Whenever I'm asked how long it takes to learn a foreign language, I ask how long it takes us to
learn our mother tongue and how we learn it.
During the first few years of our life, we start to understand what people tell us, isolated words, then phrases and later on we start repeating what we hear and responding to questions, then finally initiating and maintaining conversations.
The key for us to learn our mother tongue is for our parents to talk to us and for us to try to produce the sounds we hear. We seek communication.
The same thing happens with a new language, not fearing imitating and repeating sounds and words, even when we can't understand them, is essential. Both our ear and mouth get used to hearing and producing sounds which are different to our own mother tongue.
Despite a child being in contact with their own language all day long, they will make mistakes using verb tenses, or they won't know vocabulary that is not used in everyday life.
It takes years of practice and contact with a language to master it.
It takes years of practice and contact with a language to master it.
We should be in contact with a language constantly, and set time aside to work on it if we want to make progress.
A child who is studying a language will be able to interact with others using that language in a few years, as long as they have worked continuously on it. The process will be quicker if they have been in direct continuous contact with the language that is being studied.
The earlier one starts, the earlier one will get used to the different sounds, making it easier to produce them.
Being brave enough to talk using a foreign language isn't easy, that is why the atmosphere should be as relaxed and comfortable as possible.
Who hasn't felt insecure, or even ridiculous trying to say a sentence in a language they can't speak well?
"Quanti anni hai? ¿Tienes hermanos? Nice to meet you!"
Studying in a small group makes concentrating in class easier, people feel more confident and relaxed, and the quality of the time a teacher can offer to each student is much better too.
What do experts say?
According to Cambridge Assessment:
It takes approximately 200 guided learning hours for a language learner to progress from one level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) to the next.
For example, a candidate who has passed B2 First, at level B2 on the CEFR, might need approximately 200 hours of lessons and supervised study to prepare for the C1 Advanced, which is aligned to level C1 on the CEFR.
However, there are a number of factors that can affect how long it will take to increase your level of English, including:
- your language learning background
- the intensity of your study
- your age
- the amount of study/exposure outside of lesson times
The table below suggests how many guided learning hours you might need to reach each level of the CEFR. These figures are intended as a guideline only. You may require more or less time and support depending on your own needs.
| CEFR Level | Cambridge English Exam | Number of Hours (approximate) |
|---|---|---|
| C2 | C2 Proficiency - previously known as Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) | 1,000—1,200 |
| C1 | C1 Advanced - previously known as Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) | 700—800 |
| B2 | B2 First - previously known as Cambridge English: First (FCE) | 500—600 |
| B1 | B1 Preliminary - previously known as Cambridge English: Preliminary (PET) | 350—400 |
| A2 | A2 Key - previously known as Cambridge English: Key (KET) | 180—200 |
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