[razamataz]

Good Question.
I presume it's easy to learn to be able to communicate (as it's my mother tongue I didn't have to "learn" it.) However, when it comes to the written language...well that seems to be a different story. Most rules have one or more exceptions. 40 years ago when I arrived here in Munich the saying was "Deutsche Sprache, schwere Sprache" At least, with German the rules apply! ... so I can't really agree with that! With English I seem to have spent a lot of my time during lessons over the past 25 years explaining "well.. yes that may be the rule but....... you just have to be flexible.
However, if this is difficult for the learner to be... then, no, it is NOT an easy language to learn.
For the "theoretical learner" perhaps, it's not so easy but the "practical learner" should be able to pick it up quite easily.
Whatever the solution - it's keeping thousands of us 'in work' and I hope the rest of you are enjoying teaching it as much as I am.
Keep smiling
razamataz