stupid way to go.

      Not really. Phonics is still the most effective method to teach reading https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/03/11/phonics-schools-students-read-learn/

      I really don't see how. Rough dough plough and all that. I don't see how that makes any sense to a kid.

      But, that's what we do because it's (1) different from the school, so, hey, broader strategies and (2) shit it's how I was taught, so it's at least something I know.

      Simple. You’re focusing on the exceptions,

      No, I'm focusing on the language I studied. And it's not simple at all.

      House, Spouse, Doubt, Stout, About and Shout don't sound like Soup, You, Coupe or Route.

      Brief, Siege, Field and Niece don't sound like Science, Ancient, Efficient or Patient.

      Cat, Ball, Father and War.
      Bread, Steak and Heart.
      Son, Women and Womb.

      English is one of the most if not the very most inconsistent language on the planet when it comes to pronunciation inconsistency.

      Well, we could always adopt pitch accents to the language… I’m sure that will clear things right up…

      The Brad

      1 Reply Last reply
      • Doctor PhibesD Offline
        Doctor PhibesD Offline
        Doctor Phibes
        wrote on last edited by
        #21

        Around here there's a town named Warwick. The way they pronounce it sets my teeth on edge every time I hear it. They actually say both 'w''s. There's no way they did that when they first named it.

        I was only joking

        George KG 1 Reply Last reply
        • Doctor PhibesD Doctor Phibes

          Around here there's a town named Warwick. The way they pronounce it sets my teeth on edge every time I hear it. They actually say both 'w''s. There's no way they did that when they first named it.

          George KG Offline
          George KG Offline
          George K
          wrote on last edited by
          #22

          @Doctor-Phibes said in Learning English is hard:

          Around here there's a town named Warwick. The way they pronounce it sets my teeth on edge every time I hear it. They actually say both 'w''s. There's no way they did that when they first named it.

          You guys sure do throw in a lot of unnecessary letters. I suppose it adds a certain colour to the language.

          I mean, Worcestershire. Gloucester...

          Now, pronounce ghoti.

          "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

          The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

          Doctor PhibesD CopperC 2 Replies Last reply
          • George KG George K

            @Doctor-Phibes said in Learning English is hard:

            Around here there's a town named Warwick. The way they pronounce it sets my teeth on edge every time I hear it. They actually say both 'w''s. There's no way they did that when they first named it.

            You guys sure do throw in a lot of unnecessary letters. I suppose it adds a certain colour to the language.

            I mean, Worcestershire. Gloucester...

            Now, pronounce ghoti.

            Doctor PhibesD Offline
            Doctor PhibesD Offline
            Doctor Phibes
            wrote on last edited by Doctor Phibes
            #23

            @George-K said in Learning English is hard:

            @Doctor-Phibes said in Learning English is hard:

            Around here there's a town named Warwick. The way they pronounce it sets my teeth on edge every time I hear it. They actually say both 'w''s. There's no way they did that when they first named it.

            You guys sure do throw in a lot of unnecessary letters. I suppose it adds a certain colour to the language.

            I mean, Worcestershire. Gloucester...

            I think it's more likely that we took out or replaced some of the letters, but not all. Worcestershire was derived from the middle-English Wyrcestreschire.

            My favourite town name is Cholmondeley in Cheshire, normally pronounced 'Chumley', but there's others - Leominster, near where my wife's father came from is pronounced 'Lemster' by the locals. I still get it wrong.

            I was only joking

            1 Reply Last reply
            • George KG George K

              @Doctor-Phibes said in Learning English is hard:

              Around here there's a town named Warwick. The way they pronounce it sets my teeth on edge every time I hear it. They actually say both 'w''s. There's no way they did that when they first named it.

              You guys sure do throw in a lot of unnecessary letters. I suppose it adds a certain colour to the language.

              I mean, Worcestershire. Gloucester...

              Now, pronounce ghoti.

              CopperC Offline
              CopperC Offline
              Copper
              wrote on last edited by
              #24

              @George-K said in Learning English is hard:

              Now, pronounce ghoti.

              The Riddler used that in a comic book I remember from somewhere around the mid-60s. Batman figured it out right away.

              1 Reply Last reply
              • KlausK Klaus

                Every language has exceptions to its rules, and things you just have to know, which you can't derive from any rules.

                English is a rather simple language to learn, compared to most other (Western) languages.

                Aqua LetiferA Offline
                Aqua LetiferA Offline
                Aqua Letifer
                wrote on last edited by Aqua Letifer
                #25

                @Klaus said in Learning English is hard:

                Every language has exceptions to its rules, and things you just have to know, which you can't derive from any rules.

                I'm not saying that English is unique because it has phonetic exceptions and other languages don't. I'm saying that even compared to other languages, English has more phonetic exceptions than many others.

                In part this is because other languages haven't been broken and rebuilt as many times as English has.

                English is a rather simple language to learn, compared to most other (Western) languages.

                Says the guy who first knew German before he learned English. It's not a coincidence you think that.

                Please love yourself.

                Doctor PhibesD 1 Reply Last reply
                • Aqua LetiferA Aqua Letifer

                  @Klaus said in Learning English is hard:

                  Every language has exceptions to its rules, and things you just have to know, which you can't derive from any rules.

                  I'm not saying that English is unique because it has phonetic exceptions and other languages don't. I'm saying that even compared to other languages, English has more phonetic exceptions than many others.

                  In part this is because other languages haven't been broken and rebuilt as many times as English has.

                  English is a rather simple language to learn, compared to most other (Western) languages.

                  Says the guy who first knew German before he learned English. It's not a coincidence you think that.

                  Doctor PhibesD Offline
                  Doctor PhibesD Offline
                  Doctor Phibes
                  wrote on last edited by Doctor Phibes
                  #26

                  @Aqua-Letifer said in Learning English is hard:

                  In part this is because other languages haven't been broken and rebuilt as many times as English has.

                  I think you might be on to something. At least, I've noticed a lot of you chaps speak broken English.

                  I was only joking

                  Aqua LetiferA 1 Reply Last reply
                  • Doctor PhibesD Doctor Phibes

                    @Aqua-Letifer said in Learning English is hard:

                    In part this is because other languages haven't been broken and rebuilt as many times as English has.

                    I think you might be on to something. At least, I've noticed a lot of you chaps speak broken English.

                    Aqua LetiferA Offline
                    Aqua LetiferA Offline
                    Aqua Letifer
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #27

                    @Doctor-Phibes said in Learning English is hard:

                    @Aqua-Letifer said in Learning English is hard:

                    In part this is because other languages haven't been broken and rebuilt as many times as English has.

                    I think you might be on to something. At least, I've noticed a lot of you chaps speak broken English.

                    Ours is older, though. 🙂

                    Please love yourself.

                    Doctor PhibesD 1 Reply Last reply
                    • Aqua LetiferA Aqua Letifer

                      @Doctor-Phibes said in Learning English is hard:

                      @Aqua-Letifer said in Learning English is hard:

                      In part this is because other languages haven't been broken and rebuilt as many times as English has.

                      I think you might be on to something. At least, I've noticed a lot of you chaps speak broken English.

                      Ours is older, though. 🙂

                      Doctor PhibesD Offline
                      Doctor PhibesD Offline
                      Doctor Phibes
                      wrote on last edited by Doctor Phibes
                      #28

                      @Aqua-Letifer said in Learning English is hard:

                      Ours is older, though.

                      Like your leaders.

                      And no, that's not necessarily true where I come from. Plenty of people aren't speaking received pronunciation etc. up in't North.

                      I was only joking

                      Aqua LetiferA RenaudaR 2 Replies Last reply
                      • Doctor PhibesD Doctor Phibes

                        @Aqua-Letifer said in Learning English is hard:

                        Ours is older, though.

                        Like your leaders.

                        And no, that's not necessarily true where I come from. Plenty of people aren't speaking received pronunciation etc. up in't North.

                        Aqua LetiferA Offline
                        Aqua LetiferA Offline
                        Aqua Letifer
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #29

                        @Doctor-Phibes said in Learning English is hard:

                        @Aqua-Letifer said in Learning English is hard:

                        Ours is older, though.

                        Like your leaders.

                        And no, that's not necessarily true where I come from. Plenty of people aren't speaking received pronunciation etc. up in't North.

                        We've had a reform, though. You all haven't.

                        Please love yourself.

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        • Doctor PhibesD Doctor Phibes

                          @Aqua-Letifer said in Learning English is hard:

                          Ours is older, though.

                          Like your leaders.

                          And no, that's not necessarily true where I come from. Plenty of people aren't speaking received pronunciation etc. up in't North.

                          RenaudaR Offline
                          RenaudaR Offline
                          Renauda
                          wrote on last edited by Renauda
                          #30

                          @Doctor-Phibes

                          And no, that's not necessarily true where I come from. Plenty of people aren't speaking received pronunciation etc. up in't North.

                          Ayup, thay’d be knowin’ nowt about ‘at.

                          Elbows up!

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          Reply
                          • Reply as topic
                          Log in to reply
                          • Oldest to Newest
                          • Newest to Oldest
                          • Most Votes


                          • Login

                          • Don't have an account? Register

                          • Login or register to search.
                          • First post
                            Last post
                          0
                          • Categories
                          • Recent
                          • Tags
                          • Popular
                          • Users
                          • Groups