I am often asked, “how long does it take to learn Spanish?” I’m afraid this is basically a million dollar question and one for which there’s no generic answer.
Sadly there are simply too many variables involved, in that so much relies on how much effort an individual is ready to put into learning the language, and also which technique or program they will be using. Add to that the fact that while some people may decide to use the services of a private tutor, others will select a classroom environment instead. Actually, some scholars will rather select using one or other home study program which gets use from books, multimedia, software, and audio recordings. You also need to ask whether or not the scholar will be learning the language in a place where it’s spoken as the native language, or whether they’ll be learning it in their home country. Additionally, the standard 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 simple response to this question. In fact, I have personally met people who after six months, managed to communicate confidently in conversational Spanish, but also , I’ve known individuals who have attempted to study the Spanish language for a period of years, admittedly on an on and off basis, and yet after many years they can barely get by.
Instead of attempting to offer a simple response to this question, I’d rather respond with what I feel to be the fastest way of learning Spanish. The most significant step of all, is for a person to take advantage of every possible opportunity regarding interacting in the language they want to learn, regardless of what language that might be.
While you actually do get people who are firm believers in the lecture room approach, I actually feel it takes too long unless it is done in conjunction with another method. To my mind, a self study method of high quality is easily superior in that it allows a student to progress at their own speed rather than being tied down to the average lecture room pace. This is especially true with regards to scholars who are really intent on learning the Spanish language.
In this situation, I’d suggest a student to opt for a credible program which includes a variety 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 as an example. Remember, if you’re serious about learning a language, then you should aim at being able 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 should be avoided or at least, you may need some additional material.
As you may have already heard, Rocket Spanish is an intensely popular program, and not without reason. Considering that it addresses all 4 of the area’s discussed, it has gained a name for providing students with a-class foundation for basic Spanish which in turn will make sure that you are able to communicate confidently in Spanish within a comparatively short space of time. Similarly, Rosetta Stone is thought to be nearly as good, in that it also addresses the 4 areas discussed above. Furthermore, it is available in two versions so that scholars can select between the “Spain” version and the South American Spanish version. Judging by testimonials, it seems the Rosetta Stone program takes a little longer to work thru, which of course means it’ll 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 more expensive.
As you can see, there are too many variables concerned 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 point that there are a few things you can do in order to hurry up the process. In reality, many individuals go as far as using both the programs mentioned together with each other to develop conversational skills as quickly as possible. However, unless you are continuously exposed to the Spanish language, no program will be capable of making you 100 p.c fluent. 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 skills Magazine. Furthermore, you’d be stunned at quite how much you can benefit from joining a Meetup group in your neighborhood that focuses on learning the Spanish language.
