There is always one question that most language students, especially the newest Spanish learners are willing to know the answer to. It is how long or how many years it takes to learn the Spanish language and use it fluently. Well, learning any language until you reach a fluent level may take several years, as you may imagine, yet not every language is equally complex. Learning Spanish is said to take 3 to 4 years to master at a pretty advanced level. It all depends on your situation. The number of hours you dedicate to Spanish, if you are taking lessons or learning by yourself, and also if you live in Spain or not will change your learning times.
Languages are more than just a subject. They are our tools to open our borders. If you happen to be a future Spanish student, begin thinking of what the learning process means. We use languages every day, so we study them every day, actively or passively. Keep in your mind that you will need to work, and results will come afterward. Your mindset towards a new subject of learning conditions you to be more or less receptive. It is quite easy nowadays to have access to the information you may want to know about before you start your journey, for instance, this very article could help you find or understand your needs before your first contact or lessons in Spanish.
Your situation does matter if you are busy or just have your schedules all set. It is not all about finding what fits you, because as we said earlier, learning Spanish will demand you far beyond your lessons. Having to think in two different languages is a demanding activity. You will need to work on your own if you want to develop your learning rhythm and a constant and acceptable workflow so you can practice your lessons. Value your time, because some hours a week inside a classroom and then moving on to your many other responsibilities will not work as you may think.
And it is not all about studying at home and while in class. It does not matter if you decided on an online course, autonomous learning, or going to an academy. Languages are for communicating, and you can do this in various and different ways, so you can learn more and understand better what is it to develop your current level. If you are one lucky student and have the opportunity to live in Spain, take advantage of it and live the full experience, use your Spanish, and do not hesitate. If you are not living here, you can always find a way to practice too. Find an online group, for instance, video calls, chats… language exchanges are very popular.
So, as you have seen, of course learning Spanish is hard, yet not complicated. Actually, we will say that is a demanding process. It is not about how long does it take what you need to worry about. It is just how do you fit in the process, since it all depends on you.
Author: Alejandro Fayos Benito