I am often asked, “how long does it take to learn Spanish?” I am afraid this is basically a million-dollar question and one for which there’s no generic answer.
Sadly there are simply way too many variables involved, in that so much relies on how much effort an individual is willing to put into learning the language, and also which technique or program they’ll be using. Add to that the fact that while some scholars 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 have to ask whether or not the individual 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 quality of a program or the expertise 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 single response to this question. In fact, I have personally been involved with individuals who after six months, were able to communicate confidently in conversational Spanish, but I have also known individuals who have studied 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.
Rather than attempt 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 vital step of all, is for a person to take advantage of every possible opportunity with regards to interacting in the language they would like to learn, irrespective of what language that may be.
While you actually do get people who are firm believers in the classroom approach, I actually feel it takes too long unless it is done in association with another method. In my viewpoint, a self study system of high quality is by a large margin superior in that it permits a student to move forward at their own speed rather than being tied down to the average classroom pace. This is very true with regards to persons who are genuinely serious about learning Spanish.
In this situation, I might suggest a student to go for a credible program which includes a selection of audio lessons, multimedia lessons, and of course, written Spanish. In addition, they should select 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 shoot 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 extra material.
As you probably have already heard, Rocket Spanish is a highly well-liked program, and not without reason. Considering that it addresses all 4 of the area’s mentioned, it has gained a name for providing students with aclass] foundation for basic Spanish which in turn will make sure that you’re able to speak confidently in Spanish inside a relatively short space of time. Similarly, Rosetta Stone is thought to be just as good, in that it also addresses the 4 areas discussed above. Furthermore, it is available in two versions so that people can choose between the “Spain” version and the South American Spanish version. Judging by testimonials, it seems that the Rosetta Stone program takes slightly longer to work thru, 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 more expensive.
As you can see, there are too many variables involved for me or anyone else to be ready to give a single response with regards to “how long does it takes to learn Spanish. However, you’ve probably also gathered by now that there are many things you can do in order to hurry up the method. In fact, many people go as far as using both the programs discussed with each other to develop conversational abilities as rapidly as possible. However, unless you are continuously exposed to the Spanish language, no program will be capable of making you one hundred percent 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 abilities Magazine. Additionally, you’d be stunned at how much you can get benefits from joining a Meetup group in your neighborhood that focuses on learning the Spanish language.
