Summary
Learning a language is motivated by different factors for different people. With more than 200 million native speakers globally, German is a popular and rewarding language. But how long does it take to learn German language? You likely have some objectives in mind as you set out on your German journey.
German is generally easy than most foreign languages for native English speakers. Many factors determine how quickly you learn it: your level of effort, how often you practice, and the method you use.
The Estimated Number of Practice Hours
A practical reference guide has been published by the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) for those wanting to learn a foreign language.
According to the linguistic classification, German is a language of category 2, similar to English. According to the FSI, it can takes upto 30 weeks or 750 hours to learn German. The research involved 25 hours of class time per week and three hours of practice time daily for language students.
It may seem like a lot, but even languages like Spanish and French, which are closely related to English, may take up to 24 weeks. It can take 88 weeks or 2200 hours of study to master Mandarin and Japanese, two of the most difficult languages to learn. German doesn’t take as much time to learn as you would think.
Factors Affecting How Long Does It Take To Learn German
It will also be helpful if you use your German and practice it in everyday situations. When creating a language learning program, these factors need to be considered first. This is what we will explore in the following paragraphs.
1. The Time You Have To Learn German
It is important to note that the amount of time you spend studying German is a determining factor in how long does it take to learn German. Your basic proficiency in German will increase the more time you devote to learning it.
You’ll need to select the right learning methods to maximize your time. Everyone learns differently, and some methods are more effective than others.
It is essential to learn efficiently to get the most out of your language learning sessions. It is best to regularly practice a new language if you want to become comfortable with it.
If you want ways to learn languages or how to speak German, read German books, listen to German conversations, learn new words, or use language-learning apps. A teacher will also be a helpful guide in the process.
2. Find the Right Teacher
Investigate all your options to learn German and find out what motivates you the most. You won’t learn very fast if you don’t practice outside of class despite having a great teacher. Additionally, if you practice regularly, but do not have a teacher who can point out your mistakes, you probably will not be able to maximize your learning.
There may be opportunities to attend German-speaking retreats, meetups, or online German-speaking groups in your area.
To be able to start communicating with German as soon as possible, we want to interact with the language. If you aren’t progressing with one method, try switching to another one to see if it is more suitable for your learning style and lifestyle.
When you use time from a tutor or a native speaker in conjunction with the consistent study on your own, you’ll have the best chance of learning the language faster.
3. The Difficulty of Learning German
You may experience delays in learning a language for a variety of reasons. A common obstacle is losing motivation when struggling with complex grammar concepts. An insufficient amount of exposure or practice Choosing a wrong teacher or tutor Using inefficient methods.
4. The Importance of Motivation
A new language learning program requires you to remain motivated. You should list the reasons you want to learn German, the benefits you will derive from it, and the things you will be able to do once you do so. Stay motivated and on track by keeping these goals in mind.
5. Dealing with German grammar
How long does it take to learn German? There may be some difficulties in understanding certain German grammar concepts at first but your teacher can help you understand these concepts.
Unless you have expert assistance, learning a language is nearly impossible. Having a teacher or tutor on your side will help you learn new grammar quickly, as well as correct pronunciation.
Because German grammar is so precise and intricate, you will surely run into roadblocks along your journey.
Language tutors explain even complex concepts simply and clearly. With the wrong instructor or method, these concepts can seem even more difficult, and it can become difficult to stay motivated to learn. After a few months, if your methods or teacher don’t seem to be working, it may be time to try something else.
6. Perfection Comes From Practice
You may be highly motivated and find the ideal tutor or course, but lack of practice can stall your language learning. Exercising the language daily helps you to learn the language quickly. Keep practicing your speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills every day to reinforce what you have learned.
Expected Time Frame to Achieve Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced Level
Our estimates of how long does it take to learn German to reach a beginner, intermediate, and advanced level of German are not exact, but we’ve tried to make them.
7. Beginners Level
It is possible for someone just starting out in a language to introduce themselves. Ask the basic questions in slow, simple speech, and probably make a few mistakes while doing so. For example, ordering food at the restaurant. Listen carefully to someone speak to you slowly.
These things can be done after you have taken about 180-200 hours of German classes (level A2). As a general rule, if you focus hard and are motivated, you can visit Germany in just a little over three months. Start studying now, and within a few months, you’ll be able to hold basic conversations with native speakers!
8. Intermediate level
You will be able to understand most everyday conversations if they are spoken clearly once you reach an intermediate level. But some occasional questions may be necessary to keep up. The intermediate level also permits some conversational skills.
You can watch videos and read the news without major difficulties. Ask for directions and follow them. Talk to locals about things you know. A degree of intermediate level in German requires approximately 350 study hours. Within six months, you will be able to reach this level of German if you practice German for around 15 hours a week.
8. Advanced Level
If you reach this level, you will be able to accomplish this. The ability to deal with any situation that may arise during your daily life or while traveling. Talk to native speakers in depth. No subtitles are required for movies.
No problem reading books in German. The beauty of this intricate and beautifully complex language never ceases to amaze me, regardless of how much more there is to learn.
How long does it take to learn German to you? if you’re aiming for this level of fluency? Ideally, you’ll need about 750 hours of German, according to the FSI of the Department of State, to become fluent in German.
You can speak like a pro in just one year if you study 12-15 hours a week! Take into consideration that harder languages like Japanese or Arabic may require up to 2200 hours, three times the time it takes to learn German!
Read Also: How Much Time Required to Learn a Language
Advantages for English Speakers
Even so, native English speakers may find the language difficult to learn in certain areas but for native English speakers, learning German language is much easier and faster than learning other languages.
English and German: Both Belong to the Indo-European Family
German is also a Germanic language and belongs to the Indo-European family. Therefore, German and English have many similar terms and grammar structures. Some of the words, for instance, even have the same pronunciation.
Among the words that are the same in the German and English are radio, tiger, baby, instrument, video, hotel, ring, wind, ring and kindergarten. Many German words are already familiar to you. The result is that English speakers learn German much faster and easier than other languages.
Same Alphabet
German and English alphabets are the same. The alphabet makes it much easier to learn the language than languages with other alphabets, such as Greek or Russian.
The German language borrows many words from the English language and vice versa. Mastering these words could speed up your learning process.
German Verbs Follow a Regular Pattern
It is easy language to learn as German verb patterns since they follow regular patterns. The English language follows much more regular patterns than other languages, so even irregular verbs are easier for English speakers.
It is also relatively easy to master verb conjugation since it follows regular rules. There are fewer exceptions to the rules in German than in English, which can speed up learning.
Set Pronunciation Patterns
There are also defined pronunciation patterns for German words, so speaking is simpler. Because most words are spoken exactly as they are written, it is much easier to quickly learn how to speak.
Few Hundred Words Need to Communicate
Even if you learn only a few hundred German words, you will be able to communicate effectively. Since German has fewer words than English, learning it is faster. In contrast, the number of words needed to converse is far fewer than the number in the German dictionary.
However, the English language contains up to one million words. You will be able to deduce new words’ meanings once you are familiar with root words, prefixes, and suffixes.
So, How Long Does It Take To Learn German?
When calculating learning time, minutes and hours are most accurate, not months and years. Hence, if you practice every day, you will learn faster. Learning German requires approximately 750 classroom hours or 30 weeks.
A few months or several years could be sufficient to complete the 750 hours. You decide how you want to learn and how much time you have available.
Those who study a language using a complete immersion method, with eight hours of practice a day, can achieve a high level of proficiency in German within months. Studying eight hours a day, five days a week would take you under 20 weeks to finish 750 hours.
Those who devote at least one hour per day to language learning can achieve an intermediate level within two years. If you studied 1 hour per day, every day, you could complete 750 hours in a little more than 2 years.
The time it takes for a person to learn German is determined by various factors, as we have seen in this article. In order to save time, students can take advantage of the similarities between German and English.
English grammar and spelling are susceptible to numerous exceptions. On the other hand, German rarely has exceptions to the rules, making it easier to learn and more straightforward to speak.
It’s Really Up To You How Long Does It Take To Learn German.
You will see progress faster if you spend more time practicing every day. You can also learn more quickly if you travel to Germany or immerse yourself in German culture in some other way. It’s up to you to spend the necessary time and hours learning a language, whether you study abroad or at home.
Hey my name is Logan Jackson and I’m the founder of The Different Languages blog. I have years of experience in digital marketing and in content writing as well.