How Long Does It Take To Learn Spanish?

I am often asked, “how long does it take to learn Spanish?” I am afraid that this is basically a million-dollar question and one for which there is no universal response.

Sadly there are simply far too many variables concerned, in that so much depends on how much effort someone is willing 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 scholars may opt to use the services of a personal tutor, others will select a classroom environment instead. In reality, some students will rather opt for using one or other home study program which makes use of books, multimedia, software, and audio recordings. You also need to ask whether or not the person 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. Similarly, the quality of a program or the expertise of a teacher will also influence the result.

Because these variables will have such a direct effect on how long does it take to learn Spanish, it is simply not feasible to provide a single answer to this question. In reality, I have personally been involved with people who after six months, managed to communicate confidently in conversational Spanish, but also , I’ve known folks who have attempted to study the Spanish language for a period of years, frankly on an on and off basis, and yet after many years they can hardly get by.

Instead of attempting to provide a simple answer to this question, I would 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 each available opportunity regarding interacting in the language they would like to learn, regardless of what language that could be.

While you certainly do get those that are firm followers of the lecture room approach, I personally feel it takes too long unless it is done in conjunction with another method. In my viewpoint, a self study system of high quality is by far superior in that it permits a student to proceed at their own pace instead of being tied down to the average lecture room pace. This is very true regarding persons who are really intent on learning Spanish.

In this example, I would suggest a person to select a reputable program which includes a range 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 instance. Remember, if you’re serious about learning a language, then you should aim at being able to not only speak it and read it, but also to write it and understand it. Unless a program covers all 4 of these areas, it should be avoided or at least, you’ll require some further material.

As you probably have already heard, Rocket Spanish is a highly well-liked program, and not without reason. Considering that it addresses all four 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 are able to communicate confidently in Spanish within a relatively short space of time. Likewise, 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 scholars can choose between the “Spain” version and the South American Spanish version. Judging from testimonials, it would appear that the Rosetta Stone program takes a little 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 considerably costlier.

As you can see, there are too many variables involved for me or anyone else to be able to give a single answer regarding “how long does it takes to learn Spanish. However, you have potentially also gathered by now that there are a few things you can do in order to speed up the process. In reality, many individuals go as far as using both the programs discussed in conjunction with each other in order 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 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. Similarly, you’d be shocked at how much you can benefit from joining a Meetup group in your area that focuses on learning the Spanish language.

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jonny on October 31st 2009 in general

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