How Long Does It Take to Learn a Language?

How long it takes you to learn a language is determined by how much you practice, your background in language learning, and how well you learn new skills. There are also different degrees of fluency in a language, so how advanced you’d like to become in your target language will affect the length of time it takes to learn it.

For example, if you’re a polyglot already, you may be able to acquire a new similar language to conversational fluency within a year or two. Where as, if you’re learning your second language, it may take 5 years or more. It may take even longer if your goal is college level reading, writing, speaking and listening - it took me about 10 years, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be as long for you.

On average, fluency takes 3-5 years because it takes years for new information to become part of your long-term memory. It has to become automatic within your brain to use that new language, and this happens after not just hundreds of hours practice but spreading these hours out over years.

Let’s look at the factors to consider to help you estimate how long it may take you to learn a new language based your unique learning goals & needs.

How Much You Practice

The absolute most influential factor in how long it takes you to learn is how much you practice. Even if you are the slowest, most struggling learner, what ultimately decides whether you will be successful at mastering your new language is your dedication to practice.

It’s true that some people will take longer than others, so you’ll also need to determine how much practice you personally need to reach your language goals. If you’re uncertain, it’s always best to practice more than you need so that you know you’re getting enough time - there’s no harm surpassing your goals.

The amount of time you practice is crucial, but it’s also important to consider the quality of your practice. It’s possible to spend several hours doing what could be accomplished in just one or two which can happen if you are not focused while you work. Be aware of not just how much you’re practicing but how well you’re working while you do it.

There’s also the scenario where you practice, but are doing work that is below your current level. Review is important, but it’s also important to remember that in order to move forward, you’ll need to do work that challenges you. It’s both the quality & quantity of practice that’s going to help you progress more quickly in your language learning journey.

Your Background in Language

People who have experience learning multiple languages are likely going to learn more languages in less time. This happens because they already learned how to learn languages and learn similar languages by transferring skills and language similarities to those new languages.

For example, someone who is learning Italian who already speaks Spanish, French, and Portuguese is likely to pick up Italian fairly quickly because it’s another romance language that follows a similar structure with verb conjugations, vocabulary, etc. They may even already be able to understand language before they start studying it because it is so similar to the languages they already learned.

Someone who is learning a second language could have the advantage of learning a similar language, say an Spanish speaker learning Italian, but this is not usually the case & this person still has to learn how to learn language.

However, the polyglots who learn languages faster still have to put in the same amount of time long-term to learn languages. They just happen to have done more of those hours already to get to where they currently are. Even if you’re not a polyglot, you are just as capable. You’re just on a different timeline to learn your languages.

How Well You Learn New Skills

How well you learn is determined by how much experience you have, but there are also biological factors that come into play - some people just learn more easily or with more difficulty than others. Where ever you fit in, you’re capable of learning languages. But knowing where you stand helps you reach your goals on your desired timeline because you’re able to get the resources & support you need to be successful.

Consider your education level. If you have significant experience in reading, writing, speaking, and listening then you’ll be able to apply those skills to your new language. If you don’t have a strong background in these 4 core skills, then you’ll need to improve these skills as you learn your new language. It’ll take a bit more time to reach your goals, but you’ll still get there as long as you put in the effort.

If you learn easily, you likely already have a strong educational background as well. Learning a new language may come naturally to you, but it’s also possible that you learned other subjects easily, and language learning is a challenge.

For those who struggle: I’m right there with you. It’s okay to need all the classes and extra practice, and it get easier to learn the more you learn. If you struggle, acknowledge this and plan for the extra time and resources you need to become successful. This is how you become a person with a strong educational background. While it’s possible that you may always struggle a bit, acknowledging your weaknesses and addressing them will help you become a better language learner. You’ll develop systems and compile tools that help you learn so that you can continue to reach your language goals.