I’ve heard it said, American English is the most difficult language to learn. Maybe not in the speaking portion of learning it, but in the writing and use of it. There are so many ‘rules’ and semantics that one must work very hard to understand how and when to use each one.

Oh for Heaven’s Sake

I mean homophones alone could drive a person nutso! Seriously, have you seen a list of homophones lately? There are like 480 of them!!!  Let’s not forget all the grammar rules. Oh and the spelling rules! Good grief!!! Is it any wonder this is a tough language to learn?

Heck, I’ve been using and writing this language since birth (ok, I didn’t pop out of the womb speaking and writing English, but you know what I mean 😉 ) and I STILL have to look words up to make sure I’m using and spelling them correctly.

There are verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections we have to keep straight and know how to use.

Then we throw in alliteration, anaphora, assonance, hyperbole, irony, metaphors, similes, antonyms, and onomatopoeias.

We have metonymy, paradox, personification and puns, synecdoche, understatements, antithesis, euphemism, and oxymorons too!

Suffixes, prefixes, punctuation and more!! No wonder we struggle to get it all under control.

BUT

Somehow we muddle through and we learn to speak and we learn to write and we take those things and we move through life not really thinking about all the spectacular things we’re doing EVERY. SINGLE. DAY just for having learned the English language.

What a magnificent feat to have learned it and mastered it enough to be able to do all the things we love!!

What ability am I most grateful for today? 

My ability to read, write, speak and use the American English language. even if I don’t always get it right!!  🙂

In the infamous words of Mary Poppins, it’s SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS!!!!

Your turn! What ability are you most grateful for today?

See ya next time,

♥ R