Table of Contents
How long does it take to learn French? Many people have a complex question about learning French besides improving their French pronunciation. We frequently receive questions of this type. I can provide a very accurate estimate. To become fluent takes time, but first, we need to establish what fluency actually is, and then we can move forward.
Identifying fluency as a process is difficult regardless of what language we are learning. In addition, it is important to remember that every individual is different in how they approach learning a language like French. Several factors affect your rate of acquisition of a language.
Many people attract to French for its simplicity and elegance. But, what are the best ways to learn languages or to speed up French learning, and how long does it usually take?
How Long Does it Take to Learn French?
It is normal to have several questions and concerns when a person is considering learning French. French is a challenging language to learn, which is why many people wonder when they’ll be able to master it. Although learning French is an exciting process, it will take time and effort to achieve its fruitful rewards.
You should know: Everyone’s experience with learning French is different if you’re serious about learning French. Your ability to learn French depends on some factors, including how much time you devote daily, and what types of methods you use.
How much time is needed to learn French language? See the explanation in below.
3 To 6 Months of Full French Immersion
Within three to six months, you will be relatively proficient in French with full immersion. If you are a full-time resident of a country where French is not the primary language spoken, immersion in full French can be tricky.
You can either travel to a French-speaking country or enroll in an immersion program domestically to immerse yourself fully in French. Should you choose the former, you can choose from a few options.
When students arrive in France, they can enroll in formal French language courses and spend the remainder of their free time getting to know their new surroundings and friends. Also available online are language exchange websites, such as Franglish, that let you communicate in French with native speakers of English.
You might consider enrolling in a year-long degree program in France if you are interested in spending more time there. People interested in learning French can enroll in year-long courses at the Sorbonne.
One of these programs may require you to obtain a visa. In addition, there are domestic immersion programs. Often, moving to one of these programs is more economically and logistically feasible than going abroad.
6 To 12 Months of Partial French Immersion (And Up)
Partial immersion in French might be a good choice for those who cannot afford to completely uproot their lives to become fluent in the language, but still, wish to spend some time immersed. A French immersion program at home is a method for studying French intensively as it is an intensive learning method.
You should meet with a teacher or a language partner at least five to seven hours per week. As you attend regular conversation sessions and study your French textbook of choice, your brain will be able to recall what you have learned between sessions and prevent forgetting the material.
You can find a language partner through a platform or hire a teacher to get these conversation hours. Although you can find a partner for less money, since the idea behind this kind of exchange is to trade your French skills for the English skills of the other, you will have to wait twice as long to find a compatible partner.
This method ensures that you achieve fluency even faster by using tools that immerse you even further in the language. You can accomplish this by doing as much leisure activity as you can in French: reading French books, watching French television, and getting your news from a French source.
Be creative! The next time you play chess, learn the French names for the pieces and moves so you can play the game like a pro. Take advantage of French rugby and soccer commentary if you enjoy watching professional sports. You need to get as much exposure to the language as you can.
Sporadic or Occasional? It Depends On You!
You can still learn French if you don’t have the time or money to immerse yourself, you just might need a bit more time. Learn a foreign language by investing about 1,000 hours, so keep a record of your practice hours, such as a thermometer chart, and let your imagination be your guide!
Start by getting a good French textbook, try incorporating French into your leisure activities, and if you can, enroll in a French class. Become accustomed to hearing French music and watching French movies. The FluentU platform makes it easy to take immersive courses on your schedule.
Learning French: Setting Goals
How long does it take to learn French? For this you can determine your fluency levels and goals by the following
A1 (Beginner)
Basic phrases and familiar expressions are understandable and usable by beginning French language learners. Those who speak slowly can have their needs met by French speakers if they communicate slowly.
A2 (Advanced Beginner)
A beginner can also understand basic expressions and phrases related to daily life as well as those related to the workplace. Additionally, they can inform others directly about their surroundings and routine.
(B1) Intermediate
A French intermediate speaker will use his or her experiences and preferences to complete sentences. It will be possible for you to manage simple navigation, communication, and travel without difficulty. As well, you can follow other people’s opinions on regular daily matters, such as school, work, and leisure.
(B2) Advanced
French speakers who are proficient in abstract and concrete topics can understand topics written in complex and specialized fields. Speakers of these languages can interact easily and spontaneously with native speakers without having to think much. In any discussion, opinions and advantages can be express clearly whether the subject is a topic or a situation.
(C1/C2) Expert
This level implies that the language expert has essentially mastered French. They are capable of reading and writing detailed texts as well as expressing themselves in a variety of nuanced ways.
Additionally, depending on the context, they can use language more freely. Furthermore, expert language learners can comprehend almost any message.
What Factors May Affect My Learning French Time?
A little self-reflection will help you see how long learning French will take you personally. Read on to learn more about how the language-learning process works for you.
Prior Language Learning Experiences
If you already speak another language or were raised bilingually, you can save some time if you learn French. Numerous linguistic studies have demonstrated that bilinguals are better at learning a third language than monolinguals. Having experienced different languages naturally, their fluency and proficiency in one language will aid their ability to communicate in another.
You don’t need to worry about your fluency level: even the Latin class you took in high school or the Mexico trip with the family helped. When learning a language, it’s important to become familiar with the different components of the language and its unique features.
You will know what to expect in a new language if you have studied foreign grammar, memorized vocabulary, learned different sounds, and looked at different letters.
There are fewer surprises, which makes learning languages easier and faster. There is still a possibility of accelerating language learning even if you are only exposed to a few different languages – especially if one of the languages you want to learn is one of those.
Your Native Language
In reality, most languages are more similar than different, even if they look like Greek to you. Whenever you learn the alphabet, pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary of a language based on your native language, you can save time.
Generally, learning languages with similar roots is easier and takes less time.
Even before you start studying French, you already know some French words. Numerous English words and roots share roots with European languages due to their common origins, history, and evolution. For people whose native language has similar roots to French (such as English or Spanish), these words are referred to as cognates.
French words such as “identification,” “attention,” and “direction” contain the same ending and are pronounced differently. They can help you learn French much more quickly and easily. Same apply on learn a new language other than French.
The Way You Learn
The question how long does it take to learn French is also greatly affected by your learning methods. You will take a little longer to learn if your learning takes place in a classroom.
If you are expose to French outside of classes as well, you can speed up the process of learning French. If you want to learn French faster, you should read, listen to the radio or read eBooks, write, speak, watch movies and travel to a French-speaking country.
Time Devoted To Learning
Your time commitment to learning French will naturally depend on whether you plan to learn daily, weekly, or monthly. Students who study grammar, memorize vocabulary, watch movies, or read books for an hour a day learn a foreign language more quickly than those who attend one class a week.
For most language learners, Rocket French is a good choice because it encourages frequent study and is easy to access. Immersion provides the best means of learning a foreign language.
The Attitude You Have
How long does it take to learn French is also heavily influenced by your attitude. A positive attitude and the view that learning languages can broaden your horizons will make it easier for you to be open to learning. As a result, you’ll be more motivated to study and learn as much as possible, thereby fast-tracking the process.
Motivations
Learning a language requires staying motivated. Even you decide a language which is one of the hardest languages to learn. Motivation has been proven to be essential to language learning in so many studies. One of the reasons some people succeed in learning a foreign language, and one of the reasons others fail, is staying motivated.
In the long run, staying motivated will result in you learning French in a shorter period of time since you think about the benefits of learning it and how it will improve your life.
5 Fastest Ways to Learn French Language
You can speed up your language learning process in 5 fastest ways.
Make a Learning Schedule
Organize Your French Learning If you wish to learn French quickly, then you should create a schedule for your learning. A deadline is what you need to meet when you’re studying French for a trip or a language exam. Determine how much time you can devote to your language studies until then, and make sure you stick to your schedule.
Your everyday life will be easier if you learn French. Podcasts are a great way to learn French, review your lessons while commuting, or listen to French songs at the gym. Such activities will contribute to your success in learning French.
Choose the Best Way
Learning French can be done in many ways. You know you have found a good language learning tool if you are progressing rapidly and enjoying your French lessons. Among the common methods for learning French are: It is recommended that you join a class if you enjoy learning with other people.
You may be slow down by your classmates, so this is not the best choice for learning French quickly. If you are interested in learning French privately, you may want to hire a French tutor. You can work closely with a French tutor who is proficient in the language. Your tutor’s expertise and time will cost quite a bit of money, but you can learn at your own pace.
Simply purchase some textbooks and decide to learn French for yourself. You may be able to begin with some French textbooks, however, if you’re unsure of where to begin. These will guide your lessons well. In spite of the best efforts of French textbooks, you will still learn topics and grammar you will never need.
The best way for you to learn French is to use a language learning app, which will allow you to learn at your own pace and at a fast pace without having to spend so much money on tutors and textbooks. Learn French with the help of technology and gain fluency fast.
Learn the Words That are Most Commonly Used In French
20% of your vocabulary accounts for 80% of your everyday speech. Often called the 80/20 rule, the Pareto Principle is the basis for this. The rule applies to all languages, including French. Why does learning French quickly have to do with the 80/20 rule?
You can learn French very quickly and speak fluently if you only concentrate on the most important 20% of the French vocabulary. French can be spoken fluently with just a few vocabulary words. The key to learning a language quickly consists of these high-frequency words.
From Day One, Begin Speaking French
Practice of speaking skills is often postponed or forgotten by language learners. However, that is how progress is slowed down. The very first lesson you take needs to be conducted in French.
The earlier you become familiar with the sounds of the language, the faster you will learn the language. Here is a trick that everyone neglects to mention when it comes to learning French fast.
Engage Yourself in French
Immersion has many benefits. For example, in France you can learn the language by immersion. Just hear the French language throughout the day and immerse yourself in it. You’ll become fluent faster if you read and hear French more often. Creating a French immersion experience at home is easy with the following activities. France’s cinema is amazing.
Watch French movies. Many classics as well as important international titles are available in French. Likewise, there are a lot of great comedies when it comes to action films. You can learn French while you’re relaxing by watching French movies.
If you want to practice intense and interesting listening skills, you should listen to French podcasts. Listen to native French speakers as they discuss a wide range of topics. The French locals read daily newspapers and online magazines to stay up to date on their daily life.
It’s fun to watch French TV shows, featuring French locals. French TV shows are a great alternative to long-form motion pictures. These competition and reality shows are based in France. You should sing French songs It is a good idea to sing songs if you have difficulty pronouncing French.
Singing and listening to French songs will help you develop vocabulary, practice your speaking abilities, and have fun at the same time. You can become fluent in French faster by singing French songs a lot.
Is French Hard to Learn for English Speakers?
With the above part of the article, the question is obvious: how long does it take to learn French? But, is French hard to learn? French is quite easy to learn, as long as you use the right language learning methods and enjoy them.
The difficulties of French become insignificant and you will enjoy learning the language. Your language learning will be boost even further if you have the right motivation for learning French.
The two languages have many differences, but they also have many similarities. In consequence, there are some areas of the language that are more difficult to master than others. It depends on you how difficult a language is for you.
Understanding what makes a language difficult is the key to mastering it. Knowing that is the first step toward learning any language. The same is true for French. Access to the right resources can make learning French easier. The right method should be fun and effective.
Ihsan Sharif is a talented writer known for his engaging articles on linguistic topics. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for language, Ihsan brings complex linguistic concepts to life, making them accessible and interesting to a wide audience.