On average, how long do most experts agree it takes to become fluent in another language?

Question

On average! I know everyone is different, and education is an individual thing, but before you bore me with another nebulous non-committal answer, please notice I asked for round about averages here!

Answer 1

You wont get the answer youre lookin for. It doesnt exist.

It depends on how much exposure youve had to different languages, what language youre learning, how much time you spend trying to learn, how you learn it, etc.

For example, if you speak a latin-based language (such as French) and youre learning another latin-based language, such as Italian or Spanish, and you go live in Italy or Spain to learn it, it could take as little as a few months to get a pretty good handle on it.

On the other hand if you speak Italian and you want to learn Russian or Mandarin Chinese (with a different alphabet and different sounds, etc) and you learn it from "Learn X language today!" cds, then itll probably take you a lot longer and youll have less good results.

Make sense?

Answer 2

People vary TREMENDOUSLY regarding how quickly they pick up other languages. An average is completely meaningless here.

An average among people who are in the same "language savvy" level would have some meaning -- but some people never really become fluent, even when immersed for decades.

Others get by in a few weeks.

Plus, as another mentioned, if you speak Italian, you're almost fluent in Spanish before you start.

Chinese and English are among the hardest (unless you speak something related to them).

Yiddish and German are closely related (some say Yiddish is just a variety of German; some say the same of Norwegian and Swedish -- native speakers can understand each other, they are offended by the idea they're the same language).

And, as others have suggested, it depends on HOW you're "learning" it. Immersion is fastest; classrooms don't make you fluent. You have to spend time conversing with fluent speakers in the language.

I know you just wanted some number, but you'd be MUCH better off specifying "a speaker of yada language learning yada language" and an indication of whether they're quick to pick up other languages, and how they're going about learning.

Their age is also relevant, as the younger, the faster.

We all become fluent in whatever is spoken to us, effortlessly, when we're around 3.

I mean, what meaning does an average have when you include people who NEVER become fluent in a second language. It makes it look like a MUCH longer time than it does for most people (when you add a bunch of people who don't learn it in 50 years).

So, try again, giving some parameters.

Answer 3

Based on my personal experience, I took Spanish all through high school - all four years. I had a good working knowledge of it, but HS Spanish just doesn't teach you practical Spanish at all, so you're not really fluent. I then went to major in it in college and went to study in Mexico City my first semester of senior year. I felt as though I was fluent, but when I got off the plane, I had a hard time understanding anyone and communicating. But after a couple of weeks of intense exposure to the language, I was definitely fluent. I would say it takes a good 4-5 years with some exposure to way it is spoken by natives to be really fluent.

Now I'm fluent in Spanglish because that's what my Nicaraguan husband and I speak here in the house.

Answer 4

I think it also could be determined by need if you are thrust into a foreign land through a move or travel mistake I bet you will pick up the language quicker than someone sitting in a classroom listening to tapes.

Answer 5

I've heard that it takes around 5 years under full immersion. It only took me three to learn English, though.

Answer 6

I would say on the average, most people never do.

Answer 7

3 years. The fourth you should speak fluently.