How Long Does It Take To Learn A Foreign Language
A common question for foreign language learners is, how long does it take to learn a foreign language? Of course, if you are beginning on the path to fluency in a new language, it is an important question to ask. I’ll go over this question and offer an answer.
There are primarily two factors to consider when thinking about how long it will take to learn a new language. The first factor is how different the language you are studying is from your native language, English and also the amount of experience you have studying foreign languages. The second factor deals mainly with the way or method you are using to learn a new language.
The closer a language is to English, the less time it will take to learn it because a lot of what you have already learned in your native language will carry over to the new language. For example. if you are learning Spanish, you will find that a lot of words are very similar like “international” vs. “internacional” (compare this to a very different language like Japanese and you find, “kokusai”, which shows you how much easier Spanish learners have it). Additionally, you will find that sentence structure and word position will be much easier to learn because it will be more similar to your native language.
Typically, reaching basic fluency in a language similar to English like Spanish, French, Dutch, Swedish, Italian, etc. requires about 200 hours of active study. Getting to a more advanced level will, of course, require more study time.
Medium level languages like Russian, Polish, Greek, Thai, Hindi, Tagalog, Czech, Vietnamese, etc. will require about 300-400 hours of active study to reach the same level as someone studying 200 hours in an “easier” language like Spanish.
More dissimilar languages from English like Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, Arabic, Cantonese, etc. will require perhaps 500+ hours to reach a basic fluency. Again, getting to an advanced proficiency will require many, many more hours.
As I said before, the second factor determining how quickly you reach fluency in a foreign language is the method or way you are learning your new language. If you study once a week for a couple of hours, it will take many more hours and a lot of time to get to the same level as someone studying a little bit each day. Additionally, the way you learn and structure your studies will have some affect on the time it takes. If you simply read materials and never keep track of the vocabulary you are learning and do review, you will find that it takes a lot longer.
So, what is the quickest, fastest method for learning a foreign language? If you are truly interested in this topic, I highly recommend taking a look at the book I’ve written on the subject. It will teach you everything you need to know about learning foreign languages includnig the exact system needed to make sure you learn a new language in the fastest amount of time possible.
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!
What Counts As Fluent In A Language
Recently, someone asked me about what counts as being fluent in a language or what counts as attaining fluency in a language.
This is an interesting question because “fluent” is a very slippery word. Unfortunately, there is no real line that you can cross into fluency. You can’t be studying steadily along and one day be not “fluent” and then after a set number of house become “fluent” the next day.
Language learning, instead, is a process by which you become fluent in a succession of topics. First, you might become good at making conversation about the weather or introducing yourself, then you will move on to becoming good at making conversation about particular topics in your life like your school or your job. Slowly, topic by topic, you become more “fluent”.
For example, many children who grow up in a foreign country and learn a language from only their parents end up being “fluent” in the language in a limited number of topics confined to the household. They didn’t get the exposure that a normal child in that language’s country would have gotten by going to school in the language and experiencing the rest of the world in that language. The child who grew up in a foreign country would probably be unable to follow specialized topics or make presentations on these topics because they do not possess the right vocabulary and practice. Yet, we still probably call these children “fluent” because they are able to speak on some topics (family, home, etc.) in a fluid matter.
Similarly, a language learner who studies a foreign language may study abroad for one year and come back proclaiming him or herself “fluent”. What they mean is that they can make conversation to a native speaker in a fluid manner. It’s very possible that if you showed them a news report or a news article on a specialized topic, they would be unable to follow it because for the same reasons above, they just don’t possess the vocabulary or practice for that particular category of language.
For these reasons, fluency is not a finish line but rather a gradual process. Some people are more “fluent” than others because they are able to speak on more topics. This being said, if you are serious about studying a foreign language, you want to get as many topics under your belt as possible in as short a period of time as possible. If you want to learn the quickest way, I suggest checking out my book linked below.
What is 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? Learn That Language Now!