How long does it take to learn English?

February 22, 2020

One of the most common questions we get from our students is "How long does it take to learn English?” There’s no simple answer, but read on to get a better idea of how you can learn English faster!

The Factors Influencing the Language Learning

Before you start on a major endeavor like learning a second (or third, or fourth, or fifth!) language, it’s good to have a long-term plan and a timeline for your goal. So really, how long does it take to learn a new language?

The answer depends on a number of factors:

What is your starting level?
What is your target level? Is your goal absolute proficiency or simply to be able to navigate everyday life?
How intensively will you be studying the language?
How are you studying?
Are you surrounded by the language in your life?
What individual factors might affect your learning?

No Simple Answer

Benigno, de Jong, & Van Moere (2017) write, “Although there is no unanimous consent as to how many hours are needed to gain increasing language proficiency, attempts have been made to produce learning time estimates.”

This is even more complicated because learning a language is not linear. This means we don’t simply go from zero English to fluent English and there’s a straight line in between. There are ups and downs; in some situations our English can be fluent, and in others we can struggle to express ourselves.

Your Starting Language Level

Are you a “true beginner” —someone who has never learned the language at all—or a “false beginner”—someone who has studied in the past, but forgotten a lot of it? People with some background in the language will progress more quickly.

Target Language Proficiency

What are you trying to do with the language? Do you want to be able to travel comfortably and get around on a vacation in Spain? Are you hoping to live in Italy and chat with locals in Italian? Or are you hoping to study abroad in English at a university level? These different language functions all require very different levels of proficiency.

Language Learning is influenced by First Language

Another important factor is the languages that you already know. Aspects of your first language can transfer to your new language in ways that make your progress faster or slower.

If you want to learn English, and you already speak Danish, there are many similarities between Danish and English that might help you to learn English more rapidly. If your first language is Arabic, and the Roman alphabet that we use in English is new for you, that could require a little more time for you to learn. But if you already speak both Arabic and French, that could speed up your acquisition.

The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center ranks languages by their similarity to English.

Category I (26 weeks) includes Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese.

Category II (35 week) includes German and Indonesian

Category III (48 weeks) includes Dari, Persian Farsi, Russian, Uzbek, Hindi, Urdu, Hebrew, Thai, Serbian Croatian, Tagalog, Turkish, Sorani and Kurmanji

Category IV (64 weeks) includes Arabic, Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, and Pashto

There is no simple equation here, but your native language is one of the factors that can affect how fast you learn your new language.

Language Study Methods

Another major factor is the way you are studying. Duolingo can be a lot of fun, but it’s not going to make you fluent in another language. You’re also not going to get too far if you’re just studying grammar rules and vocabulary words.

Research shows that the best way to acquire a language is to use it. Talk to people in the language. Watch movies in the language. Listen to podcasts. Take classes with a real teacher or a group of learners.

(Note: Despite what you may read on other websites, there is NO evidence that native speakers make better English teachers. You simply need a good teacher who is proficient in the language.)

Meaningful interaction in the language is necessary to develop fluency.

Individual Factors in language learning

There are also individual differences that can make language learning easier for some people. Lots of research suggests that young learners acquire languages faster.

Personal motivation can be another factor. Perhaps surprisingly, students who have an internal motivation to learn a language tend to progress better than students who want to learn for a practical reasons like getting a better job.

Personality is another influence: are you outgoing and talkative or more of an introvert?

Intensity of language Study

When people ask, how long does it take to learn English (or Spanish, or Chinese), they sometimes think that the answer will be a number of weeks or months or years. But really, a major factor is the intensity of your study. Are you studying English full time, 20 or 30 hours per week? Or are you taking a class once a week for 2 hours? This makes a big difference, and the most meaningful answers are in the number of hours you study, not months or years.

Here are the estimated number of hours (from Cambridge English Language Assessment) for the number of study hours needed to reach different levels on the Common European Framework:

A1 - approximately 90-100 hours

A2 - approximately 180–200 hours

B1 - approximately 350–400 hours

B2 - approximately 500–600 hours

C1 - approximately 700–800 hours

C2 - approximately 1,000–1,200 hours

6 Tech Trends That Could Reshape English Language Learning

February 14, 2020

We may have come a long way from the days of filling the blackboard with Latin declensions, but the field of language teaching is still relatively young. The demand for language instruction is surging: the British Council anticipates two billion people studying English by 2020—and that’s just English. While this field is growing, new technologies are changing nearly every industry out there, so without a doubt, technology will dramatically reshape what language learning looks like within our lifetime. Let’s take a look at some developing technologies with the potential to transform the language-learning industry.

Immersive Video

Virtual reality—like other items on this list—first debuted decades ago, but back then it was a hefty investment in a clunky headset, cord-bound to a CPU that would transport you to a digital world of wonder. Or if not wonder, at least a world of pixelated polygons. Today, things are different: the necessary components— a magnetometer, a gyroscope, a hi-def screen, are commonplace, already built in to our smartphones. Facebook’s 360 Videos and YouTube 360 put VR videos (or “immersive video”) into our pockets and onto our feeds.

As for the connection to language learning, consider what the New York Times is doing with NYT VR: taking viewers from the inhospitable expanses of Antarctica to the heart of a battle with ISIS in Falluja. Once there, a voiceover and subtitles help to orient us, understand who’s who, what’s where.

But picture that journey going in the other direction: refugees studying English while they await relocation, transported to the new home that awaits them. Before they ever set foot on the plane, a welcoming voice orients them on a virtual tour of their new home: “This is Rutland, Vermont. We are standing on the corner of West Street and South Main Street. Look up and you can see the street signs. There is a CVS Pharmacy across the street to your right. You can buy medicine there.”

Videoconferencing

Until very recently, I would have argued that the effect of videoconferencing upon language learning was a net negative. The explosion of Skype and Google Hangouts drove a proliferation of online tutoring programs touting one-on-one lessons with “native speakers” whose credentials are often dubious or absent entirely.

Online group classes haven’t been a whole lot better. Your standard software options only allowed for a single speaker at a time, with all other participants listening. This inevitably leads to highly teacher-centered classes. In a physical class, a language teacher that rattled on at the front of the room for the whole lesson would be fired. But in group Skype classes it's tough to do much else.

That could be about to change. More advanced video-conferencing technology, like Zoom, is gaining traction. And it comes with tools that can better simulate the optimal conditions for language acquisition. At my startup online English school, Ginseng English, we’re capitalizing on a feature known as virtual breakout rooms. This allows teachers to easily arrange the class in pairs and small groups, maximizing student talking time and varying interaction types, hallmarks of effective language classrooms.

Chatbots

The teachers out there might be thinking, What? Chatbots? In an English class? Blasphemy!

A few years ago I would have said the same. But the world is changing in some unforeseen ways, and the idea of chatbots in the language classroom isn't nearly as scoff-worthy as it once was.

The biggest reason that chatbots are suddenly relevant to language learning isn’t that the tech has improved dramatically (though it has: some argue that bots are about to pass the Turing test). Rather, the reason chatbots now have a place in language learning is that they are suddenly a ‘population’ that students need to be able to communicate with.

Ten years ago, studying with a bot was a painfully artificial learning task: a poor approximation of real-world communicative tasks. But today we are regularly expected to talk to computers. You call the customer service line and an uncanny voice says, “Before I connect you with an associate, please tell me a little bit more about your problem.” Customer service chatbots are commonplace across the Web. Marketing has made household names of Siri, Alexa, and Cortana—well, maybe not Cortana. But the point is that bots are now common interlocutors, part of the linguistic landscape. If students will have to interact with them in English, teachers will need to prepare them for those interactions.

Optimized Study Habits

Gamified “brain training” is everywhere. Needless to say, much of it is garbage, but it doesn't have to be. Combined with good science, this trend holds some serious potential for language learners, which apps like Duolingo are already beginning to capitalize on.

Insights from cognitive psychology have shown us the the importance of spaced retrieval—quizzing at increasing intervals—to improve long-term vocabulary retention, and at recent conferences there has been a buzz around “spiraling” curriculum: spacing out retrieval activities while ratcheting up the rigor and engaging higher-order skills. Combined with something like Google Calendar’s recent Goals feature—which analyzes your schedule and automatically pencils in times for you to work toward long-term goals—we might even be able to boost persistence in apps like these.

Which reminds me: “Siri, please cancel my Lumosity subscription.”

Massive Audio-Visual Corpora

The fundamental questions of second language acquisition relate to how and why it differs from first language acquisition. Technology-driven research is yielding some fascinating new insights into first language acquisition, which could hold a great deal of potential in English language learning as well.

At MIT, Professor Deb Roy has led The Human Speechome Project, for which he recorded three years of the language his son heard around his home. Roy mapped that data visually onto a 3D rendering of his home, painting a picture of child language development in an unprecedented level of detail. He shared the results of that project in a popular and fascinating TED Talk, The Birth of a Word.

Similar technology is being applied to the “word gap”—the fact that children in low-income families tend to hear around 30-million fewer words than those born to affluent parents—which puts those kids at a life-long disadvantage. The Providence Talks project hopes to close the word gap: They provide low-income parents with wearables that analyze their child-directed speech. This raises parents’ awareness about their speech patterns and encouraged more vocabulary-rich language. This may sound ambitious, but the results to date are quite promising.

It's only a matter of time before similar studies are applied to second language acquisition, providing insights into acquisition patterns and teacher-speak that would have been impossible just a few years ago.

Web 2.0

The internet is now well into its second incarnation, known as Web 2.0: It’s no longer a series of static pages that can be thought of simply as “destinations.” Sites now are dynamic, collaborative, often user-generated tools and workspaces. We can collect data from multiple users and instantly generate sleek infographics. We can work together simultaneously and seamlessly on documents, artworks, corkboards. The potential here is massive.

Imagine: A teacher asks the class, “What are some of the most difficult words for you to pronounce?” But she doesn't then have to scramble to scribble the loudest suggestions on the board in whatever order she can manage. Instead, students submit their suggestions on their phones using Mentimeter, instantly populating a chart projected on the board. Then they upvote the suggestions that are most challenging for them, reordering the list according to the greatest level of need. All of this transpires in around 60 seconds. After class, the teacher doesn't just erase the board, losing that data forever. It is retrievable, and can easily be added it to an ever-growing corpus of words that her particular student population need to work on.

Where in America Should I study?

February 14, 2020

Where in America Should I study?

Now that you’ve made the (correct 😎) choice to study in the U.S., you need to figure out where in the U.S. you want to be! Each of the 50 states in America is different, not only in size, weather, and population, but in culture too! Did you know that it is a 6 hour flight or a 5 day road trip from Boston to Los Angeles? Or that people in different states speak with different accents? Or that each state has their own flag!? The point is, America is HUGE!

You may have already read Choosing Where to Study Abroad: 7 Thoughts to Guide your Decision, but as you narrow down your choices, it is important to consider them again, and more specifically this time.

Half the battle is choosing where in the U.S. you want to study, but we'll also have another post soon on how to choose a specific school. Hopefully this summary of the culture and geography of America will help you to get your bearings!

Size and Population

You may be surprised to find out just how big and diverse the U.S. is. To get a handle on the geography of such a huge country, you can think of it in four general parts:

The Northeast: The eastern shoreline, along the Atlantic Ocean from Maine to Delaware.
The West Coast: The western shoreline, along the Pacific Ocean, from California up to Washington and Oregon.
The Midwest: the north western part of America, bordering Canada, including Illinois, Wisconsin, and Kansas, just to name a few. The Pacific Northwest also blends into the west coast, and the midwest with states such as Montana, Wyoming and Idaho.
The South: The states below the Mason-Dixon line, located between the West Coast and the Atlantic Ocean, including Texas, Louisiana and Alabama.

Here’s some math for you that hopefully won’t break your brain. There are almost 4 million people living in Los Angeles (L.A.), with a large land area of 1,200 km2. On the other hand, San Francisco, another big city in California, has only about 884,363 people, but has a much smaller land area of 121 km. What this means is that you will see a lot less people walking down the street in L.A. than in San Fransisco because even though the population is much larger, so is the land, so it is much more spread out city. If you love a big, bustling city with people everywhere and crowded streets, you would love San Fransisco, but if you prefer a quieter city with a lot of trees and peaceful streets, L.A. might be more your speed. Check out this wikipedia article for various city sizes and decide which size is right for you!

Culture

Mt. Rainier, so close to Seattle, you feel like you can reach out and touch it!

If you choose to go to school in a northern city on the West Coast, like Portland Oregon, or Seattle, Washington, be prepared for comfortable temperatures, and lots of rain, which means green parks everywhere! In California, there is typically less rain, and in fact, some people say that San Diego has the most perfect weather in the world! People in these cities, much like on the east coast, tend to be more open minded and liberal. There is a great music scene, lots of good seafood and ample outdoor activities such as hiking, boating, rock climbing, etc.

In cities on the East Coast, such as Boston, New York, Philadelphia or Washington, D.C., you will be surrounded by the bustling city life. You will get to experience a solid four seasons, especially the more north you are. People are friendly, but fast moving, however these cities have hundreds of colleges in them so making new friends won't be a problem! You can get just about any food you can dream of from a Philadelphia cheesesteak, to a New York City slice of pizza, or a New England lobster roll. 🤤 You will be close to the ocean, so you can take advantage of the beaches on Cape Cod or the New Jersey Shore during the summer!

With music playing at every street corner, New Orleans feels almost magical

The East and West Coast are fairly similar in terms of culture and people, but where you really start to feel a difference is in the South and the Midwest. If you go to school in a city in the South, such as Miami, Atlanta, Austin, or New Orleans, life will be a little slower. You will find great southern food, such as a Po'boy sandwich, shrimp and grits, or a nice big Texas steak. In many of theses cities, especially New Orleans there is a huge historical Jazz scene which can easily transport you back 100 years just by stepping into an old bar! People in the south tend to be more politically conservative, super friendly, and family oriented. Be prepared for high humidity in the summer, and lots of sunshine year round. If you hate snow, the South might be the place for you!

The Midwest is where you will find sprawling fields full of wheat, corn, and other various crops. If you go for a drive, you might reach Big Sky Country in Montana, which is named appropriately because the sky seems as if it could go on forever. There is a big focus on farming, wildlife and the beauty of nature in this part of the country, so life is a little slower and quieter. If you are looking to study agriculture, this is the place for you! People in the Midwest have a great accent, and are extremely friendly!

If farming isn't for you, Chicago is one of the most popular cities out here, with many great schools for you to choose from, great city life, and is also packed full of good food. Make sure you try out some Chicago deep dish pizza and their famous hot dogs and cheese curds! The four seasons are very intense here, so be prepared for a ton of snow in the winter, and hot summers!

Wheat fields of Idaho seem to go on forever

Weather

There's nothing like a snowy day in New England

The U.S. is so big that the weather can be completely different from one state to another, and especially one coast to the other! There are some places that experience a very intense four seasons (Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer), but other places that are warm all year round. If you're someone who is greatly affected by the weather, you'll want to take this in to consideration.

For example, If you were to visit Boston in March, you will most likely find it still freezing with 2 meters of snow on the ground, and this is after a longggg winter that started back in November! However, if you went over to the west coast in Las Vegas during the same time of year, you would find it hot and sunny. Even the summers are different, especially from north to south! Summer in Vermont, which is in the northern part of the country, is very beautiful, breezy, sunny, and not too hot. Summer in New Orleans, in the south, is very humid, which can make it very sticky and uncomfortable. (Can you tell that I’m more of a New England girl? 😉)

What's your preference?

City or town?

In the US, you will notice that there are many different types of areas to live and study in. There are over 50 large cities, but that doesn't mean you necessarily need to study in a city if you want to study in America!

Going to school in a city can be a great experience because not only are you getting the experience of studying at an American institution, but you're also experiencing life in an American city. Living in a city, you'll see something new everyday, and be surrounded by the excitement and hustle and bustle of the city culture. Of course, like in any country, living expenses are higher in a city. Finding an apartment to rent might be a little bit more of a challenge because city college students are usually expected to be more independent. Your college campus might be spread out throughout the city, so you'll get the fun of exploring the city as you walk to class! Here is a fun and informative quiz to help you find which American city is best for you!!

We often use the term "college town" to mean a small town that is built around a college. A college town can be an extremely fun place to go to school! In a college town, you can usually walk everywhere, and you will be surrounded by your fellow students wherever you go, There will be a ton of restaurants, bars, cute little shops, and theaters and most of them are built to cater to the college students. In a college town you will have no problem finding houses or apartments to rent with other students, and will usually get more for your money because there is a lot more space than in a city. In general, your money will probably go further if you study in a town because the cost of living is much lower than in a city. Here is a list of some of the most popular college towns in America.

Lastly, this is a list of the best colleges according to their location. These are all just general resources to get you started!

I think it's safe to say that no matter where you choose to study in the US, you will find something amazing. However, the choice can be very overwhelming, so stay tuned for more Ginseng English blog posts to help guide you in your study abroad process!

Hi! My name is Sarah and I have 8 years of experience working with international students studying in the United States, most recently at Berklee College of Music in Boston. I share your passion for adventure, and am currently traveling through Asia as part of the Ginseng English Anywhere tour! I’ll be writing many blog posts about studying abroad, so if you’ve decided to study abroad in the US, then this is the place is for you!

If have any questions about studying abroad, or are interested in scheduling an advising appointment with me, e-mail me at sarah@ginse.ng