Problems in Learning English

Learning a language poses difficulties even to those who use it as their native language. This is also true in the case of English. Below are some of the problems that learners of English face:

· Poor Vocabulary. Acquiring an extensive vocabulary is one of the most important task for anyone wishing to learn a new language. Any language practically has thousands of words, such that it is impossible for even a native speaker to know all the words in that language. Many reliable sources state that it will require around 800 words for a person to converse in English. Given the number of words we already know, this is an achievable number. In fact, you may just be surprised at how many words you know. Another problem that language learners contend with in relation to this is that when they do make the effort to learn new words that will add to their vocabulary, they do not make an effort to use these often enough and so over time they just tend to forget about it. They do not seem to realize that a person will need to become familiar with a word to be able to use it comfortably. The only way to become familiar with a word is to use it often such that it inevitably gets incorporated to the person's vocabulary of commonly used words and terms.

· Poor English Speaking Skills. Many of English language learners often cite their inability to say words in spoken English and to be understood back as the primary reason why they get frustrated in learning the language. Besides not knowing how to use the correct accent, it can also be a problem for people who want to speak in English if they do not have a decent vocabulary or grammar to engage in a decent conversation. Many learners subscribe to the mistaken assumption that learning grammar in the classroom or listing words to expand one's vocabulary will be enough to learn English. However, this will only translate into real knowledge of a language if you are able to apply the words and grammar in both spoken and written English.