[John Atkinson]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

English is one of the hardest languages to learn, ranking right up there with Chinese. Yes, if I moved to another country, I would try to learn the language--but just so I could communicate in order to survive--not to become a linguist in the new language.

Some people are just better at learning new things than others. Some of the people in our class pick up the concepts right away, and others are still struggling with the basics after months of class. One of the things we're doing is studying the test they have to take for citizenship (they have to live here for 6 years first). Newcomers who can barely understand English are expected to pass a test that most teenagers entering college couldn't pass.

I agree that learning English needs to be a priority, mainly as a survival skill. However, I resent the superiority complex that comes across in the diatribes of those who look down on anyone with a heavy accent.

Yes I agree completely. It took me years to be able to communicate effectively here in New England after immigrating from Texas. The language barrier was a huge challenge.