We see on the internet a lot of courses offering fast results for learning a language and we wonder, is it true? How often does it happen? Learning intensively a language to keep basic conversations sounding fluent is a real challenge if you want to do it in 3 months, but is it possible?
Having in mind that talking fluently is not the same as having a very advanced Spanish level, which takes dedication over a longer period, here at Marñol Native Spanish Lessons, I always say that it does depend on the student’s background (if he/she/them knows a bit or will learn from scratch), if the student knows another language or will be the first-second language, and especially how much dedication can give daily to this new language. Of course, the motivation for learning (the personal reason) can enhance your daily motivation and support your daily goals.
So, I always recommend, (apart from having a professional and experienced Native Speaker as a tutor to correct your accent, clarify doubts, and help to get the Spanish syntaxis logic), that you use all the tools you receive from the classes and you find on your own (videos, songs, apps, movies), to start building your first vocabulary bank in your memory, once you have this big bank, it will require less new words per week to keep it growing.
Concerning the quantity of new words per day I highly recommend trying to learn 5 – 10 new words each day so that after a certain amount of months you can have a nice amount of words available in your brain, that way, once you know how to conjugate the verbs and build the sentences you’ll be very ready to convey a good amount of ideas, thoughts and requests.
But what about the “learning Spanish in 3 months” promises? Alex Rawlings, the most multilingual student in United Kingdom, who speaks 16 languages, shared his own method through this interview (see text below), dedicating 60 minutes daily you can reach a certain level of fluency for different scenarios over 3 months:
“The 15/30/15 method, he says, doesn't feel like a burden to the trainee. The first 15 minutes, with the brain just activating in the morning, are recommended for reviewing content from the previous day. The longest session, the 30-minute session, is aimed at learning new words, and new grammatical structures, and improving pronunciation. The last 15-minute session is also intended to review the midday learnings. The emphasis of reviewing is to establish concepts and have a feeling of progress. Breaks, according to his theory, help the brain unconsciously absorb information.
-Following that model, how long should it take to speak a new language fluently?
-There is no simple answer here. I recommend continuing, in principle, for three months, but each person learns languages differently, and that can generate disappointment when you are in a rush. The only way to overcome that is to try again with an open mind and see what works for you and what doesn't.
-Can learning a language be finished at any time?
-The truth that all of us who dedicate ourselves to learning languages know is that the learning process never ends. There is always more to learn. You're always going to make some mistakes. Some words are always going to escape you. The secret is to enjoy the process, not just want to get to the end. But, from the beginning, speak the language you chose as much as you can, take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way, and then you will see how you improve and gain more confidence.”
Original interview source:
As a matter of average and fact, based on the real-life routines of busy people who must manage too many things in their daily lives I can tell that you should be ready to spend 6 – 12 months at minimum in regular lessons to get a good tutoring support for your first steps deepening in this beautiful language (Spanish) and get fluent enough in Spanish 1 and 2. To achieve this you must study constantly and review the content after each lesson, otherwise, this same process can take certainly longer.
Also, many students who want to get to the highest level of Spanish fluency and knowledge level will spend more than 2 years taking Native Spanish private lessons with Native tutors. But, again, the lessons themselves are not enough, the student must review the new words, and the lessons and re-use the words and talk, and have a curious mind to never stop, we will never finish learning any language, even our mother tongue.
And guess what? we need to nurture the languages we know for a lifetime, but it can be absolutely fun, like watering plants, and enjoying the results.
So, get ready for this wonderful life adventure! Get a 30-minute trial lesson and make sure I can be part of it supporting this beautiful process. I tutor online via Zoom for any State and Time Zone, 7 days a week, so no more excuses, reach out, and don't leave that message for tomorrow!
One World Government has read your post and Spanish is helpful.
I’ve been learning Spanish for about 3 years now. I learn ok on my own but speaking with Spanish natives triple my learning time.