I disagree: Chinese and Japanese are - in my experience - easy to learn ... the crux of the matter is what you include in the term 'learn.' Chinese has a syntactic structure very similar to English - making it easy to 'speak.' Japanese has a very logical, but loose syntactic structure - allowing for fairly original utterances. Japanese also has a rich vocabulary which allows for reference to complex ideas in somewhat simple terms. And lastly, Japanese uses what is called 'gairaigo,' which is 'imported language,' meaning that if you put English (or some other well-known language or term) into the Japanese phonetic pattern, it can readily be understood. The problem with both languages is, of course, the fact that they use kanji characters in the written system - a means of writing that includes no indication of pronunciation. When it comes to 'reading' in Chinese or Japanese, you either know it or you don't - there is no middle ground.

Various studies suggest that Mandarin Chinese is often considered one of the most difficult for English speakers to learn (Krashen, 2007; Li, 2013).

One reason Mandarin Chinese is considered particularly challenging is its complex writing system. Chinese characters are logograms, meaning that each character represents a word or concert, rather than a sound (Defrancis,1989).This means that learners must memorize thousands of characters, each with its own unique stroke order and meaning. As Li (2013) notes, " the Chinese writing system is one of the most difficult aspects of the language for foreigners to master" (p.123).

Another factor that contributes to the difficult of Mandarin Chinese is its tonal system. Chinese has a complex system of tones, with four tones and a neutral tone(Duanmu,200). Mastering these tones is crucial for accurate pronunciation and understanding, but it can be difficult for learners who are not used to hearing and producing tones. As Krashen (2007) notes "the tonal system of Chinese is one of the most difficult aspects for of the language for many learners" (p.156).

Furthermore, Mandarin Chinese has a subject-verb-object order, which can be different from the word order of many other languages Li,2013).This can make it difficult for learners to express themselves clearly and accurately. Additionally, Chinese has a complex system of grammatical particles, which can be difficult to use correctly (Duanmu,2000).

In conclusion, while its difficult to identify a single most difficult language to learn, Mandarin Chinese is often considered one of the most challenging languages for English speakers. Its complex writing system, tonal system, and grammatical structure make it a language that requires a significant amount of time and effort to master.

**Mandarin Chinese**: The tonal nature of the language, complex writing system (characters), and different grammar structure can make it challenging - Therefore also the Thai language, Vietnamese etc?