As a native English speaker, I hear things like “this” language is hard/easy to learn. Does this mean it is only hard/easy to learn coming from an English background, or would someone who speaks Spanish also find it similarly harder/easier to learn as well?
In: Other
A few things:
1) How related is the target language to your primary or native language? More similar is generally easier (although sometimes it becomes hard the keep them separate in your mind).
2) How similar are the sounds the language uses to the language(s) you already speak. For example, Spanish and Japanese have surprisingly similar phonemes, including the way that b/v and f/h are not so differentiated.
3) The degree to which words are modified by prefixes or suffixes for grammatical reasons. First of all, for a speaker whose language doesn’t do that, it’s hard to really internalize. And even if that not new, it requires memorizing a lot of new examples.
4) The language uses a different script system.
5) Lots of irregularity and exceptions. (Looking at *you* English…)
6) Written and spoken language is very different.
7) Social constructs, that may not be understood by a non-native speaker are “baked in” to the language, like levels of formality and whether you are dealing with an in- or out-group.
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