6 Hardest Languages for English Speakers to Learn

English is usually touted as one of the most difficult languages for any non-native speaker to learn. For better or worse, it has its ambiguities and it regularly borrows heavily from other languages all around the world. Mastering English is indeed a workshop in learning multiple languages. In addition, with English, there are any number of neologisms coined every year. It is indeed a vibrant and ever-changing language.

In short and simple terms, the mastery of the English language is extremely difficult.With that said, on the other hand, the mastery of English does not imply a concomitant mastery of other languages. In fact, knowing English can often be an impediment to learning other languages. It is simply too easy to depend on others to learn your language. With those thoughts in mind, we thought we would introduce several languages that most native English speakers perpetually struggle with:

Greek – Predating English by several millenia, this language is still a devil to understand. The alphabet is not the same and in most cases, the sentences are longer and more convoluted – a definite disadvantage to those trying to learn. Still, the learning of Greek has been a mainstay of most liberal arts education for over two centuries.

Russian – Derived from the Greek but with its own distinct alphabet, the Russian language bears little resemblance to any of its nearby “Romance” cousins in Europe. In fact, the Cyrillic alphabet is comprised of only 24 letters. For almost all Westerners, reading Russian is essentially an impossible task. Even so astute a man as Marco Polo was stumped in learning this language.

Arabic – On the scale of incomprehensibilty for Westerners, written Arabic must be close to the very top of the list. While the mellifluous tones of its spoken word are readily accessible, the sweeping grace of its curved – and very foreign looking – letters are quite mystifying to the uninitiated observer. All in all, learning Arabic is a labor of love. Insha’Allah.

Urdu – Another language with a non-Arabic alphabet, Urdu is also unpredictable in its use of vocal stresses. Urdu is difficult to write properly but is quite accessible in its spoken form.

Chinese – Whether you would like to learn Cantonese or Mandarin – the two most ubiquitous Chinese dialects – you will have a devil of a time learning the various intricacies of the language. In addition to having pictograms instead of letters, the language also uses inflection to make the same word mean something else. Its subtlety surpasses English.

Khoisan – More familiarly known as the “click” family of languages, Khoisan is easily the most foreign of languages to the average speaker of English. There are actually several different types of “clicks’ that make the language even more impenetrable to learn for the newbie. In short, there is no overlapping structure between this language and modern English making it very difficult to master.

Interpretation Techniques

The skill of a good interpreter is an art form; obvious language skills aside, they have to hold a raft of cultural niceties and conventions in their head alongside any specific trade or personal information they may have been briefed on beforehand by their employer. Knowing the language and culture for one territory isn’t a one size fits all; business etiquette is subtly different even in the geographically close territories of France, Belgium, and French-speaking Switzerland!

Essentially, there are two types of translation – simultaneous and consecutive – with variations in techniques between these appropriate to the situation and context. You won’t be surprised to know that they take considerable concentration from all parties concerned to be effective.

Simultaneous translation

There are two techniques for simultaneous translation – true simultaneous interpretation, usually involving soundproof booths and headsets, and the more low-tech whisper interpretation.

The former isn’t quite as simultaneous as you might think. Depending on the subject, and particularly on the language being interpreted, the interpreter might have to wait until the end of the sentence to hear the verb, and therefore the context and full meaning. Usually the interpreter will be seated in a soundproof booth with a headset, and speaking into a microphone. As multitasking skills go, listening to  the next sentence whilst translating the previous one is up there with the best of them. Here is an example.

If equipment isn’t available, or if the meetings are smaller or more informal, whisper interpreting, also known as chucotage, is generally employed, where the translator will literally whisper in the ear of the person requiring their services. If you’ve ever tried to carry on a conversation with two people at once who are speaking over each other, you will appreciate the additional level of difficulty the interpreter will experience in finding the right idiom without time to think.

Consecutive translation

At first glance, consecutive translation may seem a more relaxed approach for the interpreter, as instead of having to listen and speak at once, they wait for a statement before relaying it. However, it puts significant pressure on memory, and the interpreter will often have to take notes to keep important points in mind to translate. It is most often used in diplomatic situations, as with this example here.

Most informal at all is liaison interpreting, where the translator will give a brief summary and flavor of what they’ve heard. Although this isn’t useful for crucial negotiations, or in situations where more than one language is being spoken, it is extremely effective in informal conference or exhibition scenarios, and particularly at meet and greet sessions where the parties involved are building a business relationship before structured negotiation.

It’s clear that an effective interpreter doesn’t just need top-level language skills. In additional to total fluency in both business and colloquial speech of their chosen specialist language, they need significant talents for reading between the lines, and picking up the nuance of statements that might not mean exactly what they appear to on first hearing. They also need to be able to take notes effectively, and develop their own shorthand and symbols to swiftly translate without causing a diplomatic incident.

In short, the right interpreter is the most important person in the room when business is being done in two languages – and everything that entails – at once.