How long does it take to learn a Language?

The language learners and the beginners who want to learn a language mostly asked a question, how long does it take to learn a language? In this post, I will answer this question. 

When I was learning French, I also often asked myself and my teachers this same question. There is a strange burning desire among students to have this question answered, but this question can’t be answered with any certainty at all. 

A couple of days ago, I received an email from a follower in which he asked me the same questions how long does it take to learn a language, how much time it takes to get fluent in a language, and requested me to recommend some learning methods. 

Well, people can give you an approximation fact or figure, but in actual fact, this question can’t be answered correctly because the rate you get fluent in a language is totally depending on:

Your Motivation:

Motivation is essential for learning a language faster. The more motivated you are, the faster you will learn a language. Motivation is the thing that increases your interest in getting your skill improved. Singing up in a language learning class is not enough to learn a language on advanced levels. If you are motivated to achieve your learning goals, you can definitely be able to get fluent in a language. 

The time you invest:

Remember that language is not something that can be learned within hours. You have to invest a lot of time to learn a language on advanced levels. The more time invests in learning, the more improvement you will notice. The time you invest in learning definitely provides you obvious results. 

If you invest 2 to 3 hours daily on studying language, I believe that you will notice a fluency in your language. It is good to make a timetable for language study. I used to study in the evening, and after a few weeks of regular study, I noticed an obvious development in my language. Try to set fixed hours of the day when you can focus on your language study without any disturbance. 

Frequency of study:

Frequency is essential to get success in language learning goals. It is related to your time if you give one hour a day often to your study you will get the best and faster results. Studying one hour daily is better than studying 7 hours once a day a week. Your brain needs constant exposure to get familiar with a new language. So you have to study regularly in order to get fluent in the language. 

Moreover, listening practice is the most beneficial thing for learning a language faster. If you do listening practice frequently, you will be able to understand the spoken language, pronunciation, and tones. Without listening practices, you can’t learn to speak a native-like language. Try to spend most of your studying time listening. When I was learning French, I used to do a listening practice one hour a day; it makes me able to speak like a native speaker.

Take hold of your motivation. Trust in yourself that you can learn a new language. Hardworking is not enough, you also need strong motivation and confidence. If your motivation is strong, nothing can stop you from learning a language. Lack of confidence is the problem of many learners. It can distract your focus on learning. So before start learning accepts that you are able to learn a language.

I suggest you all before start learning a language prepare yourself first and believe in yourself that you will be successful in it. Find the essential learning resources and follow the right learning method. When you work with confidence and have all the required resources, you will surely get success in your language learning goal. 

Try to have fun in the learning process. When you enjoy learning you don’t feel it as a burden. Some learners take it boring and end up learning. Therefore it is essential to take interest in your learning activities. 

Now I will answer the question how long will it take?

I think, if you invest 1 hour a day in language learning, in one year you would learn more than basic of language and well on the way to fluency. You would be able to talk fluently. If you spend some time in the country, you would certainly be fluent in a year. If you can’t go to the country, I think it will take 2-years to get fluent in a language. That is my estimate!

It all depends on your motivation and your potential to learn the language. If you have experienced learning languages before, you may learn a second language faster than before. For example, I have learned French and Spanish, and I know the methods and stages, so I am confident that I could become a master in Chinese in just 3-months. 

If you have any idea about the topic, please feel free to share it in the comments below.