Last Updated: November 7, 2023

Immerse insights:

  • Anyone can become fluent in a language if they stick with it.
  • An English speaker can become fluent in Spanish in 600 hours - that’s six months if you spend 25 hours per week learning and practicing.
  • The key to success is motivation, because without motivation people are likely to quit before they reach fluency.

For many new language learners, achieving fluency feels something like a quest for the holy grail - a worthwhile goal, but one that seems almost beyond reach. So, can you actually become fluent in a brand-new language? And how long will it take? The short answer is: Yes! And it depends!

How long will it take you to learn a language?

Here are three factors that impact the time it takes to learn a language:

1. Is the new language similar to one you already know?

Related languages often share similar vocabulary and grammar. (The German for “My bed is warm” is “Mein Bett ist warm,” for example.) The more similarity there is, the faster you’ll reach fluency.

2. How much time can you devote to learning?

According to the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute, it takes an English speaker between 600-2200 hours of study to reach fluency, depending on the language. The average learner, for instance, can go from a B2 to a C1 CEFR level in Spanish in two months if they spend 25 hours per week studying and practicing.

A group of men laughing around a computer in a library

3. How motivated are you?

If you can sustain your motivation, you’ll put in more hours and become fluent sooner. And this doesn’t just mean studying. Find fun ways to practice, too. Keeping it fun will make the time fly and help you rack up those hours faster and more easily.

Some fun ways to practice:

  • Talk to your pet in Spanish, French, or whatever language you’re learning. They won’t notice if you make mistakes, and you’ll get used to speaking the language out loud.
  • Join a club, online game, or other social opportunity organized by speakers of the language you’re learning. 
  • Read your favorite children’s book in your target language - your local library probably has a big selection of kids’ books in a variety of languages.
  • Sign up for Immerse’s 14-day free trial and check out our live classes and events, AI-powered practice scenes, and language games.

Those extra hours spent with the language help you learn faster even if you’re having fun!

How can Immerse help you reach fluency?

Immerse has a thriving community of active Members whose mutual excitement keeps them motivated and provides extra opportunities for fun language practice. Check out what one of our Members, Melanie, has to say about her Spanish-learning journey, or watch to hear what our Member Sheila thinks about learning Spanish with Immerse.

What's included in an Immerse membership?

If your aim is to reach fluency as soon as possible, check out Immerse. 

Your 2-week free membership will give you unlimited access to:

  • live language classes in more than 30 highly interactive virtual scenes, such as a restaurant, a city park, and a wizard’s classroom
  • practice scenes where you can have conversations with AI-powered avatars that will talk at your language level
  • live Events where you and other Members can role-play in our virtual scenes with an Immerse teacher on hand to help out
  • language Games that will help you build your vocabulary in Spanish, French, or English (more languages to come!)

If you hope to rack up those hours as fast as possible, you won’t find a better deal than Immerse.

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