The idea that some languages are inherently harder than others is a misconception. Language learning difficulty isn’t absolute; it’s relative to the learner’s native language. Boasting about the difficulty of your mother tongue doesn’t equate to intelligence, but rather reflects a skewed perspective on language acquisition.
Learning a new language is more about interest and motivation than inherent ability. Personal experience speaking English, Arabic, Mandarin, and Spanish demonstrates that cultural immersion and connection with native speakers are stronger motivators than raw intelligence. A year spent teaching English in Japan didn’t lead to fluency in Japanese simply because of a lack of social interaction with Japanese speakers. Conversely, my Chinese improved due to friendships with Chinese speakers.
Language families play a significant role in perceived difficulty. For example, Tamil, a Dravidian language, is easier for speakers of other Dravidian languages. Similarly, Farsi, belonging to the Indo-Iranian branch, is readily understood by Dari speakers. Arabic speakers will find Farsi and Hebrew less challenging than native English speakers due to shared linguistic roots.
The ability to speak one’s native language isn’t a measure of intelligence. It’s a natural outcome of childhood immersion in a language-rich environment. Unless a learning disability is present, anyone exposed to consistent linguistic input from a young age will inevitably acquire that language. Therefore, the difficulty of one’s native language shouldn’t be a source of misplaced pride. True linguistic accomplishment lies in the effort and motivation invested in learning new languages, driven by a genuine interest in connecting with different cultures and people.
