Why foreigners have trouble with the English language

Interesting spam (miracle!!!). Thought I’d share.

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The English language. Have you ever wondered why foreigners have trouble with the English language?. Let’s face it. English is a crazy language.

There is no egg in the eggplant, no ham in the hamburger, and neither pine nor apple in the pineapple. English muffins were not invented in England. French fries were not invented in France.

We sometimes take English for granted, but if we examine its paradoxes, we find that quicksand takes you down slowly, boxing rings are square, and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

If writers write, how come fingers don’t fing? If the plural of tooth is teeth, shouldn’t the plural of phone booth be phone beeth? If the teacher taught, why didn’t the preacher praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what the does a humanitarian eat? Why do people recite at a play, yet play at a recital? Park on driveways and drive on parkways?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy. Of a language where a house can burn up as it burns down. And in which you fill in a form by filling it out. And a bell is only heard once it goes!

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which of course isn’t a race at all). That is why when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible. And why it is that when I wind up my watch, it starts; but when I wind up this observation, it ends?

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Bonus video: Ricky Martin featuring Amerie & Fat Joe - I Don’t Care

4 Responses to “Why foreigners have trouble with the English language”

  1. skyblue Says:

    The classic example I will always use to illustrate the “unique lunacy” is flammable vs. inflammable. So is it gonna burn or not? :-)

  2. jiajia Says:

    All languages are crazy. That’s cuz they are not created systematically. But isn’t that the beauty of it? :)

  3. wangxxl Says:

    It’s cool, similar things happen in Chinese too.

  4. Sonic Says:

    lol~

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