A2 · 220 words · English

How Long Does It Take to Learn a Language?

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How long does it take to learn a new language? There is no single answer, but experts have some useful numbers: how many hours you need for each level, and which languages take English speakers much longer than others. Find out why a little practice every day works better than one long lesson a week.

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It's one of the first questions every language learner asks: how long will it take? There is no single answer, but experts have some useful numbers.

Some Languages Are Easier for English Speakers

The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) teaches languages to American diplomats. It says that for English speakers, Spanish, French and Italian are among the easiest languages. To speak them well for work, its students need about 600 to 750 hours of classes. For German, they need about 900 hours. Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Arabic are the hardest: about 2,200 hours!

Every Level Has Its Number

Cambridge English gives numbers for each level of English. To reach A2, you need about 180 to 200 hours of learning with a teacher. For B1, it's about 350 to 400 hours, and for B2, about 500 to 600 hours. Schools for other languages give similar numbers.

A Little Every Day

These numbers can look big. But think about it like this: 30 minutes a day is more than 180 hours a year. So with a little practice every day, you can reach A2 in about a year.

What Helps

Studies show that our memory works better with short, regular practice than with long lessons once a week. It also helps to read and listen to things you like: stories, songs and films. Then you don't even notice the hours.

So don't only ask, "How long will it take?" Ask, "What can I do today?" Twenty or thirty minutes is a great start.