How Long Does It Take To Learn Spanish?
February 6th, 2010I am often asked, “how long does it take to learn Spanish?” I’m afraid this is basically a million-dollar question and one for which there’s no simple answer.
Unfortunately there are simply far too many variables involved, in that so much relies on how much effort a person is ready to put into studying the language, and also which technique or program they are going to be using. Add to that the fact that while some people may choose to use the services of a private mentor, others will choose a classroom environment instead. Actually, some individuals will rather opt for using one or other home study program which makes use of books, multimedia, software, and audio recordings. You also need to ask yourself whether or not the individual will be learning the language in a country where it’s spoken as the native language, or whether they’ll be learning it in their home country. Additionally, the quality of a program or the expertise of a teacher will also influence the result.
Because these variables will have such a direct impact on how long does it take to learn Spanish, it is simply not possible to provide a simple response to this query. In fact, I have personally been involved with people who after half a year, managed to communicate confidently in conversational Spanish, but I have also met folks who have studied the Spanish language for a few years, albeit on an on and off basis, and yet after many years they can barely get by.
Instead of attempt to provide a simple answer to this question, I would prefer to offer what I feel to be the fastest way of learning Spanish. The most important step of all, is for a student to seize each available opportunity regarding interacting in the language they wish to learn, regardless of what language that could be.
While you certainly do get those who are firm adherents of the lecture room approach, I personally feel it takes too long unless it is done in conjunction with another method. In my experience, a self study method of good quality is easily superior in that it permits a student to progress at their own pace rather than being tied down to the average study room pace. This is particularly true with regards to scholars who are truly serious about learning the Spanish language.
In this situation, I’d suggest a person to go for a reputable program which includes a variety of audio lessons, multimedia lessons, and of course, written Spanish. Additionally, they should select a program which allows for lessons to be downloaded onto a mobile device so that they can listen on their iPod for instance. Remember, if you’re serious about learning a language, then you should shoot at being able to not only speak it and read it, but also to write it and understand it. Unless a program covers all four of these areas, it should be avoided or at least, you’ll require some additional material.
As you’ll have already heard, Rocket Spanish is a highly well-liked program, and not without reason. Considering that it addresses all 4 of the area’s discussed, it has gained a name for providing scholars with a-class foundation for basic Spanish which in turn will ensure that you’re able to speak confidently in Spanish inside a comparatively short space of time. Similarly, Rosetta Stone is considered to be nearly as good, in that it also addresses the 4 areas mentioned above. Furthermore, it is available in two versions so that people can select between the “Spain” version and the South American Spanish version. Judging from testimonials, it seems the Rosetta Stone program takes slightly longer to work through, which of course means it’ll take you a little longer before you develop conversational Spanish but in general, it ranks right up there with Rocket Spanish. Also, Rosetta Stone is quite a bit costlier.
As you can see, there are too many variables concerned for me or anyone else to be able to give a simple response regarding “how long does it takes to learn Spanish. However, you’ve probably also gathered by this time that there are a few things you can do in order to speed up the process. In fact, many individuals go as far as using both the programs mentioned in conjunction with each other in order to develop conversational skills as quickly as possible. However, unless you are continuously exposed to the Spanish language, no program will be capable of making you one hundred % fluent. On the other hand, providing you are at an intermediate-to-advanced level, you could consider subscribing to Puerta del Sol Audio magazine which is a Spanish language skills Magazine. Similarly, you’d be surprised at how much you can get benefits from joining a Meetup group in your neighborhood that is focused on learning the Spanish language.
