How Long Does It Take To Learn Spanish?
September 30, 2009 by Tucker · 16 Comments
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 is no universal answer.
Sadly there are simply far too many variables concerned, in that so much relies on how much effort a person is willing to put into studying the language, and also which method or program they’ll be using. Add to that the incontrovertible fact that while some scholars may opt to use the services of a personal mentor, others will choose a classroom environment instead. Actually, some scholars 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 whether the person will be learning the language in a place where it’s spoken as the local language, or whether they’ll be learning it in their home country. Furthermore, the standard of a program or the experience of a teacher will also influence the outcome.
Because these variables will have such a direct impact on how long does it take to learn Spanish, it is just not feasible to provide a simple response to this question. In fact, I have personally met individuals who after six months, were able to communicate confidently in conversational Spanish, but also , I’ve known individuals 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 barely get by.
Rather than attempting to offer a generic answer to this question, I would prefer to respond with what I feel to be the fastest way of learning Spanish. The most important step of all, is for a person to take advantage of each possible opportunity with regards to interacting in the language they wish to learn, regardless of what language that could be.
While you certainly do get those who are firm believers in the lecture room approach, I personally feel it takes too long unless it is done in association with another strategy. To my mind, a self study strategy of high quality is by far superior in that it allows a student to move forward at their own speed instead of being tied down to the average classroom pace. This is especially true regarding scholars who are really intent on learning the Spanish language.
In this case, I might suggest a person to go for a reputable program which includes a selection of audio lessons, multimedia lessons, and of course, 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 aim for having the ability to not only speak it and write it, but also to read it and understand it. Unless a program covers all 4 of these areas, it needs to be avoided or at least, you may require some extra material.
As you could have already heard, Rocket Spanish is an intensely well-liked program, and not without reason. Considering that it addresses all four of the area’s mentioned, it has gained a name for providing students with a first[ class foundation for basic Spanish which in turn will make sure that you are able to speak confidently in Spanish inside a comparatively short space of time. Likewise, Rosetta Stone is understood to be just as good, in that it also addresses the 4 areas mentioned above. Furthermore, it is available in two versions so that scholars can choose between the “Spain” version and the South American Spanish version. Judging by testimonials, it would seem the Rosetta Stone program takes a little longer to work thru, 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 considerably 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 doubtless also gathered by this time that there are many things you can do in order to hurry up the method. Actually, many people go as far as using both the programs discussed in conjunction with each other in order to develop conversational talents as quickly as possible. However, unless you are steadily exposed to the Spanish language, no program will be capable of making you a hundred percent smooth. 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. Furthermore, you’d be surprised at how much you can benefit from joining a Meetup group in your area that focuses on learning the Spanish language.
