The hardest language People often ask which is the most difficult language to learn, and it is not easy

to answer because there are many factors to take into consideration. Firstly, in a first language the differences are unimportant as people learn their mother tongue naturally, so the question of how hard a language is to learn is only relevant when learning a second language. A native speaker of Spanish, for example, will find Portuguese much easier to learn than a native speaker of Chinese, because Portuguese is very similar to Spanish, while Chinese is very different, so first language can affect learning a second language. The greater the differences between the second language and our first, the harder it will be for most people to learn. Many people answer that Chinese is the hardest language to learn, possibly influenced by the thought of learning the Chinese writing system, and the pronunciation of Chinese does appear to be very difficult for many foreign learners. However, for Japanese speakers, who already use Chinese characters in their own language, learning writing will be less difficult than for speakers of languages using the Roman alphabet. Some people seem to learn languages readily, while others find it very difficult. Teachers and the circumstances in which the language is learned also play an important role, as well as each learner's motivation for learning. If people learn a language because they need to use it professionally, they often learn it faster than people studying a language that has no direct use in their day to day life. Apparently, British diplomats and other embassy staff have found that the second hardest language is Japanese, which will probably come as no surprise to many, but the language that they have found to be the most problematic is Hungarian, which has 35 cases (forms of a nouns according to whether it is subject, object, genitive, etc). This does not mean that Hungarian is the hardest language to learn for everyone, but it causes British diplomatic personnel, who are generally used to learning languages, the most difficulty. However, Tabassaran, a Caucasian language has 48 cases, so it might cause more difficulty if British diplomats had to learn it. Different cultures and individuals from those cultures will find different languages more difficult. In the case of Hungarian for British learners, it is not a question of the writing system, which uses a similar alphabet, but the grammatical complexity, though native speakers of related languages may find it easier, while struggling with languages that the British find relatively easy. No language is easy to learn well, though languages which are related to our first language are easier. Learning a completely different writing system is a huge challenge, but that does not necessarily make a language more difficult than another. In the end, it is impossible to say that there is one language that is the most difficult language in the world.

THE HARDEST LANGUAGE Circle the correct answer Q1 - The question of how hard a language is to learn is relevant to both first and second language acquisition. True False

Q2 - Portuguese is definitely easier than Chinese. True False

Q3 - A Japanese speaker may well find the Chinese writing system easier than a speaker of a European language. True False

Q4 - The Hungarian alphabet causes problems for British speakers. True False

Q5 - Hungarian is the hardest language in the world. True False

Q6 - Hungarian has as many cases as Tabassaran. True False

Q7 - Many British diplomats learn Tabassaran. True False

Q8 - The writer thinks that learning new writing systems is easy. True False

Japan's most famous dog In front of the enormous Shibuya train station in Tokyo, there is a life-size bronze statue of a dog. Even though the statue is very small when compared to the huge neon signs flashing, it isn't difficult to find. It has been used as a meeting point since 1934 and today you will find hundreds of people waiting there for their friends to arrive. Hachiko, an Akita dog,was born in 1923 and brought to Tokyo in 1924. His owner, Professor Eisaburo Uyeno and he were inseparable friends right from the start. Each day Hachiko would accompany his owner, a professor at the Imperial University, to Shibuya train station when he left for work. When he came back, the professor would always find the dog patiently waiting for him. Sadly, the professor died suddenly at work in 1925 before he could return home. Although Hachiko was still a young dog, the bond between him and his owner was very strong and he continued to wait at the station every day. Sometimes, he would stay there for days at a time, though some believe that he kept returning because of the food he was given by street vendors. He became a familiar sight to commuters over time. In 1934, a statue of him was put outside the station. In 1935, Hachiko died at the place he last saw his friend alive.

Q1 - The statue of Hachiko is small. Right Wrong Doesnt say

Q4 - The professor died at work. Right Wrong Doesnt say

Q2 - The statue is difficult to find because there are so many people there. Right Wrong Doesnt say

Q5 - The dog waited every day at the station. Right Wrong Doesnt say

Q3 - The professor worked in a school. Q6 - Nobody gave the dog any food. Right Wrong Doesnt say Right Wrong Doesnt say

Q7 - The dog died before the statue was put outside the station. Right Wrong Doesnt say

Intelligence pills Some scientists have predicted that healthy adults and children may one day take drugs to improve their intelligence and intellectual performance. A research group has suggested that such drugs might become as common as coffee or tea within the next couple of decades. To counter this, students taking exams might have to take drugs tests like athletes. There are already drugs that are known to improve mental performance, like Ritalin, which is given to children with problems concentrating. A drug given to people with trouble sleeping also helps people remember numbers. These drugs raise serious legal and moral questions, but people already take vitamins to help them remember things better, so it will not be a simple problem to solve. It will probably be very difficult to decide at what point a food supplement becomes an unfair drug in an examination.

Q1 - Only children will take pills to improve their intellectual performance.

Right Wrong Doesnt say

Q4 - Students could have to take intelligence drugs tests.

Right Wrong Doesnt say

Q2 - Intelligence pills are already as common as coffee or tea.

Right Wrong Doesnt say

Q5 - A sleeping pill helps people remember numbers.

Right Wrong Doesnt say

Q6 - Vitamins to help people study are illegal.

Right Wrong Doesnt say

Q3 - Coffee is as common as tea.

Right Wrong Doesnt say

Q7 - Food supplements are unfair.

Right Wrong Doesnt say