Did you know that the more immersion, the fewer hours it will take you to learn Spanish?
Do you want to know for how long?
Find out here how many hours to learn Spanish!
How many hours to learn Spanish?
One of the most frequently asked questions is how many hours to learn Spanish. Usually, people are in a hurry to reach their goals in a short time. Regardless of whether the learning is for academic, personal, or professional reasons.
The truth is that the only thing that remains from the rush is tiredness. So, our main recommendation is to take your learning as calmly as you need.
This is not to slow you down, but so that you can assimilate all the knowledge. Well, it´s a suggestion that applies to many areas of our lives, to be compassionate with ourselves.
However, the answer depends solely on you. How much do you immerse yourself in the Spanish language and culture? Because for many it takes about 2 years, for others it takes 5 years, and for others, it takes only a couple of months.
This doesn´t mean that some put in more effort than others do, or that some are smarter than others are. It just means that we are all different and our intelligence is different from others. We must remember that we are unique and as such, we must respect others and ourselves.
Foreign Service Language Institute
According to the Foreign Service Language Institute, Spanish is learned in 480 hours. This is under the conditions of a traditional classroom. Now imagine how much this figure is reduced if you immerse yourself in the Spanish language.
How can you achieve total immersion in the language without living in or traveling to a Spanish-speaking country? Simple, by surrounding yourself with the Spanish language, from changing the settings on your devices to just watching Hispanic movies. You can also practice your Spanish at home or have native speakers over for casual chats.
Top 5 factors influencing your learning time
This section has nothing to do with secular learning from a classroom or not. However, you are in control and can take charge of the situation. These are the top 5 factors influencing your learning time.
Remember that fear and insecurities are your greatest enemies. What we will show you are super influential aspects in whether learning Spanish will take you more or less time.
1. How many hours do you invest in learning Spanish?
Determining how many hours you invest in learning Spanish may seem like an impossible mission. No one in the world wants to spend more than 4 hours a day in a classroom.
Of course, this is in the concept of traditional education and the old patterns. When you had to sit in a stiff chair and listen attentively to a teacher who instead of encouraging you, puts you to sleep.
That’s why modern education has implemented systems like immersion. No matter what you are studying, surrounding yourself with meaningful things in your learning optimizes your results.
Take the example of musicians who choose a conservatory to practically live there while they study. Surrounded by musical instruments, people who know music, other apprentices, and music in all its forms. Those students require less time to specialize in that which they love and, of course, are successful.
In the case of young children, their parents are constantly talking to them and correcting their pronunciation. This way they learn by immersion and repetition.
Therefore, you would need an average of 3 hours of Spanish per day. This is equivalent to 480 hours covered in 160 days. Much less than 6 months.
It´s up to you to decide whether to distribute those 480 hours in more or less time. You can do it in 3 months or 1 year, even a little more as long as you are not in a hurry.
Although immersion is the dream of every linguist, not everyone can travel abroad. That’s where putting all the elements to work for you comes into play.
From reading Hispanic literature to dancing salsa or reggaeton in Spanish. And believe us they all work!
2. Speaking sister languages
Learning Spanish is much easier when speaking sister languages. For example, English, Italian, Portuguese, or another related language. The point is that you speak a language similar in vocabulary, grammar, or pronunciation.
There are many of these; you just have to make the comparison. If you speak English, you should know that the alphabet is identical, only Spanish has an additional letter which is the ñ. Portuguese is another of the languages most similar to Spanish, along with Italian.
Sharing the alphabet is a great advantage because you don’t need to learn new signs. In terms of pronunciation and writing, there are differences but not as significant as with Russian or Chinese.
Grammatical structures can be the most complex part of learning Spanish. That´s why it´s advisable to unlearn and flow. It’s a way to open your mind to new knowledge.
3. You like Spanish
We always say that there´s no worse than doing something you hate. Before you choose to learn Spanish, you should find out if you like Spanish and how much you like it. That way you will know from the very beginning that your investment will be worth it.
Are you curious? Don’t know anything about Spanish? Take a couple of hours to research the language, culture, and watch some music videos.
When you’re absolutely sure you like Spanish, then get started. However, you need to make sure first so that you go ahead and achieve your goals.
If you must learn it out of obligation, it’s time to weigh those obligations. Are they unavoidable? Any academic or professional requirements?
If so, take some time to get to know the language. It’s like some songs that may seem silly the first time you hear them. As they are repeated on the radio, we end up integrating them and singing them by heart.
This is a valid exercise for learning Spanish. Not only will it improve your comprehension, but also it will give you a sense of belonging to the language like a native speaker.
4. Surrounded by Spaniards
Human interaction with native speakers is another favorable element in learning Spanish. That´s why there are so many courses in Spanish-speaking countries or communities that immerse you in the language.
While not physically, you need to be surrounded by Spaniards or Latinos. Today it´s very easy to make friends anywhere in the world through the internet. Even easier is to speak at least a few minutes a day to practice the language.
The advantage of the United States is that there is a sizeable Hispanic community. Everyone is so friendly and cordial to help you practice your Spanish. Even making a Hispanic friend will help you take lessons applicable in real life.
Of course, this is great as you gain the confidence to make the big trip. You don’t wanna miss out on the natural and cultural riches of Hispanic countries.
5. What level you wanna reach
Before you begin your Spanish learning journey, you need to decide what level you wanna reach. This aspect influences the learning time. If you are only interested in mastering a few phrases or if you want to reach fluency.
The essential thing is to believe in yourself. If you don’t, who will? Having self-confidence unlocks your brain’s ability to acquire and improve new skills.
This is known in other fields as neuro-linguistic reprogramming. It´s conditioning our brain to be positive and to expand through listening and speaking. All you need to do is stand in front of the mirror and say to yourself “Come on, you can do it, buddy!”
Does it sound like the stuff of fools who read lousy self-help books? The truth is that it works just as well as spells and manifestations work.
Does the phrase “the verb became flesh” sound familiar? It´s simply manifesting orally, with confidence and determination, positive things for you and your life. The spoken word has a lot of power, especially the power to improve your own life.
Time is an illusion
There´s a quote that says time is an illusion, and it has several implications. First, it´s proven that time doesn´t exist, it´s an illusion. Second, spiritual people know that human time is a breath, while divine timing is perfect.
Whatever your preference, science or spirituality, time does not exist. It´s conditioning for the human being to live in a hurry, striving for tomorrow. An ego trap for you to stop living in the present moment.
It doesn’t matter fast or slow, but take your time to learn Spanish!
