How Many Hours Does It Take to Learn a New Language?

Written By: Cudy

19th April 2023

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As far as learning a new language there are really two sides of the coin. The first is how long would it take someone who has no linguistic background to learn a new language.

If you count from the time someone starts learning the new language to the time they can speak it proficiently. Then the answer is around 2,000 hours. This number comes from research done on adults learning a second language (not counting their native tongue).

This number can be extremely important if you are trying to decide. Whether or not to put in the work necessary to learn another language. It can also be a good basis for comparison when comparing people. Who are more or less proficient in another language.

The other side of this question is, How long does it take someone with linguistic background to learn a second language?

This number can be slightly different for various people depending on their prior linguistic experience and level of expertise.

But, most people who are familiar with linguistics and have at least some training will need about 500 hours before they become truly proficient in another language.

Overall it seems that about 1,500 hours of practice will give someone with no linguistic background enough knowledge to speak fairly well in another language while those with some prior experience and training may need closer to 2,000 hours.

However, these numbers are only estimates and can vary depending on the circumstances.

How Many Hours Does It Take to Learn a New Language?
Photo by Annushka Ahuja on Pexels.

How Many Hours of Practice to Become Proficient in a New Language?

As mentioned above, this is a question that is difficult to answer because it depends on the individual as well as their prior experience.

There are, however, some estimates that can give us an idea of how long it takes. For the average person without previous linguistic experience to become proficient in another language.

According to research studies done by Dr. Krashen back in 1984 the number of hours needed to become proficient in a language was between 1,500 and 2,000 hours.

Since then there are more recent studies done by polyglots and experts in linguistics. That gives us a similar estimate of around 1-2 years for most people with no immersion experience. Before they can speak another language fluently.

Most experts in this field agree that learning a new language takes around 1,000-2,000 hours of practice depending on factors such as age and motivation.

However, there are also other factors that may affect how long it takes someone to learn a new language such as their native tongue.

What are the Benefits of Learning a New Language?

Learning a new language is beneficial to anyone who has an interest in learning another language. There are many benefits of learning a new language.

But the most important one for most people seems to be being able to communicate with others who speak that language.

It can also useful in business or for traveling to places where that language is spoken. For some people, it can even be a way to make friends or find a new partner.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it may seem that the answer to the question, how long does it take to learn a new language? will be different for everyone.

The truth is that this is true in some ways, but in other ways, the number of hours to learn a new language for most people will be similar.

For most of us, around 10-15 hours per week are enough time to spend on practicing a new language to become proficient at speaking it.

To become truly fluent in another language you should spend at least 1,500 hours of practice (about 2 years) learning it before you can consider yourself completely fluent.

Most people who want to learn another language will need at least 1-2 years of practice before they are able to speak the language fluently if they have no prior experience with the linguistic study.

If you are looking for a tutor, try Cudy. Register on our website to find the best tutors and studying content in your field of study. We are an easy-to-use website that helps students to connect with tutors. You can even contact multiple tutors at once.


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Cudy

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