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 is no generic response.
Unfortunately there are simply far too many variables involved, in that so much relies on how much effort an individual is ready to put into studying the language, and also which technique or program they are going to be using. Add to that the fact that while some individuals may opt to use the services of a personal mentor, others will choose a classroom environment instead. Actually, some scholars will rather choose using one or other home study program which gets use out of books, multimedia, software, and audio recordings. You also have to ask yourself whether the individual will be learning the language in a land where it’s spoken as the first language, or whether they will be learning it in their home country. Additionally, the quality of a program or the expertise of a teacher will also influence the result.
Since these variables will have such a direct impact on how long does it take to learn Spanish, it is just not possible to provide a simple response to this question. In fact, I have personally known students who after half a year, managed to communicate confidently in conversational Spanish, but also , I’ve known individuals who have studied the Spanish language for a few years, albeit on an on and off basis, and yet after many years they can barely get by.
Rather than attempt to offer a single response to this question, I’d prefer to offer what I feel to be the fastest way of learning Spanish. The most vital step of all, is for a person to seize every available opportunity regarding interacting in the language they wish to learn, regardless of what language that may be.
While you actually do get those that are firm believers in the school room approach, I feel it takes too long unless it is done in association with another strategy. In my experience, a self study method of top quality is by far superior in that it permits a student to proceed at their own speed rather than being tied down to the average classroom pace. This is especially true regarding scholars who are genuinely serious about learning Spanish.
In this situation, I’d suggest a student to select a reputable program which includes a variety of audio lessons, multimedia lessons, and of course, written Spanish. In addition, 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 instance. Remember, if you’re serious about learning a language, then you should shoot at being able 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’ll require some additional material.
As you probably have already heard, Rocket Spanish is a highly popular program, and not without reason. Considering that it addresses all four of the area’s mentioned, it has gained a reputation for providing students with a first foundation for basic Spanish which in turn will make sure that you are able to communicate confidently in Spanish within a relatively short space of time. Similarly, Rosetta Stone is known to be just as good, in that it also addresses the four areas mentioned above. Furthermore, it is available in two versions so that scholars can choose between the “Spain” version and the Latin American Spanish version. Judging from testimonials, it seems 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 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 in a position to give a single response regarding “how long does it takes to learn Spanish. However, you’ve probably also gathered by now that there are several things you can do in order to speed up the process. In fact, many individuals 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 a hundred percent fluent. 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 talents Magazine. Similarly, you’d be stunned at just how much you can get benefits from joining a Meetup group in your neighborhood that is focused on learning the Spanish language.