I’m pretty sure you’ve encountered the phrase where it says that it takes at least 10,000 hours to become an expert in something. Unfortunately, it’s true. It takes a lot of time and effort to be really good at something, especially when trying to learn a second language. For example, learning Korean.
Most companies will sell you language-learning products saying that they know of a method that can guarantee fluency at a much faster time. Their products may work, but always take their word with a grain of salt. After all, they’re trying to sell you a product. You can’t blame them for trying to come up with a sales pitch. But, as far as the truth goes, learning a second language isn’t easy; there’s not a single method that can guarantee you’ll learn it at a faster pace.
Language acquisition is a very complex process that involves leani, just to point out a few of the most simple aspects of trying to learn a new language.
So How Much Time Will It Take?
The time it takes to learn a new language mainly depends on three factors:
- Age of the Learner – Experts won’t go as far as to say that older people have a harder time learning a new language. Rather, it’s just that learning patterns differ depending on the age of the learner. Or, put simply, how a five-year-old learns and acquires a new language is different from how someone at age 25 or 15 would.
- Immersion – How immersed you are in the language also plays a key role in how fast you’re able to learn a language. For example, if you’re living in an English-speaking country and are trying to learn a language of their minority, your pace won’t nearly be as fast as if you were learning the dominant language of that country. The more hours you’re exposed to the language speeds up the process of language acquisition.
- Language learning in school – It should already go without saying that taking something like a korean course in singapore helps speed up the process of learning a language. But it’s not as easy as may seem. Instead, it also depends on the quality of the instruction you’re receiving.
Conclusion
It’s hard to pinpoint just how many hours it’ll take to learn a language. If, by learning, you mean knowing the language well enough to understand basic conversations, then maybe a hundred or so hours of instruction should work. But, that still depends on a lot of factors, mainly the three pointed out above.
However, most experts can agree that mastering a second language isn’t easy; it takes a lot of time, dedication and hard work. Also, while it is a big challenge, the short and long-term benefits are well worth the hassle.