Students trying to learn English are right to complain it is a difficult language.  Spelling and pronunciation are all over the map: try explaining why rough and dough do not sound alike, or why "i before e except after c and in words sounding like neighbor and weigh".  Add to that the differences between US and UK pronunciation (why do we treat the ch in schedule as a k?) and you begin to have a whole new level of respect for people who stick with their ESL lessons.

Is English really that difficult compared with other languages?  The Economist has an interesting overview of the difficulties posed by many languages.  What language has been the hardest for you to learn?

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Or so says Daniel Cubias in an article on the Huffington Post.  He cites several reasons why we should study Spanish, some personal and some applicable to all Americans.  He comes from a Latino family but he's not fluent in Spanish, and this causes him some cultural confusion.

Why should the rest of us learn Spanish? Cubias says knowing Spanish willl give you a leg up when looking for a job.  He also says that because we live in a multicultural society, learning Spanish shows respect for other cultures. 

Isn't it possible to respect other Americans without learning their native language? Wouldn't learning French also be good exercise for our brains? Should all Americans learn Spanish?

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Some people have a good ear for identifying accents, but how many people can speak with 21 different accents?  How many can you do?

In an Op Ed piece in the New York Times, William Chase shares some tips on how people communicate when they live and work abroad.  A friend had asked him if he should take French lessons prior to a posting in Paris.  Chase's answer?  An emphatic oui.  He points out that any attempt at speaking the language of your host country will create good will with native speakers, even if they speak your language.

Imagine living in another country for three years and never learning the language.  You couldn't listen to local radio stations, go to the movies, buy a magazine, chat with the cheese monger, or understand the waiter in a restaurant.  If not speaking the language means you are living in a bubble, is the move worth it?

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Is the widespread popularity of typing on computers and writing and reading cell phone novels (keitai shosetsu) making Japanese easier to learn?  Do you agree with Haruki Murakami's comments in the latest issue of the New York Times Book Review?

“My personal view on the Japanese language (or any language) is, If it wants to change, let it change. Any language is alive just like a human being, just like you or me. And if it’s alive, it will change. Nobody can stop it.” There is no such thing as simplification of language, he added. “It just changes for better or worse (and nobody can tell if it is better or worse).”

Has technology changed your language?

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