I am often asked, “how long does it take to learn Spanish?” I am afraid this is largely a million-dollar question and one for which there is no generic response.
Unfortunately there are simply far too many variables concerned, in that so much relies on how much effort someone is prepared to put into learning the language, and also which technique or program they’ll be using. Add to that the indisputable fact that while some students may choose to use the services of a personal mentor, others will select a classroom environment instead. Actually, some scholars will rather choose using one or other home study program which makes use of books, multimedia, software, and audio recordings. You also have to ask whether the scholar will be learning the language in a place where it’s spoken as the native language, or whether they will be learning it in their home country. Similarly, the standard of a program or the experience of a teacher will also influence the end result.
Since these variables will have such a direct result on how long does it take to learn Spanish, it is simply not feasible to provide a simple answer to this question. In fact, I have personally met scholars who after half a year, managed to communicate confidently in conversational Spanish, but also , I’ve known folks who have attempted to study the Spanish language for a period of years, albeit on an on and off basis, and yet after many years they can hardly get by.
Instead of attempting to supply a single response to this question, I’d prefer to discuss 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 every available opportunity regarding interacting in the language they want to learn, irrespective of what language that could be.
While you certainly do get those that are firm believers in the classroom approach, I feel it takes too long unless it is done in conjunction with another strategy. In my opinion, a self study system of high quality is by a large margin superior in that it allows a student to move forward at their own speed instead of being tied down to the average lecture room pace. This is particularly true regarding students who are genuinely serious about learning Spanish.
In this situation, I’d suggest a student to opt for a reputable program which includes a range of audio lessons, multimedia lessons, and naturally, written Spanish. Additionally, they should choose a program which allows for lessons to be downloaded onto a mobile device so that the student 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 four of these areas, it should be avoided or at least, you’ll require some extra material.
As you may have already heard, Rocket Spanish is an extremely favored program, and not without reason. Considering that it addresses all 4 of the area’s mentioned, it has gained a reputation for providing students with aclass] foundation for basic Spanish which in turn will make sure that you’re able to communicate confidently in Spanish inside a comparatively short space of time. Similarly, Rosetta Stone is understood to be quite as good, in that it also addresses the 4 areas mentioned above. Furthermore, it is available in two versions so that scholars can select between the “Spain” version and the Latin American Spanish version. Judging by testimonials, it would seem that the Rosetta Stone program takes slightly 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 significantly costlier.
As you can see, there are too many variables involved for me or anyone else to be ready to give a simple response regarding “how long does it takes to learn Spanish. However, you have probably also gathered by this time that there are a few things you can do in order to speed up the method. Actually, many scholars go as far as using both the programs mentioned together with each other to develop conversational abilities as fast as possible. However, unless you are continuously exposed to the Spanish language, no program will be capable of making you one hundred percent smooth. On the other hand, providing you are at an intermediate-to-advanced level, you might want to consider subscribing to Puerta del Sol Audio magazine which is a Spanish language abilities Magazine. Furthermore, you’d be shocked at quite how much you can benefit from joining a Meetup group in your neighborhood that focuses on learning the Spanish language.