Why do we struggle so much to understand proper English, only to know that it becomes so complicated we have to continue learning it throughout high school and possibly college? Well, that’s just one of the perks of the English language; you may learn some or even most of it, but you never really grasp the entirety of it. The Evangelical Press Association states that the average American reads at a ninth grade level. So why not stop there instead of continuing on?

According to The Effective Language Learning website, English consists of a derivation of some combinations of Ancient Greek and Latin words. Although most other languages also consist of Greek and Latin words, English is different in that it is more complex and has many contradicting rules when it comes to grammar. An example of a contradictory rule is “i before e, except after c, and when sounding like a, as in neighbor or weigh.” This rule works when it comes to words like “believe” or “receipt,” but not when it comes to “science” or “weird.” Rules like these are what make English confusing and difficult to understand.

Even though it is so difficult to learn, many countries besides the US and England speak English. Some even have it as a first or second language. This is helpful for any English-speaking person when it comes to business or culture. However, it is not necessary to have an advanced understanding of the language to be successful in these areas. Many individuals can have a basic understanding of English and still be able to speak it fairly fluently.

When it comes to English, knowing the basic rules is effective enough. Not only is English confusing, but the rules it uses are contradictory, which makes advanced learning difficult. Students would benefit most if only basic English was taught because they are most unlikely to use complex English later in life, and those that want an advanced education could have the option of taking advanced classes.