How Long Does it Take to Learn A Language?

A frequently asked question, yet one of the hardest to address.

We're thinking here about learning a second (or third, or fourth!) language. The way we learn our first language is somewhat different, though that too goes through fairly predictable stages.

Rather like learning to drive, pole vaulting, or mastering juggling, learning a language relies in part on your motivation and natural ability. But learning a language is a little different to most other things you might try to learn: you were born to communicate. It's one of your primary needs. You might be surprised to know that monolingualism is less common than multilingualism, and that most multilinguals learn more than one language without tuition. The line between 'knowing another language' and 'being able to use it as you would your mother tongue' is rather fuzzy. Still, online learning site Preply recently estimated that 43% of people are bilingual and a further 17% speak more than two languages.

Influencing factors

Most research into language acquisition has been done in education settings, with children, and in a country where the target language is not the main language used. Of course, the contexts in which we learn languages are much more varied. Still, in estimating how long it will take to get to grips with a target language, there are some clues we can rely on.

Need and Motivation: We all know someone who moved abroad and came back speaking another language without having had any lessons: need is a great motivator. Whether it's to pass an exam, order a beer or get through an interview, an achievable goal is key. If you've tried Duolingo or other automated learning platforms, you might have noticed that they try hard to motivate you with games and rewards to help you stay interested.

The Language Environment: Being immersed in an environment where only the target language is spoken can make a big difference. Even if you're unsure about speaking to start with, simply hearing the language spoken and noticing how people respond can help you feel more 'at home' with it. Of course, it helps if nobody speaks your first language so you need to communicate.

Age: Although we know that children seem to find language learning easier than adults, the reasons for this are yet to be settled. Is it memory or confidence? What we know for sure is that after the age of about 12 you are unlikely to sound 'native' (in any accent). This seems to be true for learners of any language. Being in an environment where the target language is spoken can help teens (but very rarely adults) to achieve this.

Young children who grow up bilingual, perhaps with parents who speak different languages, are rarely disadvantaged. If language development seems to be delayed this is usually just because of the limits of cognitive processing. What counts as 'delayed' varies among monolinguals anyway, and is rarely anything to worry about.

Teaching Methodologies: If you spent years learning a language in your secondary school days but still can't ask for a train ticket without panicking, you'll be encouraged to hear that it's not you, it's the way you were taught. Modern methodologies make use of knowledge gained from decades of research, and have come a long way since the days when poring over grammar explainers was the norm. Collaboration and purposeful communication are now the focus, and topics are more relatable. The focus is on language that gets you what you need.

Language Pairs: It won't be a surprise to learn that the language of the learner and the target language inform learning times. Languages which have similar grammar or vocabulary are more intuitive for learners. Think about, say, a Spanish speaker learning Italian and a Polish speaker learning Japanese. Still, a good teacher or language coach knows how to make even the most difficult concepts relatable.

When has a language been learned?

Here's where things get tricky. Some might say that fluency has been achieved when someone can do what they want to do with a language. Exam boards might say it's when learners pass their most challenging exams. Bear in mind that accuracy and fluency are not the same. Some areas of a target language are particularly awkward, and even advanced level learners may struggle. For example, the most common word in English is 'the' but it can be particularly tricky for speakers of languages where there is simply no equivalent, such as Russian. You may hear otherwise polished speakers saying things like 'Please open window' even if they've passed the highest level exams. Does it mean they aren't fluent?

Learning just 300 or so words of any language is enough to get by in most situations, though that falls far short of having 'learned' it. Double or triple that and you will know enough to match the vocabulary used by typical native speakers in a casual chat. Your grammar may be 'off' and you may need to gesticulate a little, but you'll be able to communicate enough to join in with whatever you need to. The key is to practise enough so that the vocabulary comes naturally. At this stage, it's a good idea to learn language in phrases or 'chunks'.

Of course, to pass higher level exams you'll need to know a lot more, though non-native speakers rarely manage to acquire the vocabulary of a native speaker in any language. Native and non-native speakers also have a greater 'passive' vocabulary than active, and spoken and written language use differs. It really is quite tricky to define fluent!

It goes without saying that the amount of time spent learning, and opportunities to practice, influence outcomes. So too does the opportunity to hear the target language being used naturally by people with different accents and in different contexts. Prior experience with language learning may also give a learner the edge and age can be a factor.

So how long does it take?

With all of these variables to consider, it's no surprise that progress is different for everyone. Still, let's take a look at what established research says.

Language ability in European languages is often measured on the CEFR scale (Common European Framework). There are 6 levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2; A1 is beginner. It takes around 200 'guided hours', or lesson time, to move from one level to the next when learning English. However, unless you are learning in a setting with no other opportunity to practice outside of the classroom, it's unlikely that you'll need anything like that time to move on.

You can self-assess your CEFR level in European languages using a tool offered by the Council of Europe.