I don't doubt it for a second. My native tongue has these irregularities and they are my pet peeve.
In my head I stubbornly use my own regularized versions. Often, when I use them by accident, people don't even notice! So perhaps I can create a trend.
Danish is a nightmare. It takes the worst bits of French, the worst of German, and adds its own devil twists.
But like the authors say, there is a point to be made for education systems too. Eg. Japanese multiplication method is brilliant, I wish I had learned that way!
When you get to large numbers Chinese gets a little bit more complicated because the language operates in 10^4 not 10^3. I've found it often causes confusion.
I'm not sure what they mean about fractions. I don't see how the Chinese or English are different. You still have to listen to the end to understand what the fraction is.
Not only that, but the Chinese syllables are also easier (notice that "twelve" also has only one syllable). There is at most one consonant before the main vowel, and at most one "tail" after the main vowel which is also rather easy: -i, -u, -n, -ng.
I think it is the tones that keeps Chinese syllables easier while expressive.
It seems Chinese homonyms are edge oriented or connectionist whereas other languages with words of lengthy tails are node oriented if visualized in a crystal lattice of mosaic beads.
In my head I stubbornly use my own regularized versions. Often, when I use them by accident, people don't even notice! So perhaps I can create a trend.