Introduction:

Spanish is a Romance language that originated in the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Today, it is a global language with nearly 500 million native speakers, mainly in Spain and the Americas. It is the world’s second-most spoken native language after Mandarin Chinese, and the world’s fourth-most spoken language overall after English, Mandarin Chinese, and Hindi. How long does it take to learn Spanish? How long did it take you to learn Spanish from scratch? I hear these questions quite often. There is no simple answer. It is really up to you. The US Foreign Service Language institute published some numbers about how many hours required to learn different languages. For Spanish, the number was 480 hours, based on classroom instruction. But people don’t just learn languages in the classroom. Very often factors outside the classroom are more influential.

There are five factors that can influence how long it takes to learn a language, regardless of whether you study in a classroom or not. Four are within your control.

• How many hours a day will you spend with Spanish?

This is perhaps the most important consideration and does not refer to how many hours do you spend in a Spanish language classroom. It means how much time do you spend listening, reading, speaking, or writing in Spanish. It can be listening to podcasts while walking the dog, reading, watching movies, listening to songs in Spanish or being engaged in a conversation in Spanish. In some ways, exposure to Spanish outside the classroom can be more intense than exposure inside the classroom, unless you are lucky enough to have one-on-one instruction. 

If we use the FSI numbers, if one person spends three hours a day in Spanish, the 480 hours amounts to 160 days or less than six months. If another person spends one hour a day in Spanish, it will take 480 days, or around a year and a half. If you spend less than an hour a day, it will take much longer. 

• Do you speak a language that is similar to Spanish?

Similarity can apply to vocabulary, grammar, or pronunciation. Portuguese is very similar to Spanish in terms of vocabulary and grammar, but somewhat different in terms of sounds. Greek is very similar to Spanish in terms of pronunciation, but quite different in terms of vocabulary and grammar.  Spanish-speaking people will learn to understand Portuguese quickly but may speak with a heavy accent. They would take a much longer time to learn Greek, even though they can acquire good pronunciation almost immediately.

The greatest advantage comes from the degree of similarity of vocabulary. Spanish and English share a lot of vocabulary. Most of the words are of common Latin origin.  Acquiring new vocabulary is the most time-consuming part of language learning. It simply takes a long time to get used to new words. When we begin a language, the new sounds and the new combinations of sounds, seem strange to us. Spanish has fewer sounds than English and it can seem as if all these Spanish words resemble each other. For the brain to get used to this takes time. However,  as a speaker of English, you have a head start.

It also takes time for our brains to get used to the structures of a new language.

• How much do you like Spanish?

Do you like the sounds of Spanish? Do you like something about the history or the culture of countries where they speak Spanish? Do you have Spanish-speaking friends? Do you like movies or TV programs or music in Spanish? Do you have a favorite Spanish-speaking singer or movie star?

The more you can answer yes to these questions, the faster you will learn. Language learning engages many parts of our brains. Your emotional commitment to a new language not only influences how hard you study but also influences the efficiency of your learning.

• Have you had the opportunity to live surrounded by Spanish?

Are you going to visit and spend some time, and not just a couple of weeks, in a Spanish-speaking country? Do you have Spanish-speaking friends with whom you can get together for hours at a time listening to them speak to each other and occasionally speaking yourself? 

There is nothing quite like being thrust into an environment, a real-life situation, where you need to use Spanish. The sheltered environment of the classroom is not as valuable as a real-life Spanish-speaking experience. You may well be quite reluctant to use what you have learned when confronted with real Spanish-speaking people. However, if you can force yourself to overcome this shyness, you will take a big psychological step forward. Real-life exposure also lets you know where your gaps are and sends you back to your various Spanish learning activities with renewed determination to improve.

There are many resources available on the Web. Plan to put in at least six months on your own, and then, if you can, set yourself the goal of going to a Spanish-speaking country as a reward. Most Spanish-speaking countries, all with their own attractive cultures, offer Spanish programs. 

• How confident are you that you will learn to become a fluent speaker of Spanish?

Is it even your goal to become a fluent speaker? If you are simply hoping to learn a few phrases, this will not take long. If, on the other hand, you want to become fluent, it’s very important that you believe you can do it. That is why experienced language learners, who have learned other languages, often do better in new languages. They have done it before. They know they can do it.

Your attitude will have a determining influence on your language learning progress. Your determination to succeed and your commitment to staying the course will depend largely on whether you can visualize yourself achieving fluency, even before you achieve. 

In fact, when you begin your learning, you should have a clear picture of the end result. Imagine yourself conversing freely with Spanish speakers, and enjoying books, movies and television programs in the language. Once you are able to engage in these activities, however imperfectly at first, your Spanish language skills will just take off.

If you have not yet had the experience of having become fluent in another language, give yourself the benefit of the doubt. If you want to climb a mountain, and don’t think you can make it to the top, then chances are you won’t.

How long does it take to learn Spanish? It is mostly up to you.

Keep in mind, however, that the quality of your study is more important than the quantity. Immersion experiences or daily practice can significantly limit how long it takes for you to learn Spanish.

Don’t be discouraged. You can and will learn Spanish faster than you expect. There are even cases of people who learn it in less than three months.

Now that you know how much time it takes to learn Spanish and which factors can help you achieve your goals faster, it’s also important to keep in mind that language learning is synonymous with practice. That means that reaching a certain level doesn’t guarantee that you will keep it for the rest of your life.

In the end, you decide how quickly you become fluent in a language and how good your skills remain. With the right attitude, dedication, situation, and motivation, any language are within your reach.