How long did it take you to learn German from scratch?

The German language is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Italian province of South Tyrol. It is also a co-official language of Luxembourg, Belgium and parts of southwestern Poland, as well as a national language in Namibia. German is most similar to other languages within the West Germanic language branch, including Afrikaans, Dutch, English, the Frisian languages, Low German, Luxembourgish, Scots, and Yiddish. It also contains close similarities in vocabulary to some languages in the North Germanic group, such as Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish. German is the second most widely spoken Germanic language after English. One of the major languages of the world, German is a native language to almost 100 million people worldwide and is spoken by a total of over 130 million people.  It is the most spoken native language within the European Union. German is also widely taught as a foreign language, especially in Europe, where it is the third-most taught foreign language (after English and French), and the United States. The language has been influential in the fields of philosophy, theology, science and technology. It is the second most commonly used scientific language and among the most widely used languages on websites. The German-speaking countries are ranked fifth in terms of annual publication of new books, with one-tenth of all books (including e-books) in the world being published in German.

Learning how to speak German can feel intimidating. Especially if you can only speak one language.

No need to panic though. While German is not exactly one of the easiest languages to learn,

So before we answer the time it takes to learn German, we’re going to share the following questions you should be asking yourself‍

Do I already know a similar language to German? 

This is probably the first and most impactful question you should ask when learning any new language.

‍How similar is it to the language(s) you already speak? It’s similar to learning a new sport (rugby) that’s similar to the one you can already play (football). Or learning a new instrument (ukulele) that’s similar to an instrument you can play (guitar).

• Languages have their individual family origins, and those that come from the same family will share similar characteristics. The good news is, German and English come from the same family: the Germanic family.
• The FSI estimated that learning German will take approximately 30 weeks (750 hours) for English speakers.
• This may seem like a lot of time, but it’s a fraction compared to languages like Chinese, Japanese and Arabic, which took students up to 88 weeks to learn.
• Learning any new skill requires two major things: mileage and repetition.
• Both require time and commitment over the long haul. Take two people that have the same capability, who are using the same method of learning. The person that spends 10 hours a week for a year will likely be further ahead than a person spending 1 hour a week for three months. It’s pure math.
• Mileage is just as important because binge learning rarely works over the long haul. It takes time for our brain to make neural connections around the language we’re learning.

How to learn the German language quickly?

Learning any language usually requires a time period of at least 3 to 4 months. However, if you wish to learn German quickly then you’ll have to develop a habit of practising the German-language daily giving at least 2-3 hours.

How many hours a day will you spend with German?

This is perhaps the most important consideration and does not refer to how many hours you spend on a German language classroom. It means how much time do you spend listening, reading, speaking, or writing in German. It can be listening to podcasts while walking the dog, reading, watching movies, listening to songs, radio or being engaged in a conversation in German. In some ways, exposure to German outside the classroom can be more intense than exposure inside the classroom, unless you are lucky enough to have one-on-one instruction.

If one person spends 2 hours a day then  it amounts to 182 days it means 6 months . If another person spends one hour a day in German, it will take 365 days, or around a year. If you spend less than an hour a day, it will take much longer. 

How much do you like German?

Do you like the sounds of German? Do you like something about the history or the culture of countries where they speak German? Do you have German-speaking friends? Do you like movies or TV programs or music in German? Do you have a favorite German-speaking singer or movie star?

The more you can answer yes to these questions, the faster you will learn. Language learning engages many parts of our brains. Your emotional commitment to a new language not only influences how hard you study but also influences the efficiency of your learning.

How confident are you that you will learn to become a fluent speaker of German?

Is it even your goal to become a fluent speaker? If you are simply hoping to learn a few phrases, this will not take long. If, on the other hand, you want to become fluent, it’s very important that you believe you can do it. That is why experienced language learners, who have learned other languages, often do better in new languages. They have done it before. They know they can do it.

Your attitude will have a determining influence on your language learning progress. Your determination to succeed and your commitment to staying the course will depend largely on whether you can visualize yourself achieving fluency, even before you achieve. 

In fact, when you begin your learning, you should have a clear picture of the end result. Imagine yourself conversing freely with German speakers, and enjoying books, movies and television programs in the language. Once you are able to engage in these activities, however imperfectly at first, your German language skills will just take off.

So, basically one of the best and fastest ways to learn German to determine your intention for reading or speaking the language. Also, no one can beat dedication, hard work and patience in learning a new language. 

You can also join Multibhashi to be perfect in the German language.

So don’t worry and keep learning.

All the best!!!