Most adults find it difficult to pick up new skills. This is why your uncle struggles with his smartphone. It’s also why you might have wished to learn to drive a manual car at sixteen instead of tackling it in your thirties.
However, a fantastic way to keep your mind active is by learning a new language. Whether you’re eager to travel, want to be bilingual, or just looking for a new hobby to break the monotony, acquiring a new language could be just what you need. Don’t just trust our word—research shows that studying a second language can enhance brain function, no matter when you start. Assuming you’re ready for the challenge, here are some of the toughest languages to learn.
This list isn’t exhaustive, and we don’t want to dishearten you. Learning a language can be exhilarating and boosts self-esteem, but it does require effort. If you’re concerned about potential struggles, consider starting with a language that shares Latin roots; they tend to be more familiar. And if you’re up for an exciting challenge, here are some languages to consider:
- Mandarin Chinese
Did you know that Mandarin Chinese is the most spoken language in the world? While French and Spanish were common in schools during the 90s, Mandarin is increasingly on the curriculum. Achieving fluency in Chinese involves learning thousands of characters and requires consistent practice with tones. For instance, the word “ma” can mean “mother,” “horse,” “rough,” or “scold” depending on the tone you use. Such nuances can lead to amusing misunderstandings abroad. - Arabic
Arabic poses its own unique set of difficulties for English speakers. Similar to Mandarin, it has a distinct alphabet with 28 characters and relies heavily on consonants, often omitting vowels. Additionally, Arabic is read from right to left, which can feel like switching to driving on the opposite side of the road. Furthermore, Arabic has numerous dialects, making it a complex yet poetic language to learn. - Russian
Russian features its own Cyrillic alphabet, which consists of 28 characters. Just like in English, many letters have multiple pronunciations, and learners often find the rules of emphasis to be quite arbitrary. However, if you have a background in Greek, you might find it easier to pronounce Russian words since both alphabets share similarities. - Turkish
Finally, a language that utilizes the Latin alphabet! However, before you celebrate, Turkish has its own complexities. Although it adopted Latin characters in 1928, many words retain Arabic roots. Turkish grammar involves adding prefixes and suffixes, and it’s known for including extra letters to enhance word flow. While learning Turkish can be challenging, there are plenty of resources available to ease the process. - Polish
In the context of this list, Polish is relatively easier since it uses the Latin alphabet. However, it compensates for its limited vowel use with an abundance of consonants. English has two declensions (singular and plural), while Polish boasts 14. This complexity can make sentence construction quite a task. - Japanese
When it comes to spoken Japanese, it’s not as daunting as some other languages, with only five vowels and 13 consonants. However, the writing system is what complicates matters, as it combines five different scripts: kanji, hiragana, katakana, Arabic numerals, and the Roman alphabet. To be functional in Japanese, one must master nearly 10,000 words—substantially more than the 3,000 words required for English and Spanish. Many language learners claim it takes years of immersion just to achieve “survival” proficiency.
In summary, while these languages are challenging, they can also be incredibly rewarding to learn. So don’t be discouraged; choose the one that excites you the most and dive in! For more insights into fertility and parenting, check out this informative post on home insemination kits. Also, if you’re interested in boosting your fertility, visit this resource for expert advice. For further reading about pregnancy and home insemination, Progyny offers excellent resources.