Can I really be fluent in Spanish in under one year?

Unfortunately, many people give up on learning Spanish before they ever really get started, because they are skeptical that they will be able to dedicate the time needed to get proficient. Lots of new learners overestimate the time they will need to commit, believing that it will take a decade or more of instruction before they get anywhere. The truth is, consistency of practice is just as important (if not more important!) than the duration of your practice. Imagine a student that sits down once a month and crams Spanish vocabulary words for four hours. Now imagine another student who sits down at the same time every day and diligently and consistently practices for just ten dedicated minutes. Who do you think will learn faster and retain more information? Our bet is on the latter (and that is part of the reason that we developed our Spanish word-a-day email). In reality, the time spent learning Spanish is best measured in hours and minutes, not days and years. There is a big difference between an hour a week and ten minutes a day, even though it adds up to almost the same time. Your overall learning time might be drastically less if you are an everyday practice.

So, how long does it really take to learn Spanish?

Based on popular reports, the average time to master conversational Spanish ranges from 3-4 months on the low end, up to about 3 years. Of course, this depends on an extremely wide variety of factors, including:

• • How much time you have available to practice each day
  • The frequency of your practice sessions
  • The method you are using to learn (audio courses, in-classroom learning, online lessons, total immersion, etc.)
  • Proficiency of your instructor
  • Your age when you begin learning (it’s a fact that children have an easier time picking up and retaining a new language, but this absolutely does not mean that adults can’t learn too!)
  • Prior exposure to the Spanish language
  • Whether you are able to study abroad or otherwise have access to a native speaker
  • Your own dedication and willingness to practice.

And many, many more factors. In short, there is no one-size-fits-all answer – your mileage may vary. Remember, it’s not a competition, you are learning for yourself and you should avoid using others as your yardstick.

How to learn Spanish faster?

That said, there are a few things that you can focus on to increase your chances of learning Spanish more quickly, and ending up on the shorter side of that range. Our favorites are:

Participating in a study abroad program for total immersion. We’ve said it before and we’ve said it again – the fastest way to learn Spanish is by interacting in an organic and conversational way with real Spanish speakers. We are major advocates of Study Abroad and other programs that facilitate immersive language learning because they simply work BETTER and FASTER than learning Spanish in a classroom or from a book. There is just no substitute for real-world learning.

That said, it’s not always possible or practical to travel. It can be prohibitively expensive to travel to another country. Pandemic restrictions also added another layer of difficulty. Sometimes, you just don’t have the time to fit it into your schedule, particularly if you are learning Spanish as a college student or working adult.

So, what is the next best thing? It is certainly possible to speed up your Spanish learning even if you can’t travel or study abroad. If this is the case for you, a little regular conversation with a patient native Spanish speaker goes a long way, especially if they are willing to give you gentle corrections and suggestions!

There are actually a number of programs that will connect you with a native Spanish speaker virtually (for example through Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Skype, etc.). These are great experiences because they are mutually beneficial. You are often paired with a Spanish speaker trying to learn English; so, you can alternate turns helping one another out. When both participants are equally engaged and motivated like this, there are great outcomes!

One example is Busuu. This is practically the next best thing to studying abroad for speeding up your Spanish learning. If you’re not quite comfortable with this approach, that’s fine. There are a number of other Spanish language learning apps that mimic the type of immersive and conversational experience that you would have if you were studying abroad. They have teams of professional linguists that analyze the fastest way to learn a language, and translate that into mini games and quizzes.

They are basically replicating the experience of studying abroad, right on your phone. Check out more Spanish learning apps. We are fans of apps like Babbel. These usually cost a little more money, but many participants find that they fast-track language learning. Use this link for a discount (affiliate link).

The best part of this method is that you are free to complete the activities wherever you are and whenever you have time. Even if it’s just a few minutes between chores or other tasks, you can fit in a little bit of practice. This is highly digestible and is one of the best ways of avoiding burnout. Plus, a lot of research indicates that this could actually be a better way to learn than sitting in a class listening to a lecture for forty minutes straight. (Studying in short bursts can actually help you learn faster – read more about microlearning on Forbes.com

Also try listening to Spanish audiobooks. This is the best way to replicate the total immersion that you might normally get from study abroad or guided instruction. The best part is that you can listen to them while doing chores or taking part in other activities. There are a number of places where you can find free Spanish audiobooks, too.

Do what works best for you. As you can see, there are a lot of learning styles, and each one works differently for different people. When you find something that fits, go with it. Find other ways to replicate that, and don’t try to force a method that just isn’t jiving.

Luckily, many foreign language students discover that Spanish is actually one of the easier languages to learn. It’s true that there are some exceedingly difficult Spanish words to pronounce. But it’s actually a fairly intuitive language in many ways (not to mention a beautiful language).

How to stay motivated while learning Spanish?

Remember, your own dedication is one of the most important factors for how long it will take you to learn Spanish. It’s easy to get discouraged, especially in the beginning when you may feel as if you’re putting in a lot of effort for very little reward. But, results will come. Discipline will be the best way to maintain your motivation and help you learn Spanish more quickly. But, if you need a little motivation while you hone your skills, just remember all of the benefits of learning a new language. It develops new neural pathways and brain plasticity. It has been suggested that it prevents dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. It makes you a more well-rounded person and citizen of the world. It is a great resume builder, and also very impressive to most people you will meet.

Take small steps to keep yourself motivated. Schedule a regular conversation over coffee with a native speaker. Knowing that you have that date set will encourage you not to skip your vocabulary practice, and will become something that you look forward to. Reward yourself with a Spanish movie or podcast when you complete a challenging section. Schedule a trip to a Spanish-speaking country and put a big circle on your calendar. If you book this far enough in advance, it is much cheaper to do it – and the anticipation will be learning fuel.

The study space that you select will also have a major impact on your continued motivation. If you don’t look forward to being in the area you’re going to learn, you will find yourself dreading learning. Set up your Spanish study space to ve comfortable, inviting, well lit, and free of distractions. This will go a long way as time goes on.

Track your progress. If you don’t feel like you are making strides, then learning Spanish can feel like a slog that drags on forever. If you can look back and see tangible results, you will be surprised at how far you’ve come in a short time – a want to continue learning and bettering yourself. Similarly, set goals and track them diligently. Make sure they are challenging but also realistic and achievable. When you obtain them, be sure to celebrate! This will help you stay positive and renew your motivation for learning.

Whatever is the reason you are learning Spanish in the first place – write it down on a sticky note and put it somewhere that you will see it every day. That will make the time you spend learning Spanish fly by!

Also, check out these free Spanish audiobooks to help you learn faster!

How long did it take you to learn Spanish? Did it feel like a long time or did you feel it flying by? Let us know, we’d love your feedback!

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