The Trap of “English Should Be Easy”

Hi, this is Jiro.

Many Japanese people say, “English is very difficult.”
At the same time, many also say, “English is easy.”

Why do these opposite opinions exist?

Because people are often confused about what is actually difficult — and what is easy — about English.

When Japanese learners say English is difficult, they often complain about spelling irregularities. For example, gh sounds like [f] in enough, like [g] in ghost, and is silent in night.

Since English is so difficult to read, some people assume that other foreign languages must be even harder.

Well, they are both right and wrong.

They are right because English really is hard to read.
But they are wrong because many other languages are much more regular in pronunciation. In fact, English has one of the most irregular spelling systems in the world.

Here are two pieces of good news for Japanese learners.

First, irregular writing systems are nothing new. Japanese already uses kanji, which have multiple readings — on-yomi and kun-yomi. Compared with that, English spelling is not completely unfamiliar.

Second, most Japanese people encountered this “crazy” English system in junior high school — and they survived it!

Now let’s talk about the idea that English is easy.

A common belief among Japanese learners is this:
“If I just knew enough vocabulary, I could communicate by putting words together in any order.”

This idea comes from Japanese, where word order is relatively flexible.

But in English, word order — syntax — is everything.

If you want to say “I love you,” the words must appear in this order:

I love you.

In Japanese, however, as long as particles are used correctly, several word orders can express the same meaning. Sometimes even a single word — or silence — can communicate the feeling depending on the situation.

English works differently. Meaning depends heavily on structure.

Today’s takeaway
Don’t worry too much about pronunciation.
Most Japanese learners already pronounce basic English words reasonably well — you may only need to refresh your memory.

Instead, focus on word order.

In English, how you arrange words is often more important than which words you choose.

Take a fresh look at the real challenges of English, and you may find learning it easier — and more enjoyable — than you expected.