Why is it sometimes difficult to distinguish between a language and a dialect?

Why is it difficult to distinguish individual languages from dialects? It is difficult to distinguish individual languages from dialects because people choose to believe that their languages are distinct, and won’t connect their language to its family.

How does one language differ from other?

Languages can differ in many ways. Dialects of a language may vary in terms of accents, the words people use, the way people structure their speech. This can be because of geographical distance or because of social factors. Often people who speak the same dialect will live in the same place.

Is a language just a collection of dialects?

And yet it’s hard not to try. An English speaker might be tempted to think, for example, that a language is basically a collection of dialects, where speakers of different dialects within the same language can all understand each other, more or less.

Are dialects of the same language mutually intelligible?

The fact is that there is no very clear distinction between the terms dialect and language. These two concepts are, as a matter of fact, ambiguous. The above two cases mentioned tell us that different languages are sometimes mutually intelligible and that dialects of the same language are sometimes not mutually intelligible at all.

Why are some English dialects difficult to understand to foreign speakers?

The combination of differences in pronunciation and use of local words may make some English dialects almost unintelligible to speakers from other regions without any prior exposure.

How are the varieties of dialects differentiated?

The varieties of dialects are differentiated according to the places in which they are used, the different social factors that affect their uses, and functions and styles they have when accommodating different situations in language communication.