Learn Spanish. How long does it take to learn a language? Do you really want to start studying Spanish? Do you wonder if it is easy for foreigners to learn Spanish? Do you want to know how much time you will need to understand your favorite series, to be able to travel without a dictionary or to sing the songs?
Do you really want to start studying Spanish?
Do you wonder if it is easy for foreigners to learn Spanish?
Do you want to know how much time you will need to understand your favorite series, to be able to travel without a dictionary or to sing Shakira's songs at the top of your lungs pronouncing each word?
Well, we don't know if we can help you with Shakira's songs... 😉
But if you want to know how long does it take to learn a language, Spanish in our case, in this article we will give you some clues about the time you will need to invest to achieve your goal and how to study a language quickly.
How long does it take to learn a language?
Einstein already said it: time is relative.
Each person has a different perception of time that can vary depending on the activity we do, the moment we are in and even the culture where we come from.
We Spaniards are a clear example of this.. Arriving five minutes late for an appointment does not mean the same in Finland as in any town in Galicia.
For the Spanish, being two hours talking with family or friends after eating is not at all a waste of time, on the contrary, it is such a popular custom that it even has its own name: the after-dinner.
Does the same happen in your country?
It depends on the activity we are doing, It seems to us that we are spending too little or too much time.
For example, use a hour and a half each day to get to our office may seem like too much time and yet, 8 hours of flight Even our dream vacation destination flies by.
At the time of learn a language, time will also be relative, since the amount that each person will need will depend on many factors:
Have you ever heard of CEFR? These acronyms correspond to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, an international standard that defines the linguistic competence that a person has achieved in a certain language.
This framework has greatly helped both teachers and students to answer one of the most frequently asked questions heard in a classroom:
“Teacher, what is my level of Spanish?”
The CEFR created and described in detail the levels of Spanish as a foreign language: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2. These levels are the same standards used by the ICervantes Institute in Spanish levels.
In this way, it is very easy for a university or a company to understand the language certificates that we present with our CV. With these levels of learning we can know how to learn to speak Spanish correctly.
The CEFR also standardized the duration of the study of Spanish at the levels, That is why we present to you the idea of the inverted pyramid.
How can you see in the pyramid, each level lasts longer than the previous level. That is, level A2 lasts longer than A1, level B1 lasts longer than A2, and so on.
Why is each level longer than the last? The answer is very simple: when we study a language, learning is summative.
If we are at level A2, we do not stop putting into practice what we have learned in A1. We are adding information and content, because in a language everything is connected.
In addition, the amount of content included in each level is also increasing.
Do you want to know What are the contents and possible difficulties of each level?? You are in the right place! Keep reading and you will know the most important differences between each of them.
How to learn basic Spanish?
Starting to learn a language from scratch is exciting. Surely you have also asked yourself the following questions during your first day of class in a new language:
“Will I understand anything?”
“Is it difficult to speak Spanish?”
“Will I be good at this language?”
For sure yes!
In the level A1 the first lessons of Spanish for foreigners: learn the time in Spanish, verbs in the present tense, essential vocabulary, adjectives, prepositions...
The greatest difficulty of this level is to discover and understandhow the language works what you are learning.
For example, in Spanish it is very important to understand what the basic grammatical structure is to build a sentence: SUBJECT + VERB + COMPLEMENT.
Additionally, at this level you will learn other grammatical content very important:
Furthermore, the vocabulary It plays a very important role in being able to communicate.
Is Spanish difficult for foreigners?
Some students think that Spanish is one of the most difficult languages because they don't know a single word.
But they soon discover that they know more than they thought because Spanish is everywhere!
Surely you also know some words in Spanish that you have learned thanks to a movie, a song or a restaurant menu! ☺
During the A1 level, you will learn basic vocabulary on everyday topics such as:
If level A1 had another name, it would be called like this: “ME AND MY SURROUNDINGS”.
The objective of this level is for the student to be able to communicate in simple everyday situations with very frequently used expressions.
How long does it take to learn Spanish at level A1?
This level usually lasts between 80 and 100 hoursand when you complete it, you will be able to introduce yourself, ask for and give basic personal information, talk about your likes and interests and your daily routine.
The A2 It is a very rich level because by completing this level, you will be able to talk about many varied topics, you will be able to talk about simple aspects of your past, tell many lived experiences and also imagine your future.
Its duration is between 100 and 140 hours of class.
If the A2 had another name, it would be called “ME AND MY EXPERIENCES”.
The greatest difficulty at this level is to handle the three past that are studied at that level.
Of course, the satisfaction of controlling them is much greater than the difficulty and surely at the end of the level, you will be an ax from the past.
Here you have the most important grammatical content of this level:
As you can see, a lot of emphasis is placed on all the verb tenses of the indicative mood. As for vocabulary, we begin to touch on more advanced topics, such as world of work or studies. Here we present the most important ones:
One of the most interesting levels of Spanish is, without a doubt, the B1 level.
It usually lasts between 120 and 180 hours of class.
At this level it appearsthe famous SUBJUNCTIVE, one of the Spanish verbal modes most desired by students.
If you ask any Spanish student, they will probably tell you that the subjunctive It is the most difficult part of this level.
However, when you get to know him a little better, you realize that it's very logical and its rules are not that complicated. Plus, it's so useful!
At this level, and partly thanks to the subjunctive, you will learn to convey your wishes and dreams, you will be able to evaluate situations, from justify your opinions, from make hypotheses about the future and the past and many more things...
If he level B1 had another name, it would be called “ME AND MY IDEAS”.
Of course, not everything is subjunctive at this level. Here you have the grammatical content main:
As for the vocabulary, the variety of topics and lexical fields worked on will increase and at this level the texts begin to take on special importance.
As for the lexical contents, here you can see the main ones:
Do you dare to discover the B1?
How long does it take to learn Spanish at level B2? This level usually lasts between 150 and 200 hours of class.
The oldest B2 difficulty is the amount ofgrammatical information that includes this level, since they all appear sentence types and their connectors.
But when you master them, you will be able to give detailed information on general topics and you will know how speak Spanish fluently in different situations and also write long texts on very varied topics.
Therefore, the B2 is he level that they usually ask of you when you are looking for a job or do you want enter a university master's degree. To prove it, you can take the DELE exam.
If you are thinking about taking this exam, we recommend that you read “The 15 tips for the DELE oral exam that do not fail”
How many words do you need to speak a language?
A person with a level B2 knows between 5,000 and 10,000 words. It is said that a person who has this level can travel the world and communicate in almost any situation in the Spanish language.
So, if B2 had another name, it would be called “ME AND THE WORLD”.
Probably one of the biggest difficulties that students encounter at this level is the vocabulary.
Spanish is a very rich language, full of idiomatic expressions, proverbs and synonymous words that make the texts much more enjoyable and interesting.
Furthermore, at this level you will discover new values of some grammar points that you already thought you knew.
At this level grammar and pragmaticsThey will go hand in hand so that you are able to transmit specific intentions in different contexts.
Level C1 lasts between 180 and 240 hours of class.
When you complete the level, you will be able to function with ease in almost any situation and you will always be able to find the appropriate expression for each context.
And the most important thing is that, when you speak Spanish, You will get everyone to look at you with admiration:
“You speak Spanish so well!”
“What a vocabulary you have!”
“You are a Spanish axe!”
I'm sure you want to reach this level too!
If you have reached this level, you will almost know how to speak Spanish like a native. Speaking Spanish well here will no longer be a problem. So, what do you think is the greatest difficulty of the level C2?
At level C2 the most important and perhaps the most difficult is understand the value of the word.
Depending on what grammar structure you choose and what vocabulary you use, your words will have one effect or another on the listener. Learning these differences is both exciting and complicated.
Furthermore, the objective of this level is for you to be able to easily understand practically everything you hear or read, so it is important to know the cultural references.
C2 level can last between 210 and 260 hours of class.
It may seem like a very long level, but in the end you will be able to express yourself very fluently and with a degree of precision that will allow youdifferentiate small nuances of meaning in any situation.
How long does it take to learn a language?
There are many factors that can make a difference in the time you will need to learn Spanish. Here we present some of them.
The first thing we want you to be clear about is that Everyone can learn Spanish!
There are many studies that classify languages according to their difficulty when learning it.
Is it difficult to learn Spanish for a foreigner? It depends on where you are from and your native language.
For example, the Foreign Service Institute has created a ranking in which languages appear classified into groups according to how complicated they are for English speakers.
According to this ranking, if your native language is English, you're in luck! Spanish is in group number 1, that is, the group with the least difficulty.
Also if your native language and Spanish have a similar root or share many characteristics, such as Italian, Portuguese or French, it will surely be easy for you to start communicating in Spanish.
The language of origin can make a difference when you start to discover Spanish, but not so much when it comes to perfecting the language.
So if you hear the phrase again that Spanish is one of the most difficult languages, your response should be: “Not at all!”
Wherever you are from, I am sure that, with enthusiasm and perseverance, you will be able to achieve your goal!
As we have seen in the inverted pyramid, Each level is marked with an approximate duration of hours., so it will be a little easier for you to get an idea of how much to study per day to complete a level.
For example, according to the CEFR if we want to complete level A1, we will need around 100 hours of study.
Does that mean that if you don't sleep for a week you can complete the level? Nooo, and we don't recommend it!
Our brain needs time to assimilate information We are learning, so please sleep and eat well when you are studying anything. 😉
The number that appears in the inverted pyramid will help you know roughly how long it will take.
If you take an intensive course of 20 hours a week, you will be able to finish level A1 in about five weekss while, if you can only dedicate an hour a day to study Spanish, the A1 would last about 4 months.
Therefore, we do not think that it is possible to learn a language in a month. You can learn an A1 level, but that's just the base. I'm so sorry, when it comes to learning languages, there are no shortcuts!
And you, how much time do you have to dedicate to Spanish?
Should you study Spanish vocabulary every day?
It is advisable to study something every day, yes. But don't get overwhelmed, it's better to go little by little than to start very strong and then become demotivated by the pressure.
Imagine yourself on a beach, sunbathing on your towel and enjoying your favorite drink while learning Spanish with a app. Sounds wonderful, right?
However, with a app You will surely need much more time to study Spanish and the result will not be as good as what you will get if you are in a class with a teaching professional.
The more Spanish you listen to and speak, the faster you will learn.
Therefore, there is also a difference if you study Spanish in a school in your country or if you take a spanish course in a school in a Spanish-speaking country.
There are many people who say:
“It is difficult for me to speak Spanish fluently.”
“I'm not good with languages”.
It is true that there are people who have an easier time learning a language than others. But the truth is that skill is not as important as dedication.
Sometimes it's just more important. study habit than the difficulty of the language you are learning.
And don't think that learning a language is only for young people. If you are wondering how to learn Spanish as an adult, the answer is the same: dedication and study habit.
Is it advisable to study two languages at the same time? If you know other languages it may be a good idea.
If you have already studied one or two languages, you will probably understand more easily what is happening in class or even what the teacher is asking you.
Furthermore, if you have already studied other languages or have a great knowledge of your native language, your brain is already prepared to make connections between the vocabulary of different languages, so learning a third language will be easier. How interesting!
Of course, to learn something new, a small dose of motivation is always necessary.
Taking a compulsory Spanish subject in secondary school is not the same as starting Spanish because you love the culture, because you are going to start a new and exciting job or because you have found love in Spain.
Surely If you are motivated, you will need less time to learn the Spanish language.
And for you, what is the reason that has motivated you to study Spanish?
How to learn a language? How to learn a language fast?
If you want to learn Spanish as quickly as possible, read the following tricks to learn languages fast, they will surely help you!
Take out your agenda and your planner and take into account how much time you can dedicate to Spanish per day or week.
When you have it clear, think what time of day are you most productive. In the morning, in the afternoon, at night?
If you are clear about these two points, it will be very easy for you. set a time.
Try to follow him, but be flexibleand don't beat yourself up if one day you can't meet your own schedule, because learning a language from scratch is a long-term career and it takes a lot of patience. You don't need to do everything perfect, you need to be consistent.
Setting short-term goals is something that is needed to study languages. When we have a very big challenge such as, for example, obtaining a Diploma of Spanish as a Foreign Language, we may think that it is a difficult or unattainable goal.
but If you divide your big goal into small objectives, you will realize that it is not that difficult to get where you want.
Simplify goals and write them in your notebook following a logical order of difficulty.
Here we give you an example of small objectives to use your Spanish:
What do you think? They are small challenges that with a little effort you can achieve good results.
Don't always try to look for perfection, or go headlong into the most difficult thing. For example, if you are at an A1 level, don't start reading a 1,000-page book with many difficult phrases and words in Spanish for foreigners.
If you do this you will get frustrated. Start by reading a short book appropriate to your level.
How to learn a language on your own? Being organized will help you a lot.
If you are organized, the brain memorizes better. So, if you want to learn Spanish quickly, we recommend that you have your class notes organized.
Do you need tips to be more organized?
To better study the vocabulary, use infographics organized by themes or semantic fields. If you want, you can download an infographic with the most useful phrases in Spanish.
Your notes will surely be the envy of everyone!
Traveling is always a pleasure and if you can also Take advantage of your vacation to put into practice all the Spanish you know, much better!
In addition to disconnecting from your daily routine, look at all the things you can do to include Spanish in your vacation:
Do you already have your vacation planned? Do you think you could do all the things on the list?
Surround yourself with as much Spanish as you can, in this way your ears will get used to the intonation, you will naturally copy some grammatical structures and you will surely learn vocabulary almost without realizing it.
Do you study Spanish in your country and it is not so easy to practice it with anyone? Don't worry!
Follow these tips to make it easier for you to have Spanish in your daily life:
With people everything is more fun! And you also learn better!
When we are surrounded by people it is easier for us to learn.
The brain learns, in part, thanks to emotions. When there is emotion, there is learning. And emotions always appear with people!
How many people speak Spanish? Very much!
You surely have someone native to practice Spanish with, so practice with that person and you will see results in much less time.
Do you want to know how to be fluent when speaking Spanish? Make Spanish friends and talk to them.
If you really want to learn the Spanish language as quickly as possible, we are convinced that a Spanish course will help you to accelerate your learning process.
In a Spanish course there is a ELE teaching professional who is prepared to resolve all the doubts you have immediately.
In addition, it will help you set realistic goals, it will motivate you not to throw in the towel and it will put at your disposal all the tools so that you fall in love with Spanish and become an expert.
And if this course is in a Spanish-speaking country, even better! You will have a complete language immersion!
If you want to learn to speak Spanish in a professional, fast and fun way, and you want to learn to write Spanish correctly, we encourage you to sign up for our spanish courses in Hispania, Spanish school.
As you have seen, There are many factors that can influence in the amount of time we are going to need to learn the Spanish language.
You can use the image of the inverted pyramidof CEFR to guide you, but remember that this amount will depend on your language of origin, where you study Spanish, how much time you can dedicate and, above all, your desire and motivation.
Did you like this guide to learning Spanish for foreigners?
And you, do you want to learn this wonderful language?
We are waiting for you in Hispania, Spanish school! 😉
Article written by Alicia Ramoyes for Hispania, Spanish school
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