I am often asked, “how long does it take to learn Spanish?” I’m afraid this is largely a million-dollar question and one for which there is no single response.
Unfortunately there are simply too many variables concerned, in that so much depends on how much effort a person is prepared to put into learning the language, and also which strategy 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 personal tutor, others will choose a classroom environment instead. In fact, some scholars will rather select using one or other home study program which gets use from books, multimedia, software, and audio recordings. You also have to ask yourself whether or not the student 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 outcome.
Because these variables will have such a direct result on how long does it take to learn Spanish, it is simply not possible to provide a simple response to this query. In reality, I have personally met individuals who after six months, managed to communicate confidently in conversational Spanish, but also , I’ve known folks who have studied 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.
Rather than attempting to provide a generic response 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 student to take advantage of each available opportunity with regards to interacting in the language they want to learn, irrespective of what language that might be.
While you actually do get those who are firm believers in the classroom approach, I feel it takes too long unless it is done in conjunction with another method. In my viewpoint, a self study system of top quality is by far superior in that it permits a student to move forward at their own speed rather than being tied down to the average lecture room pace. This is especially true regarding persons who are really intent on learning a language.
In this case, I’d suggest a student to go for a credible program which includes a selection of audio lessons, multimedia lessons, and naturally, written Spanish. In addition, they should choose a program which allows for lessons to be downloaded onto a mobile device so that they can listen on their iPod for instance. 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 require some additional material.
As you most likely have already heard, Rocket Spanish is an intensely favored program, and not without reason. Considering that it addresses all four of the area’s discussed, it has gained a reputation for providing students with a first[ class foundation for basic Spanish which in turn will make sure that you are able to communicate confidently in Spanish inside a comparatively short space of time. Similarly, Rosetta Stone is considered to be just as good, in that it also addresses the 4 areas mentioned above. Furthermore, it is available in two versions so that people can select between the “Spain” version and the Latin American Spanish version. Judging from testimonials, it would appear that the Rosetta Stone program takes slightly longer to work through, which of course means it’ll take you a little longer before you develop conversational Spanish but generally, it ranks right up there with Rocket Spanish. Also, Rosetta Stone is quite a bit costlier.
As you can see, there are too many variables involved for me or anyone else to be in a position to give a single answer with regards to “how long does it takes to learn Spanish. However, you have potentially also gathered by this time that there are several things you can do in order to hurry up the method. In reality, many students go as far as using both the programs mentioned together with each other to develop conversational abilities as rapidly as possible. However, unless you are steadily exposed to the Spanish language, no program will be capable of making you one hundred percent 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. Furthermore, you’d be surprised at how much you can benefit from joining a Meetup group in your neighborhood that is focused on learning the Spanish language.
