Does it take very long to learn a new language?

Language is overwhelmingly dependent on three factors: the attitude of the learner, the time the learner spends with the language, and the learner’s attentiveness to the language.

 

So given that this is the case, if we assume a positive attitude and reasonable and growing attentiveness to the language on the part of the learner, how much time should it take to learn a language?

It is not easy to answer this question since there are so many factors that can influence the amount of time required to learn a language. These can include the methods used, but also the attitude of the learner as explained above. In other words, does the learner like the language, feel confident that he or she can learn it, believe in the method being used, etc.? 

In this article, we dig deep and discuss how you can increase speed of learning a new language

The FSI, US Foreign Service Institute, divides languages into groups of difficulty for speakers of English

 

Group 1:

French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili

 

Group 2:

Bulgarian, Burmese, Greek, Hindi, Persian, Urdu

 

Group 3:

Amharic, Cambodian, Czech, Finnish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Lao, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese

 

Group 4:

Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean

 

FSI research indicates that it takes 480 hours to reach basic fluency in group 1 languages, and 720 hours for group 2-4 languages.

If we are able to put in 10 hours a day to learn a language, then basic fluency in the easy languages should take 48 days, and for difficult languages 72 days. Accounting for days off, this equates to two months or three months time. If you only put in five hours a day, it will take twice as long.

Once you know how long you can afford to study each day, commit to it. If you can do five hours, do five hours every day. If two is all you can do, make those two hours count. However, some proponents of learning a new language believe that time is trumped by effort. ‍

Together, you can work on the basics of language learning you can’t do on your own. Writing letters and speaking conversations is much more engaging with other people involved. Tap into your community and begin building your own language learning network today.

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It’s All About Talking

When we first start to learn a new language we often feel nervous. Don’t worry if it happens to you. This is very common. However, if you ever want to become a language learning champion you’ll have to overcome this. The best way to do that is to dive in head first and have a conversation. When that conversation is over, have another. Then another. Keep having conversations until you no longer trip through them. When that day arrives, you can call yourself truly fluent.

Remember the saying “practice makes perfect.” It may not be tomorrow, but you are much more likely to become a perfect speaker when you actually practice speaking the language.

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Start with the Most Common Words

While book learning and even some older language learning programs can provide value, they often leave you short changed when talking with locals. That’s why many language learning experts suggest you learn the most common words in the language you plan on learning. Sure, learning from books and traditional classrooms is an excellent way to take in a new language.

 

Most-Common-English-Words

With those words in your head, you will feel more comfortable speaking using idioms, slang and understanding the overall speech of locals. Now, you should start to pick up conversations with these words. You’re on your way to learning that new language!

 

Have a Great App or Pocket Dictionary on Hand

You never know when you’ll need to research the spelling or pronunciation of a word. When trying to figure out how long it takes to learn a new language, ask if you’ll have a helpful app or pocket dictionary at your disposal. If you answer yes to either, then you set yourself up for a chance to learn a bit more quickly. It may not seem all that impactful at once.

 

However, over time, you should begin to take notice of how much having this resource at your disposal truly is. These tools aren’t only great for when you’re stuck. They also work as excellent learning tools. When you aren’t able to have a conversation with someone, dive into your dictionary. It only takes a few seconds to learn a few new words and phrases. Make sure you always have one in your pocket.