How Long Does It Take To Learn Spanish?
Learning Spanish and How Long You’ll Need
We at Idyoma know that in most cases, language learning is often easier and most efficient when conducted outside of a classroom environment. In this blog, I’m going to give you some pointers on how to make learning Spanish not only quicker, but more fun and easier to fit into your day.
Learning Spanish - How Many Hours A Day?
How many hours per day you’re willing and able to put into learning Spanish is crucial, whichever language learning method you decide to use. From my own personal experience, these hours are best used listening to Spanish language learning podcasts, and using a language exchange tool, such as Idyoma.
Who would rather sit in a classroom reading a textbook than learning while you live? Not me, that’s for sure. By utilising the tools mentioned above, you can learn while you cook, walk the dog or even while you’re chilling out on a Sunday, tucked up on the sofa.
I would definitely recommend dedicating around 3 hours per day to learning Spanish with these methods, as this amount of time being focused on a certain topic allows the brain to retain more information than, for example, intermittent 1 hour sessions in a classroom.
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Learning Spanish - Do You Speak Any Other Languages?
Familiarity can apply to language learning, and learning Spanish is no exception to that. For example, Portuguese is similar to Spanish in that they share certain aspects of vocabulary and grammar. However, they differ in sound. Greek is similar to Spanish in terms of pronunciation, but different with regards to vocabulary and grammar. So, although it’s a strange concept, being fluent in one language can certainly help you learn another.
For those of us who speak English, those advantages are already in place to learn Spanish. This is because English and Spanish actually share a lot of vocabulary, as both have roots to common Latin. When learning any new language, it’s the sounds and pronunciation that are the most difficult to wrap your head around; for example, there are a lot of sounds in the Spanish that sound very similar, which is difficult to grasp at first and will take a while to get used to, but, as an English speaker, you already have a head start.
Source: Pixabay
Learning Spanish - Surround Yourself With Spanish
If you have the means to be able to visit a Spanish speaking country, do it. I have found that one of the best ways to test yourself and pick up some phrases and correct pronunciations is to immerse yourself in the country and culture of the language you are learning.
The confidence you can gain from interacting with native Spanish speakers is invaluable. They will often correct you politely if you make any mistakes, and teach you on the spot about different ways to say certain phrases to make them easier for you in the future. Of course, it may feel like a pressurised situation, and that’s not for everyone, but that pressure can bring out the best of your knowledge on the spot.
This method can also help you continue to learn and give you more drive to revisit the mistakes you made in order to correct them for next time. The psychological barrier of fluency and trying to mask your disamy after making mistakes will be shattered after just a few weeks interacting solely in Spanish, in real life situations.
So, if you do have the means, time and courage to make that leap, I would fully recommend it!
Learning Spanish - How Much Do You Want It?
Drive and determination are key factors in learning Spanish. If you’re just looking to learn a few phrases for your upcoming holiday, like “two beers please!” or “is there a McDonalds close by?” then you’ll be set within a few weeks. However, if total fluency is your goal, you HAVE to be dedicated completely, and believe in yourself that you can achieve it.
I know this sounds like something from a corny inspirational TikTok video, but it really is the truth. To achieve something like learning Spanish, you really do have to put your all into it to see the results you hoped for.
Your attitude towards a certain topic or task can decide whether you succeed or fail, so here’s how I’d recommend you stay on-track in your language learning journey.
Visualise success
Take breaks
Set goals
Visualise Success
When beginning your language learning journey, you should always have a clear goal and a moment you would consider yourself successful, in mind. This could be any number of different things. Perhaps, conversing freely back and forth with a Spanish speaker, enjoying a Spanish novel, or watching Spanish movies and TV with full understanding (and no subtitles!).
Whatever you have in mind as your goal, look back to it regularly to keep that drive and motivation high.
Take Breaks
Taking breaks is a great way to catch your breath mentally, and to look back and reflect on any aspects of learning Spanish that you feel you’re lacking in at the time. This will enable you to compartmentalise what you already know and what you’d like to improve on.
Giving yourself some time to decompress is also a great way to keep up your morale when learning Spanish. If you over-do any activity that exhausts mental energy, you will find yourself making more and more mistakes, which will inevitably lead to becoming disheartened and disillusioned with the desire to continue.
Set Goals
Breaking up language learning into small, attainable goals is a great way to keep up that motivation needed to become fluent. In my own personal experience, I found that setting targets for each learning session you undertake is the most effective way.
Setting goals such as learning 5 new phrases in your next session, or perfecting the pronunciation of a certain word or phrase can really help break up what can seem like a never-ending flow of information while language learning.
Source: Pixabay
Learning Spanish - How Long Does It Take?
The truth is, there is no set amount of time to learn a new language, how long you take is nobody’s business but yours. Take it as slowly or as quickly as you want to. Learning a new language is a fascinating journey to go on, so make the most of it and go at your own pace!
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