How Long Does It Take To Learn Spanish?
by diywealth on Jun.26, 2010, under diy
I am often asked, “how long does it take to learn Spanish?” I am afraid that this is largely a million dollar question and one for which there’s no single response.
Unfortunately 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 technique or program they are going to be using. Add to that the incontrovertible fact that while some students may choose to use the services of a private mentor, others will choose a classroom environment instead. Actually, 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 yourself whether or not the student will be learning the language in a place where it’s spoken as the local language, or whether they will be learning it in their home country. Similarly, the quality of a program or the experience of a teacher will also influence the result.
Since these variables will have such a direct result on how long does it take to learn Spanish, it is just not feasible to provide a simple response to this question. In reality, I have personally known students who after half a year, were able to communicate confidently in conversational Spanish, but also , I’ve known people who have studied the Spanish language for a number of years, albeit on an on and off basis, and yet after many years they can hardly get by.
Instead of attempt to supply a generic answer to this question, I’d rather offer what I feel to be the fastest way of learning Spanish. The most vital step of all, is for a student to seize every possible opportunity regarding interacting in the language they wish to learn, irrespective of what language that could be.
While you definitely do get those that are firm followers of the classroom approach, I feel it takes too long unless it is done in association with another technique. In my experience, a self study method of good quality is easily superior in that it allows a student to move forward at their own pace instead of being tied down to the average lecture room pace. This is particularly true regarding individuals who are genuinely serious about learning the Spanish language.
In this case, I would suggest a person to opt for a credible program which includes a range of audio lessons, multimedia lessons, and naturally, written Spanish. Additionally, 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 for example. Remember, if you’re serious about learning a language, then you should aim at having the ability to not only speak it and read it, but also to write it and understand it. Unless a program covers all four of these areas, it needs to be avoided or at least, you may require some additional material.
As you most likely have already heard, Rocket Spanish is an intensely well-liked program, and not without reason. Considering that it addresses all 4 of the area’s mentioned, it has gained a name for providing students with a first foundation for basic Spanish which in turn will ensure that you’re able to speak confidently in Spanish inside a relatively short space of time. Likewise, Rosetta Stone is thought to be quite 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 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 quite a bit more expensive.
As you can see, there are too many variables involved for me or anyone else to be in a position to give a simple response with regards to “how long does it takes to learn Spanish. However, you’ve doubtless also gathered by this time that there are several things you can do in order to hurry up the method. Actually, many scholars go as far as using both the programs mentioned in conjunction with each other to develop conversational abilities as quickly as possible. However, unless you are continuously exposed to the Spanish language, no program will be capable of making you 100 p.c 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 abilities Magazine. Furthermore, you’d be stunned at just how much you can get benefits from joining a Meetup group in your area that concentrates on learning the Spanish language.