Duration to Learn a Foreign Language: Insights from U.S. Diplomats Training Institute

Handy apps, digital translators, and more — there is no shortage of tools to help you handle a language barrier when traveling internationally. That said, nothing can make up for the real thing. Learning a second language can enrich your life in so many ways — from the ability to communicate with millions of people in their native language and read books and magazines in that tongue to boosting your brain’s functions. Therefore, how much time do you need to invest to become fluent in a different language? According to the U.S. Department of State, the short answer is, well, it depends on the language.

The Foreign Service Institute (FSI), part of the U.S. State Department responsible for educating diplomats, divides the world’s most popular languages into four categories based on the number of weeks it takes to gain general proficiency, reports The Economist. For instance, languages like Danish, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, and Romanian take an average of 24 weeks or around 600 class hours to learn, while French takes 30 weeks. These languages are categorized as “similar to English,” as they all utilize various forms of the Latin alphabet.

The second category includes German, Swahili, and Indonesian, which generally require 36 weeks or 900 class hours — or approximately 25 hours per week.

Moreover, The Economist points out that most European languages have originated from the Proto-Indo-European language, thus sharing certain root words. In the third category are the “languages with significant linguistic and/or cultural differences from English,” which include Bengali, Greek, Turkish, Icelandic, and Thai. Consequently, these languages require approximately 44 weeks or 1,100 class hours to learn.

Arabic, Chinese Cantonese, Chinese Mandarin, Japanese, and Korean are classified in the fourth category of languages that present exceptional difficulty for native English speakers. Prepare to invest about 88 weeks on average to learn each of these languages, as they differ from English in writing, sentence structure, syntax, and more.

The FSI’s scale defines general proficiency as possessing complete control of basic grammar, being able to express opinions, making appropriate cultural references, and having a broad vocabulary. Therefore, investing time in learning a language not only facilitates travel and communication but also enhances cognitive skills and cultural appreciation.