I am often asked, “how long does it take to learn Spanish?” I’m afraid that this is essentially a million dollar question and one for which there’s no generic response.
Sadly there are simply way too many variables involved, in that so much depends on how much effort an individual is prepared to put into studying the language, and also which method 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 select a classroom environment instead. In fact, some scholars will rather choose using one or other home study program which makes use of books, multimedia, software, and audio recordings. You also need to ask whether the student will be learning the language in a country where it’s spoken as the native language, or whether they’ll be learning it in their home country. Similarly, 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 feasible to provide a simple answer to this query. In fact, I have personally met students who after six months, were able to communicate confidently in conversational Spanish, but I have also met individuals who have attempted to study the Spanish language for a few years, frankly on an on and off basis, and yet after many years they can hardly get by.
Instead of attempting to supply a generic response to this question, I’d rather offer what I feel to be the quickest way of learning Spanish. The most vital step of all, is for a student to take advantage of each available opportunity regarding interacting in the language they want to learn, regardless of what language that may be.
While you actually do get those who are firm adherents of the school room approach, I feel it takes too long unless it is done in conjunction with another strategy. In my viewpoint, a self study system of good quality is by far superior in that it allows a student to proceed at their own speed rather than being tied down to the average study room pace. This is particularly true with regards to individuals who are really serious about learning Spanish.
In this case, I would suggest a person to go for a credible program which includes a variety 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 the student can listen on their iPod as an example. Remember, if you’re serious about learning a language, then you should aim for being able to not only speak it and write it, but also to read it and understand it. Unless a program covers all four of these areas, it should be avoided or at least, you will need some further material.
As you may have already heard, Rocket Spanish is an intensely favored program, and not without reason. Considering that it addresses all 4 of the area’s mentioned, it has gained a name for providing scholars with a-class foundation for basic Spanish which in turn will make sure that you’re able to speak confidently in Spanish within a comparatively short space of time. Similarly, Rosetta Stone is considered to be just as good, in that it also addresses the four areas discussed above. Furthermore, it is available in two versions so that people can choose between the “Spain” version and the Latin American Spanish version. Judging from testimonials, it would seem 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 more expensive.
As you can see, there are too many variables concerned 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’ve probably also gathered by now that there are several things you can do in order to hurry up the method. In fact, many students go as far as using both the programs discussed together with each other in order to develop conversational talents as rapidly as possible. However, unless you are steadily exposed to the Spanish language, no program will be capable of making you a hundred percent smooth. On the other hand, providing you are at an intermediate-to-advanced level, you might consider subscribing to Puerta del Sol Audio magazine which is a Spanish language skills Magazine. Additionally, you’d be surprised at quite how much you can benefit from joining a Meetup group in your area that concentrates on learning the Spanish language.
