How long does it take to learn English?
Some say 3 months, 3 years, or even 30 years? Why are the answers so variable? Here's a fun calculator to work how long it'll take to learn English, depending how many lessons you plan to take. The answer in the calculator is clear, but don't forget you're a human and humans aren't always so clear! So how long does it take to learn English? Let's talk about all the factors you'll come across in this journey.
Why does it take so long to learn English?
It does depend on your first language, or other languages you know already. English is 50% French, so French speakers find a lot of common words. But French sentence structure is very different! If you speak Japanese or Korean you might find it difficult as they are completely opposite to English, then your learning journey might be longer too. English is big; there are a lot of words, but confusingly we can use the same words in many situations (for example get and run have multiple uses and meanings), there are tenses which might be different from your first language, articles like 'a' and 'the' which might not exist in your language, and tricky pronunciation too, not to mention the spelling!
What does it mean to be fluent in English?
Let's explore what it means to be fluent in English anyway. This will be different for different people. A fluent 7 year old speaks differently from a fluent 17 year old or 27 year old. This is true for any language. A doctor needs to use different words than a mother or a pottery artist. You might feel very fluent when speaking to your friends but hesitate when you have to give a presentation. Can you judge how fluent you are by the number of words you know? Not exactly because knowing is not the same as using or using correctly. So how long does it take to learn English and feel fluent will depend on you, your previous experience, and what you believe is fluent enough.
How long does it take to improve your level in English?
This is a little bit easier to calculate, especially if you're thinking about exams. For example if you want to take the IELTS exam, it's estimated that if you study around 4 hours a day for 3 months you could improve by half a point (ie band 4.5 to 5.0) but it also depends on a number of things - how you enjoy your study, the help and advice you receive, how anxious you feel, what your previous level was before. Read this for more information about leveling up your IELTS score.
You can speak straight away
I'm always confused by apps and courses that say You can Speak English after 3 Weeks! because you can speak English immediately. In fact, there are very few people who know zero English in the world, as it's often a school subject, and English words have been adopted into languages the world over. So you can speak right now. Don't wait for the perfect time, place or person to speak to. That will never happen. You can even start with an AI chatbot if speaking to a real person is not right for you. In this way learning English doesn't take very long. You can chat from day 1!
Practice makes perfect
There's definitely no one who speaks perfect English. But plenty of people who think they do! There is no standard English that is defined by an Academy or Institute. What we think of as Standard English is different in the USA, the UK and Australia. So don't worry about being perfect in English. Practice does help and is necessary to improve. But you'll never be perfect. Don't wait to be perfect in English. Now is the time to speak and use English!
Practice with everyone and everything
Do you have someone to speak to in English? These days you can use AI chatbots to help you with English even at 2am in the morning! You'll need to speak English with humans too, so make friends, get a teacher, set up a language exchange to practice. Read this blog post about finding a teacher. Don't feel like you can only speak with a teacher, or a native-speaker. Every opportunity to use your English is a great one. It's up to you to make it your best chance to practice, so try to be chatty with people you trust. How long does it take to learn English? That really depends on how much you can practice speaking even if you think your level is low.
Your mindset
Why are you learning English? This is really essential. Once I had a conversation with a girl in Cambodia. She was trying to sell me something as we toured the sights of Angkor Wat. Her English was excellent. Why? Because she had to sell things to make money for her family. I hope she went to school and had choices in her life, but I don't know. I know she was a lot more fluent in English than many of her peers, and more quickly too, because her why was clear and essential. So why do you keep on learning English? Do you believe that English is your language? Your previous experience with English will affect how you feel about English, which can then make you feel more or less fluent. Believing that you can or can't be fluent will also affect you. Top tip - you have to believe you can before you do.
So how long does it take to learn English? The answer is up to you! Make English a part of your life, and use it for enjoyable activities and you'll soon be more fluent than you realise.
Check out the Elevate Directory of English language teachers to find your perfect teacher and get speaking and using English in the way that's best for you.
