How many times have you asked yourself this question! How many hours does it take to learn a language? Do not miss this blog: we will explain you the factors that influence the calculation of the hours you need to learn each language level and, in the end, we will draw an average account based on these factors.
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
In the multitude of language courses offered, it is unclear how many hours it takes to acquire a level of competence in a foreign language, according to the parameters of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR, click here to find out more). As indicated below, there are 6 different levels of competences, which define 3 groups of speakers:
- Basic level
- A1 Initial
- A2 Elementary
- Independent speaker
- B1 Intermediate
- B2 Upper intermediate
- Competent user
- C1 Advanced
- C2 Superior
Which is yours? Click hereto find out your level of English, Italian or Spanish.
Since the CEFR consists of a series of sentences that describe the skills that the speaker must master at a certain level. For example, for the English level B1, you can read: “They can produce simple and coherent texts on topics that are familiar to them or in which they have a personal interest. They can describe experiences, events, desires and aspirations, as well as briefly justify their opinions or explain their projects”. Academic institutions translate these statements into grammar, vocabulary, and communication functions to design their courses.
And back to the question: how many hours does it take to reach a level of linguistic competence according to the parameters of the CEFR?
There is no correct answer to this question since it depends on many factors which we will explain below. However, considering the contents of the CEFR, we were able to calculate an approximate number of hours. This would be the result of the teaching hours added to the independent study time between classes (about 15-20 minutes practice a day).
The American FSI (Foreign Service Institute) divides languages into groups of different difficulty. But does so from the point of view of an English speaker in the American educational context and indicates that 480 hours are required to achieve a basic proficiency in the group 1 languages and 720 hours in the groups 2 to 4 languages. Here are the 4 groups:
- 1: French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish and Swahili.
- 2: Bulgarian, Burmese, Greek, Hindu, Persian and Urdu.
- 3: Amharic, Cambodian, Czech, Finnish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Laotian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese.
- 4: Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
And what about a European student?
Clearly, the timing of acquiring a foreign language level depends on many factors which can be grouped as follows:
- How far is the language you want to learn from your mother tongue (if you are Italian, learning Spanish and Chinese is not the same thing)
- External factors: the environment in which learning takes place.
- External factors: the environment in which learning takes place.
After these considerations, we can estimate that between 100 and 180 hours of study are necessary to acquire a level (even more in the case of extreme conditioning factors and very different languages). It should be noted that the number of hours required to learn a language is the sum of the teaching hours and the time we dedicate to homework and independent study. That is, if you are motivated and have 15-20 minutes a day to study, in addition to lessons with your teacher, you will reach your goal in a few months.
At Kaleido Languages we take your preparation in a foreign language seriously and, for this reason, we have created small groups courses to make your learning profitable, fast, and fun, in strict compliance with the parameters indicated in the CEFR (integrated with ACTFL for courses in the USA). You can also take advantage of our private lesson packages. Click here and discover our academic offer.
Advantages of studying with us:
- Best prices: find out our deals.
- Small groups: no more than 6 students for each group
- Native Teachers: All our teachers are native speakers, certified and with experience in online teaching.
- Real Level: We do not want to do as many other academies do, which put different level students together to pay their teachers less and earn more at the expenses of a loss of teaching quality. With Kaleido Languages you can make the most of your learning experience and you will be studying in homogeneous groups, with students of the same level.
- Virtual community: with Kaleido Languages you will never be alone. We use various free resources to encourage the growth of a virtual community. This way you will not only learn in the best possible way, but you will also expand your network of contacts and friends.
- Simple and accessible tools: We use the simplest, most advanced, and accessible tools to offer you an effective and unique learning experience. We can work with any platform and adapt to your needs.
