A real estimation of time to learn Spanish

To know a real estimation of time to learn Spanish, we need to differentiate between input and output learning:

INPUT LEARNING:

It is the time you spend listening to the radio or podcasts in Spanish, learning with Duolingo, watching Spanish Netflix series or Youtube videos, using News in Slow Spanish or Memrise, following Facebook pages or groups in Spanish, etc.

We estimate that the minimum time you need to spend is 4 hours/week.

OUTPUT LEARNING:

It is the time you spend putting into practice things you learned or memorized, as when you talk with your teacher, meet native speakers, write an email or post in Spanish on a Facebook group or page. Output learning is about finding practical situations to apply knowledge gained.

We also estimate that the minimum time you need to spend is 3 hours/week.

It is crucial to balance your learning pattern between them. So ideal learning time to get results in a short period ranges from 7 to 20 hours a week. The more time you dedicate the more results you will see sooner.

So, maybe we must add this question: Which is the best way to learn Spanish?

In our opinion, you should consider the following recommendations:

– For vocabulary: online flash-card based systems (Anki is a good program) that utilize SRS (spaced-repetition system) are very popular and effective.

– For grammar: a combination of reading and some formal studying through a spanish grammar book should work.

– Besides that, the key to learning any language is getting a lot of input. You should constantly be reading articles, books, stories in Spanish. You should be listening to podcasts, TV shows, movies and any other good content you like. Change your phone’s language to Spanish.

Basically just try to immerse yourself in the language as best as you can. Consistency is also very important.

It’s better to do a little bit everyday then trying to cram all your studying into a single day.

Lastly, just try to enjoy yourself as much as you can. Language learning should be a fun experience and, frankly speaking, if you aren’t enjoying it, you probably won’t achieve the results you wanted in the first place.

Finally, if you are convinced to study Spanish we can help you on your way to get it. With our Spanish tutors and cutomized courses, you will achieve your goals. Do you want a trial lesson? 👨🏻‍💻👍🏻🏆

Ana Jimenez

Soy profesora de español y tengo más de 5 años de experiencia enseñando en todos los niveles, desde nivel principiante a avanzado.