I am often asked, “how long does it take to learn Spanish?” I’m afraid that this is largely a million dollar question and one for which there’s no simple response.
Sadly there are simply way too many variables concerned, in that so much depends on how much effort a student is willing to put into [...] [...more]
I am often asked, “how long does it take to learn Spanish?” I’m afraid that this is largely a million dollar question and one for which there’s no simple response.
Sadly there are simply way too many variables concerned, in that so much depends on how much effort a student is willing to put into learning the language, and also which method or program they are going to be using. Add to that the incontrovertible fact that while some individuals may decide to use the services of a private mentor, others will select a classroom environment instead. In fact, 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 have to ask whether or not the scholar will be learning the language in a country where it’s spoken as the native language, or whether they will 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 single answer to this query. In reality, I have personally known students who after half a year, managed to communicate confidently in conversational Spanish, but also , I’ve known folks who have studied the Spanish language for a period of years, frankly on an on and off basis, and yet after many years they can hardly get by.
Rather than attempting to offer a simple answer to this question, I’d prefer to offer what I feel to be the quickest way of learning Spanish. The most important step of all, is for a student to seize each available opportunity with regards to interacting in the language they wish to learn, irrespective of what language that might be.
While you definitely do get people who are firm believers in the classroom approach, I feel it takes too long unless it is done with another method. In my viewpoint, a self study method of high quality is easily superior in that it allows a student to progress at their own pace rather than being tied down to the average lecture room pace. This is especially true with regards to individuals who are genuinely serious about learning the Spanish language.
In this situation, I might suggest a student to select a credible program which includes a range of audio lessons, multimedia lessons, and naturally, written Spanish. In addition, 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 example. Remember, if you’re serious about learning a language, then you should shoot at having the ability to not only speak it and read it, but also to write it and understand it. Unless a program covers all 4 of these areas, it should be avoided or at least, you may need some further material.
As you’ll have already heard, Rocket Spanish is an intensely favored program, and not without reason. Considering that it addresses all four of the area’s mentioned, it has gained a reputation for providing scholars with a top foundation for basic Spanish which in turn will ensure that you are able to speak confidently in Spanish within a relatively short space of time. Likewise, Rosetta Stone is known to be nearly as good, in that it also addresses the 4 areas discussed above. Furthermore, it is available in two versions so that individuals can choose between the “Spain” version and the Latin American Spanish version. Judging by testimonials, it seems the Rosetta Stone program takes a little longer to work through, which of course means it will 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 significantly more expensive.
As you can see, there are too many variables concerned for me or anyone else to be in a position to give a single response regarding “how long does it takes to learn Spanish. However, you’ve doubtless also gathered by this point that there are a few things you can do in order to hurry up the method. Actually, many students go as far as using both the programs mentioned together with each other in order to develop conversational talents as rapidly as possible. However, unless you are continuously exposed to the Spanish language, no program will be capable of making you 100 % smooth. On the other hand, providing you are at an intermediate-to-advanced level, you might consider subscribing to Puerta del Sol Audio magazine which is a Spanish language skills Magazine. Similarly, you’d be stunned at how much you can benefit from joining a Meetup group in your neighborhood that is focused on learning the Spanish language.