How Long Does It Take To Learn Spanish Fluently?

Learning Spanish is a worthwhile effort, as it is one of the most commonly seen and heard languages in the world. With fluent Spanish, you can pretty much travel from Mexico all the way to Argentina and enjoy yourself well. However, how long does it take to learn Spanish fluently?

Sources may differ, but it may take an average of 330 hours of learning to be fluent in Spanish. You can speed up your learning time by using apps such as Duolingo, practicing Spanish with a speaker, or listening to Spanish podcasts.

This article discusses how long it takes to learn Spanish fluently. We also discuss what it means to be fluent in Spanish and some tips you can apply to speed up your Spanish learning.

How Good Must You Be To Be Fluent In Spanish?

To be fluent in Spanish, you may want to aim for at least a B1 proficiency in the CEFR grading. At B1, you should be able to use Spanish daily to interact with local speakers and also get around Latin America or Spain on your own with confidence.

When it comes to fluency, of course, we all want to be able to speak Spanish like our favorite telenovela actors and actresses. In fact, you may even have dreams of speaking Spanish with a specific accent, for example, the smooth Colombian accent.

However, you do not need to achieve such a level of fluency in many ways since you only need to have enough Spanish to converse with a Spanish speaker.

This means you can make grammar errors, pronunciation errors, and have the gringo accent. As long as the Spanish speaker understands you, that should be fine.

When it comes to language proficiency, the standard measurement for it is the CEFR. It stands for the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

CEFR is a system that can be used to measure any person’s language ability in any language. The CEFR breaks down language proficiency into 6 different levels – A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2.

If you just started learning a language, you are an A1. If you have a native-like fluency, you are a C2.

For you to become a fluent Spanish speaker, you probably only need to aim for B1 proficiency. This is because, as B1, you:

Can confidently get around Latin America or Spain on your own.
May not understand everything, but you know enough Spanish to get directions and hold basic conversations.
Write about topics of personal interest
Describe experiences, events, dreams, ambitions, opinions, and also plans in brief.

At B1 proficiency, you should be able to use Spanish to travel and live in Latin America. You can speak with the locals, order food, and use Spanish daily to get things done. This level of fluency should be enough for you.

Sure, you may not sound perfect and have grammar mistakes, but the locals understand that you are a gringo, which means they would be more relaxed with it. In fact, they may be impressed at your ability to speak Spanish. Plus, they may even find it amusing if you make language mistakes.

How Long Do You Need To Learn Spanish Fluently?

You may take between 60 – 600 hours of learning to be fluent in Spanish. The time you need may differ depending on how much time and effort you can allocate to it and the programs you choose. If you aim to sound like a native, you will need a longer time too.

Sources	Hours Needed
Duolingo	120
US Foreign Service Institute	575-600
Verbalicity	250-350
Pimsleur	60
Rosetta Stone	200+
Babbel	275

The answer of how long it takes to learn Spanish fluently can be hard to answer, as several things need to be determined. First, the word ‘fluent’ itself. Most of these sources indicate that their courses or programs could help you achieve different proficiency levels.

This doesn’t help that they use different metrics to indicate proficiency. Some, such as Duolingo, use the CEFR rating, which makes it easier to measure how fluent you can be after taking their course. However, Verbalicity, for example, only mentions that you will achieve ‘conversational fluency’ after finishing their program.

However, you may assume that by the time you complete these programs, you should be at least able to have the fluency to function in Latin America.

Duolingo

Duolingo is a language learning app known for its successful Spanish and French programs. Duolingo’s Spanish program is one of the most extensive within the app and takes around 120 hours to complete.

The program consists of audio instructions, reading, and listening activities. You should find yourself writing, doing multiple-choice questions, and speaking into the microphone for pronunciation activities as you complete the tasks.

Duolingo claims that by completing the 120 hours of lessons, you should be able to have fluency in Spanish at the B1 level.

US Foreign Service Institute

The US Foreign Service Institute is a part of the US Department Of State. It also conducts language classes to train diplomats and foreign embassy staff.

According to US FSI, it should take around 575-600 hours of instruction to be able to achieve fluency in ‘Category One’ languages. Category One languages are languages similar to English, including Spanish.

The class hours may seem high, but it makes sense. This is because these diplomats are not just learning Spanish to travel but to perform highly precise work such as diplomatic speeches, documents, etc. This means the proficiency is likely to be very high.

If you are just looking to learn Spanish for casual and travel use, you may not need such proficiency.

Verbalicity

Verbalicity is a Spanish language learning website that helps you to learn Spanish. It does not offer classes in other languages. Verbalicity does not offer programs but helps connect you to Spanish tutors who will conduct online classes with you.

One great approach to Verbalicity is the ability to learn from and speak with a tutor. This means more human interaction and may be less boring to learners.

Verbalicity claims that by undergoing 250-350 hours of training with Spanish tutors in their platform, you should be able to achieve ‘Conversational Fluency.’ Their description for ‘Conversational Fluency’ may be quite similar to B1 in CEFR, meaning you can assume the same.

Pimsleur

Pimsleur contains many programs for foreign languages. The learning method is based on the Pimsleur method, a language-learning system developed by Dr. Paul Pimsleur.

The learning method uses mostly audio recordings, with accompanying books and studying materials. Many credit Pimsleur systems to allow them to learn Spanish while driving or working out instead of sitting down and working on the materials like other systems.

On its website, Pimsleur claims that by the time you finish all 5 levels of the program, you will have a ‘high-intermediate’ level of fluency. This may be interesting since it only takes about 60 hours to finish their course. If the claim is true, Pimsleur’s program may be the most time-efficient Spanish language program in this list.

Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone is a popular language learning system developed based on the Dynamic Immersion method. Rosetta Stone contains many languages, with its Spanish course being one of the popular ones.

Rosetta Stone claims it would take around 200+ hours to complete their Spanish course, from level 1 to 5. However, it does not make a claim on its website about how fluent its learners will be.

However, a research paper indicates that completing Rosetta Stone programs should help you to reach B1 fluency. You can apply the same assumption to Spanish as well.

Babbel

Babbel is a Germany-based language learning website similar to Duolingo. For its Spanish program, it may take you up to 275 hours to complete the courses inside.

The courses are separated by levels based on the CEFR. This means you start with basic courses before moving into A1-level courses. Then you progress into A2, and so on.

When you look into the course description, you may notice that the course progresses to the C1 level. This means you may assume Babbel’s courses could help you achieve C1 fluency, which is advanced.

How To Learn Spanish Fast?

You can speed up your learning time by getting a tutor, using apps such as Duolingo, practicing Spanish with a speaker, watching Spanish TV shows, or listening to Spanish podcasts.

Learning Spanish may not be a straightforward affair. Aside from spending time to sit down and learn it, you also need to practice and use it daily to sharpen your skills.

Aside from that, you also want to engage with Spanish media to improve your listening skills and pronunciation.

Use Language Learning App

One of the easiest ways to learn Spanish is to spend time working with language-learning apps, such as Duolingo or Babbel. This is because these apps are with you all the time, meaning you can work on a unit or section of the course while you are commuting, taking a break, or more.

The issue with using a language learning app is that you may be getting inputs from the course. Still, you may not have many opportunities to speak Spanish and engage in Spanish conversations. This is a weakness that many reviewers of language apps mention as well.

Practice With Spanish Speakers

This means once you have achieved a certain level of proficiency in Spanish, you want to start to use it and improve on it. What is the point of learning all those words and grammar and not speaking a single word of Spanish?

As a start, look for any Spanish-speaking groups near you. If you have some budget, consider getting a Spanish tutor to practice speaking Spanish with. If you live in a locality where there are no Spanish speakers, consider using services such as Verbalicity to connect you to a Spanish tutor.

Dedicate More Time

If you wish to become fluent in Spanish faster, you can always dedicate more time to learning the language. Let’s take, for example, the Babbel language course. It takes about 275 hours to finish the whole program.

If you only dedicate 10 minutes a day to work on the course, it will take you 1,650 days to complete it. That is long!

What about if you can set about 30 minutes a day to work on Babbel? You will be able to finish the course in about a year and a half. By the time you finish Babbel’s course, you should have a fluency level of C1 as well.

Listen And Watch Spanish Content

One of the fastest ways to learn any language is to consume media content in the language. You should not have any issues with Spanish media content since Spanish TV channels are easily found in the US.

You can also download and listen to Spanish podcasts. When listening to it, try to see if you can follow the discussion and pronunciation of certain words. As you listen, you may also try to copy their accent, which should help you sound less gringo.

Travel Mocha

How Long Does It Take To Learn Spanish Fluently? [2022]