Education

How long does it take to learn French? Honest Guide

  • June 17, 2022
  • 4 min read
How long does it take to learn French? Honest Guide

A journal published in Cognition says – people who begin learning a second language after age 10 rarely achieve native-level fluency. Our brain function even denies a new language indirectly. That’s why a language learner usually has to go through many hardships.

French is a Romance language and important to learn from many aspects. About 275 million people in 29 countries speak French. So, it is needless to describe this language’s prospects. Many learners want to know the required duration to learn French. This article will answer this question and mention some factors that affect the learning duration.

If you want to learn French check out French Tutors by AmazingTalker for 1 on 1 customized courses for your need. They also have English Tutors.

How long does it take to learn French?

The duration of learning a second language varies due to many things. But, statistical data can provide us with an idea about the average time. According to Foreign Service Institute (FSI), learning French requires 23-24 weeks or 575-600 hours on average. Note that the learning time will not be equal for everyone. A learner’s abilities and surroundings can make the learning faster or slower.

6 Factors That Effects How Long It Takes to Learn French:

The following six factors can determine the duration of learning French as a second language.

1. Your native language:

A language from the same root as your mother tongue will be very easy to learn. You will find many similarities between their vocabulary, sentence structure, and pronunciation. So, you can learn it without much effort. French is a Romance language with Latin roots. If your native language is also a Romance language like Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Romanian, you will learn French faster. In contrast, French can be a difficult language for Arabic or Chinese speakers.

2. Experience with learning other languages:

Experience is an invaluable asset in any case of life. If you have learned a foreign language earlier, you can learn French faster than a novice. A language can be learned through several methods. Experienced learners already know which methods are suitable for them. Besides, they are habituated to the hardships of learning a new language. Experienced learners also know how to utilize language materials for learning faster and effectively.

3. What level of proficiency are you aiming for?

The duration of learning French can vary depending on your target proficiency. Any language has 6 levels of proficiencies like the following:

  • A1 – No proficiency
  • A2 – Elementary proficiency
  • B1 – Intermediate proficiency
  • B2 – Upper-intermediate proficiency
  • C1 – Advanced proficiency 
  • C2 – Native / Bilingual proficiency

A2 is the minimum proficiency for asking and answering questions in basic French. You can achieve this level after a few classes that will not take much time. But, if you want to talk like native French speakers, you have to reach level C2 which may take years.

4. How motivated are you?

Demotivation often stops the journey of many language learners. But, your progress mostly relies on how motivated you are. Learning French will require your patience, determination, and motivation together. The journey is cumbersome, indeed. However, learners should be motivated to keep their confidence high. Your motivation level can specify how faster you will learn French.

5. How much time can you spend?

Your effort will affect the progress of your language learning. The more time you spend learning, the faster you get the result. In contrast, spending time infrequently studying will make your learning slower. Most language tutors suggest studying your target language like French at least 30 minutes a day. Here, the quality of learning also matters. So, you should focus on consistency instead of a longer study time. Make sure you have learned some French every day.

6. What is your learning method? 

If your learning is limited to the classroom, your progress will be very slow. You have to study and apply French outside the classroom for faster progress. A tutor can teach you the fundamentals and correct your mistakes. But, self-study is crucial for learning a new language. Reading French books will enrich your active vocabulary. Besides, writing and speaking in French will make you more fluent. 

Final thought:

Finally, we have come to know the average duration of learning French. It is a crucial language to learn for students, professionals, and businessmen because of its huge number of speakers. However, you will naturally face many difficulties during the learning period.

Linguists say the above factors will mostly influence the duration and difficulty of learning a language. The best way to learn French is through the immersion learning method. This is the exact process of how we learned our native language. AmazingTalker has helped thousands of students to learn French by applying modern learning methods. The course materials and your practice will help achieve a satisfactory result. 

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