Rocket Languages Blog How Long does it Take to Learn a Language?

How Long does it Take to Learn a Language?

jason-oxenham-ceo

jason-oxenham-ceo

Let's face it: you've probably got a busy life. Between work or school, family, friends, chores, errands, appointments, and just relaxing every once in a while, there's never enough time in the day...And now you've decided to take on a whole new challenge by learning a new language. Whether it be learning Spanish to speak with your new in-laws or Chinese for an upcoming business trip, you want to become fluent and ready to communicate as fast as possible. So how long will it take to learn a new language?    

This is one of the first questions anyone interested in language learning asks, and unfortunately, there's no easy way to answer it.  Learning a language is a complex process that is different for each individual based on several different factors.

Let's take a look at these different factors and how they impact how fast you learn a language: 1. Your Previous Language Learning Experiences If you already speak a foreign language or were raised bilingual, you may save yourself some time as you learn your next language. Bilinguals find it easier to learn a third language, as several linguistic studies have proven. This is because they are naturally more accustomed to being exposed to different languages, since fluency and skills in one language aid fluency and skills in another.

If you're not bilingual or multilingual, however, don't worry: even that year of Latin in high school or that family trip to Mexico was helpful. One of the first steps to learning a language is learning a little bit about what makes up a language and the unique linguistic aspects of the language you want to learn. If you have already experienced studying foreign grammar, memorizing vocabulary, listening to different sounds and looking at different letters, your mind knows what to expect when faced with a new language. There aren't as many surprises and language learning becomes easier and faster. Just being exposed to different languages--especially when one of those languages is the language you wish to learn--can make language learning faster. 2. The Language You Are Learning Even if any foreign language looks "Greek" to you, many languages are actually more similar than they are different. Learning a language that is similar to your native language can save you time when learning the alphabet, pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. As a general rule, languages that have similar roots are easier and take less time to learn. For those of you whose native language is English, that means that any language with Latin or Germanic roots will be easier for you to learn. This includes Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian, German, Danish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, and Afrikaans, among several others. 3. How You Are Learning Your learning methods also play an important role in how fast you learn a language. If your language learning is limited to a classroom setting, then it will take you longer to learn a language. If, however, you also are exposed to the language outside of classes, then you can cut down the time needed to learn the language. Reading, listening to the radio or eBooks, writing, speaking, watching movies, and travelling to a country where the language you are learning is spoken can all help to speed up your learning process.   4. The Time Dedicated to Learning Naturally, how long it takes you to learn a language also depends on how much time you plan to dedicate to language learning daily, weekly, or monthly. Studies have proven that learners who are willing to dedicate an hour a day to language learning--whether that be by studying grammar, memorizing vocabulary, watching a movie, or reading a book--learn significantly faster than those who just attend a weekly class. That's why online programs like Rocket Languages  work so well for many language learners: they encourage frequent study and are easy to access on a daily basis. And that's also why full immersion is, by far, the fastest way to learn a language. 5. Your Attitude You attitude also plays a huge role in how fast you learn a language. If you approach language learning with a positive attitude and see it as a fun and fascinating opportunity to broaden your horizons, you'll be more open to learning. You'll be more motivated to study and learn as much as possible, and the entire process will be more enjoyable and, consequently, faster. 6. Your Motivation It's no secret that staying motivated is key to learning a new language. There have been so many studies proving the importance of motivation in language learning. Staying motivated is the number one reason why many people have language success, and also the number one reason why some fail. Reminding yourself why you want to learn a language, how it will improve your life, and everything good that can come from learning a language can help you to stay motivated and, therefore, speed up the time necessary to learn the language. Getting Down to Business: a Timeline The complex interaction between all of these factors determines how long it takes an individual to learn a language.

But you don't just want to know all of the factors, do you? You want a timeline. You want numbers. You want to know just how long it will take you to learn a new language.

Luckily for you, there are several studies that sought to tell us just that.

But first, a disclaimer: In many of these studies, language proficiency or fluency is the bar set to determine whether or not the language has been "learned." As you may know (and speaking from personal experience), you don't necessarily need to be fluent to be able to speak a foreign language and to be comfortable interacting in that language. A low intermediate level can get you pretty far in the language world. Keeping this in mind, it's important to take these studies with a grain of salt and remember that you can and will be able to interact in a foreign language long before you're fluent.    The 10,000 Hour Expert Theory In his book Outliers, author Malcom Gladwell focuses on a study originally published in a Harvard Business review with the basic premise that it takes 10,000 hours for an individual to become an expert of anything, whether it be a musical instrument, a field, or a sport. If we consider complete fluency in a language being an "expert" in speaking that language, then we can assume that a learner must invest 10,000 hours to reach an expert level, which can be broken down into several different language scenarios:

Scenario and the period needed to become an expert;
  1. One 3-hour course per week for 8 weeks.    416 courses to become an expert. At 2 courses per year, it may take you 208 years to become an expert
  2. One year of language learning in school (4 hours per week X 12 weeks X 2 semesters). 104 years to achieve an expert level
  3. Dedicated independent study (1 hour per day). 27 years to achieve an intermediate level
  4. Total, active immersion (8 hours per day). Approximately 3 years to achieve an intermediate level

Don't panic!! This is a very, very simplified way of looking at language learning, and is proven to be way too reductionist. It doesn't take into account any of the other important factors in language learning, and discounts the interaction of different scenarios. If, for example, you have previous language learning experience, are learning a language that's similar to your native language, and try and practice with friends or family outside of the classroom, it's possible to become fluent within just a few years. It's also really important to keep in mind that this study focused on reaching an EXPERT level, something that even native speakers often don't have.

More realistic estimates in the field of linguistics have taken this theory and significantly cut down the number of hours really needed to learn a language and  be able to communicate well. The Common European Framework for Reference for Languages, for example,  uses a "Guided Learning Hours" framework to measure the amount of classroom time total needed to reach a B2 (high intermediate) level and assumes that for every one hour of classroom time, learners will spend two hours of independent study time. In the end, this equates to a total of between 1,000 and 1,200 hours.

Let's take a look at that with our previous scenarios:

Scenario and the period needed to have an Intermediate Level
  1. One 3-hour course per week for 8 weeks, plus weekly homework assignment (1 hour), plus independent practice of any type (2 hour). 3 courses per year. You will need between 25-30 courses. At 3 courses per year, it may take you between 8.3-10 years to reach an intermediate level
  2. One year of language learning in school (4 hours per week + 2 hours of homework + 2 hours of independent practice X 12 weeks X 2 semesters). Between 5-6.25 years to reach an intermediate level
  3. Dedicated independent study (1 hour per day). Approximately 3 years to achieve an intermediate level
  4. Total, active immersion (8 hours per day). Approximately 3 months to have an intermediate level

A little more comforting and realistic, isn't it? Once again, though, this calculation neglects so many factors, and still is an overestimate of how long it could take you to learn. The U.S. Foreign Service Institute Timeline In their study, the Foreign Service Institute examined a group of native English speakers between the ages of 30 and 40 who were studying foreign languages at their institute. The students' resulting levels were measured using the Interagency Language Roundtable Scale with the goal being to calculate how long it took students to reach "General professional proficiency" or higher.

According to the FSI, the closer a language is to your native language (in this case, English), the faster you will learn that language. They divided their findings into three basic language categories based on the languages' similarity to English, which determined how long it took learners to reach general professional proficiency or higher:

Here are the language groups, their characteristics, related languages, along with the minimum length of training for General Professional Proficiency Language Group I:
  • Languages Closely Related to English
  • Afrikaans, Catalan, Danish, Dutch, French, Haitian Creole, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish
  • Training required 23-24 Weeks (575-600 Hours) 
Language Group II:
  • Languages similar to English    
  • German
  • Training required 30 weeks (750 hours)
Language Group III:
  • Languages with linguistic and/or cultural differences from English    
  • Indonesian, Malaysian, Swahili
  • Training required 36 Weeks (900 Hours)
Language Group IV:
  • Languages with significant linguistic and/or cultural differences from English    
  • Amharic, Bengali, Burmese, Croation, Czech, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Latvian, Lithuanian, Mongolian, Nepali, Pashto, Persian (Dari, Farsi, Tajik), Pilipino, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Thai, Tamil, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese
  • Training required 44 Weeks (1,100 Hours) 
Language Group V:
  • Exceptionally difficult languages for native English speakers    
  • Arabic, Cantonese Chinese, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Korean    
  • Training required 88 Weeks (2,200 Hours)

Therefore, according to FSI findings, the more similar the language you are learning is to your native language, the faster you will learn that language.

It's important to note the conditions of the study, however. The students' schedule called for 25 hours of class per week plus 3 hours of daily independent study, and their classes were generally small, with no more than 6 students. In other words, these were almost ideal language-learning conditions, something that is important to keep in mind, since many of us don't have that kind of time to dedicate to language learning.

This study can be used to help you estimate how many hours it will take you to learn a language and calculate how many weeks--or months, or years--based on how much time you wish to dedicate per week. Keep in mind, however, that the quality of your study is more important than the quantity, and immersion experiences or daily practice can significantly limit how long it takes for you to learn a language.

Don't be discouraged; you can and will learn a language much faster than you expect. There are even cases (as the internet will surely tell you) of people who learn a language in less than three months.

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

Dan-H24

Dan-H24

Jason: thank you, this is a interesting article. I read Gladwell's book some time ago, and I have often wondered if his 10,000 hour theory applied to language learning.

I was also heartened to read the Common European Framework estimate. I "actively" study about a hour per day and "passively" more each day ( listen to Spanish language radio, read miscellaneous things in Spanish, just think in Spanish). I have been studying for about 3 years, and I would consider myself at an intermediate level; a solid B1 and maybe approaching B2 on my good days.
1SharpGent

1SharpGent

This is both encouraging and discouraging. I'm actively engaging in my studies nearly 20 hours each week with Rocket, movies, books and flashcards, and audio immersion, as well as teaching my fiancée what I've learned (best way for me to retain).

My goal is to be conversationally fluent (could fairly easily have a conversation with anyone) in one year. I'm just going to have to keep at it and see if I can pull ahead of the curve!

Great post!
Matthew-H68

Matthew-H68

This is a little too deep for me at the moment, but hopefully I'll understand it very soon. I'm learning Spanish because I have some Mexican family members that visit sometimes, and there are a lot of Mexicans entering the U.S. lately. I'd really like to be able to have a fluent conversation with them, but I'm not putting a time-limit on my language learning. Chao for now! by the way, Awesome Post!
davwith99

davwith99

I am trying not to allow myself to feel overwhelmed! The truth is that I have lived on the Texas/Mexico border for nearly thirty years.  I have resisted learning the language all of this time, even though I married into a bi-lingual family.
I have always felt badly about not being able to communicate in Spanish and it has hurt me professionally as well.
I am hopeful that this program will help me cut through thirty years of procrastination.
Byron-K21

Byron-K21

Never too late.  Good luck with it.  Think of all the opportunities you have for practice and tutoring from native speakers.  Much more less opportunity here in the states with German.  I'm seriously thinking of switching to Spanish.  I took German because of my heritage and it was fun and helpful for a couple of trips I made to Germany, but in general not nearly as useful as Spanish.
Tony-S10

Tony-S10

I think it can take several years to fully learn a language. I have been learning Japanese in my spare time for 6 years as a hobby and I can just speak enough of the language to get around the country, order food, do some exploring and not get lost using the train systems. I think I would need to be speaking it and living there to learn it fully.
wjskyout

wjskyout

Very helpful post. Having been relatively fluent in a Group I and partially fluent in a Group 4 language in the past, I have one observation to add. Language learning follows a parabolic not straight curve, i.e. the more you understand the sentence structure and basic phrases the faster you start to learn it as a whole, especially if you are able to speak with someone who is fluent in the language you are learning. I should have done this years ago, this rocket language program is a great way to get started and stay motivated!
lionessofgermany

lionessofgermany

This is a little rough. Unfortunately, where I live, there are no real courses available for German or Arabic (the two languages I am interested in). I'm stuck with online work only. I'd like to be conversationally fluent by spring with Egyptian Arabic and then begin my German studies or visa versa.
(deleted)

(deleted)

lionessofgermany:

Generally, if you don't live near anyone fluent in your target language, Skype is a good option. 
 
diane--1

diane--1

The motivation part is encouraging and was actually very helpful to me.
Fred-C14

Fred-C14

Interesting post. Language fluency is a very complicated thing so it helps to have realistic goals about what can actually be achieved.

 Any of the different ways of measuring learning progress described in the article will give you only a basic indication of what you might be able to do in real life. One reason for this is that people in foreign countries going about their ordinary lives rarely use the language in quite the same way that it is taught so you are constantly surprised by words and expressions that you didn't expect and don't understand. My opinion is that if your online course can get you to the stage where you can survive in a foreign country, i.e. find your way around and ask and reply to basic questions about everyday events, it (and you) has done very well indeed.

Although I was far from a beginner when I started a year of Rocket German it has certainly helped me improve and get to that stage, which is where I wanted to be. The RG emphasis on correct pronunciation has been particularly useful as it is especially important in German. It remains to be seen how much more my tired old brain can take in but I still (mostly) enjoy studying so there is some hope for further improvement. 
the-hefay

the-hefay

Thanks for the article.  In my case I had 3 years of Spanish in h.s.  Now without giving away my age completely I'll just say I can measure the years since then in decades.  A couple of years ago I began the RL Spanish Level 1 course.  I wasn't as dedicated to it as I needed but I also have some moderate to good excuses (along with a couple of not so good excuses) as to why I wasn't as consistent as necessary.  Then in June of last year I went to Peru and took a language course in the country which amounted to just over 3 hours a day, 5 days a week for 25 weeks or so.  At the same time I was working with a Spanish speaking church in Arequipa.  This was pretty close to complete immersion I guess, since I went alone.  Anyways, I was able to prepare a short 6 or 7 minute Bible lesson to share with the church in Spanish the 4th week I was there and had preached a 40 minute sermon in Spanish by the time I left.  This is by know means a reflection of my ability.  What it does verify is that previous language study helps, RL helps, and immersion helps even more.  It's hard to find a good substitute for time and immersion puts that at close to every waking moment, at least that's the way it was in my situation.  If somehow I was learning faster than is normal then I must give God the credit for that.

Also, Fred-C14 has a good point about what is "taught" and what is "used."  While on a bus trip to Peru from Bolivia a young man from Europe struck up a conversation with me.  He knew very little Spanish and English was his 2nd language.  In the course of the conversation I had to explain certain phrases or words that he was unfamiliar with, even though he really had a good grasp of English.  One that comes to mind right now is the word "folks."  It's not a super common word in America, but is still in use and easily understood by native English speakers of the US and probably other English speaking countries also.
David K

David K

Thanks for this interesting and helpful article.
Hasan166

Hasan166

Hola todos;
Super good guiding information and good point of view from everyone. Thank you all very much.

Need your feedback and to hear your data to day experiences

What about living in a country where your language that you are trying learn are not spoken. Sure most of us are in same situation. I want to be in B2 intermediate in 6 months . What sort of additional items (other than RS) that we must experience? Watching movies in Spanish, find opportunities to involve in discussions, travel, "work" to force? , what about social media where people can find friends to meet and chat online or face to face?
what are your experiences?
I will be happy if you share your positive/negative experiences.
gracias. 
Hasan
Dan-H24

Dan-H24

My goal right now is to get as much "comprehensible input" as possible so as to be able to more quickly and efficiently understand what is being said to me, so that I can respond comfortably.

To that end, in addition to the things you mentioned above, I listen to Radio Marti in Spanish when I am driving in my car, I watch a video on Yabla every day, I read stories and articles in Spanish, I watch documentaries in Spanish (sometimes with Spanish subtitles turned on depending on the complexity of the content), I participate in language interchanges with native Spanish speakers both in person and via Skype, and I participate in a one hour Spanish conversation group every week.

You can find native speakers with whom to speak at conversationexchange.com. Probably other sites as well.

Buen suerte, 
Dan
Ramsey-P

Ramsey-P

This is very encourageing with all of this
Hasan166

Hasan166

Thanks Dan . All well noted. Appreciated