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’s no generic response.
Sadly there are simply far too many variables concerned, in that so much relies on how much effort an individual is prepared to put into learning the language, and also which technique or program they are going to be using. Add to that the fact that while some people may opt to use the services of a private mentor, others will select a classroom environment instead. In fact, some students will rather select using one or other home study program which makes use of books, multimedia, software, and audio recordings. You also need to ask whether or not the person will be learning the language in a country where it’s spoken as the local language, or whether they’ll be learning it in their home country. Additionally, the standard of a program or the experience of a teacher will also influence the end result.
Because these variables will have such a direct result on how long does it take to learn Spanish, it is just not possible to provide a single response to this question. In fact, I have personally known scholars who after half a year, were able to communicate confidently in conversational Spanish, but I have also met 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 hardly get by.
Instead of attempting to offer a simple answer to this question, I would prefer to respond with what I feel to be the fastest way of learning Spanish. The most significant step of all, is for a person to seize each possible opportunity with regards to interacting in the language they would like to learn, regardless of what language that might be.
While you actually do get people who are firm adherents of the lecture room approach, I personally feel it takes too long unless it is done in conjunction with another technique. To my mind, a self study method of good quality is by far superior in that it permits a student to progress at their own speed instead of being tied down to the average classroom pace. This is particularly true with regards to individuals who are really serious about learning the Spanish language.
In this situation, I might suggest a student to select a credible program which includes a selection 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 for having the ability to not only speak it and read it, but also to write it and understand it. Unless a program covers all four of these areas, it must be avoided or at least, you will need some additional material.
As you probably have already heard, Rocket Spanish is an extremely popular program, and not without reason. Considering that it addresses all 4 of the area’s discussed, it has gained a reputation for providing students with a-class 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. 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 students can select between the “Spain” version and the Latin American Spanish version. Judging by testimonials, it seems that the Rosetta Stone program takes a touch longer to work through, which of course means it will take you a little longer before you develop conversational Spanish but generally, 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 able to give a simple answer regarding “how long does it takes to learn Spanish. However, you have potentially also gathered by this time that there are many things you can do in order to hurry up the process. In reality, many students 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 continuously exposed to the Spanish language, no program will be capable of making you one hundred p.c smooth. On the other hand, providing you’re at an intermediate-to-advanced level, you might consider subscribing to Puerta del Sol Audio magazine which is a Spanish language abilities Magazine. Similarly, you’d be stunned at quite how much you can benefit from joining a Meetup group in your neighborhood that is focused on learning the Spanish language.