When Will I Be Fluent?
I often get this question… how long does it take to reach fluency in a foreign language? When will I be fluent? The answer to this question depends on mainly two factors.
The first factor is how difficult or how different the foreign language is from your native language English. Also factoring into this is any other foreign language you may have learned. For example, knowing Spanish will make learning Italian much easier. Or, having studied several foreign languages before will make any new language easier.
Remember that the following hour counts are basic estimates and not exact. They are merely to give you an idea.
For basic proficiency in an “easier” language like Spanish, Dutch, French, Swedish, Italian, etc. it takes about 200 hours of study time. Obviously to get to a more advanced level, a lot more study time is needed but for basic proficiency, 200 hours should get you well on your way.
Basic proficiency in harder languages that are more dissimilar from English like Russian, Polish, Greek, Hindi, Thai, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Czech, etc. will take perhaps 300-400 hours. Again, reaching a higher level will take considerable more time.
Even “harder” languages like Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese will take even longer. It may take you 500+ hours to reach the same level as someone who has studied 200 hours in Spanish. For higher levels of proficiency, even more time is required.
The second factor in determining how long it takes is the method you are using. If you are not using your time efficiently and not advancing in the right manner, it make take you even longer. On the other hand, if you are using a very good method and correct system, it may take you even less time to learn a language than I have put down here.
So, how do you know if you are using the right method or learning in the correct way? I highly recommend you pick up a copy of my book where not only do I cover the quickest method to fluency but I also cover this topic of how long it takes to reach fluency in more depth.
If you want the fastest method to learn a language so that you will become fluent in a foreign language in a matter of months, learn thousands of words without worrying about forgetting them, master grammar and do all of this in an enjoyable, painless manner then you need to read Learn That Language Now!