all languages change over time, which can lead to differences between how words are spelled and how they are pronounced. As students of English know well, at times learning to spell English words may cause just as much frustration as learning Chinese characters. In sum, any writing system has its good and bad points, and people will always have conflicting opinions about which one is best suited for any given language. What’s more, languages with challenging writing systems take longer to learn, so it’s good to be aware of this factor if you plan to study a foreign language.