How Long Does it Take to Learn Italian?

It isn't surprising that you wish to learn Italian. There are many potential reasons why you’re suddenly having this desire. 

Italian is a beautiful language and Italy is a breathtaking country and a popular tourist destination. Also, the Italian language is widely considered one of the easiest to learn. However, your learning pace will be influenced by several factors:

• Your native language;

• Your commitment;

• Tutor presence;

• Your everyday exposure;

• Your experience with language learning

How long it will take you to learn Italian depends on your native language

Italian falls into a category of Romance languages along with French, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and Romanian. If you're native in a Romance language or if you've had experience learning one, it will take you much less time to learn Italian. In this case, consider skipping the elementary lessons to speed your way up the learning curve.

It also depends on your commitment

To learn a language, before anything else, you have to love it. Otherwise, you will soon lose interest. Furthermore, you must be patient and adhere to a well-constructed plan or program. Language fluency doesn't happen overnight and it takes a lot of work and dedication.

Learning with a native Italian tutor will go faster than learning on your own

A language tutor is not necessary, but it helps to have one. A tutor will set goals for you and keep you from straying off in unnecessary directions. Furthermore, you will have someone to converse with on a regular level who will also test your knowledge. You may think you have certain language proficiency, but a tutor will be there to tell you how things really stand. What's more, they will use a language study program that is carefully constructed to gradually improve your knowledge. On the other hand, if you can't afford or don't have time for a tutor, free language apps like Duolingo and similar are a great alternative.

The more you’re exposed to Italian, the faster you’ll learn it

The fastest way to learn a language is to live in a country where it is spoken. If this is not an option, the next best thing is to incorporate it into your everyday life as much as possible. Immerse yourself in the Italian language by listening to Italian music, watching Italian shows, reading books in Italian. You will be amazed by the progress you've made with almost minimal effort.

It’ll go faster if you have some experience with language learning

If you've already learned other foreign languages, learning Italian will be faster for you. You probably already have well worked-out techniques for tackling different language learning aspects. Even if this is not the case, being exposed to another language has allowed your mind to create patterns and associations that will help you in your learning process.

The U.S. Foreign Service Institute has answered how long it takes to learn Italian by examining a group of Italian language students. It has been concluded that it would take a native English speaker about 23-24 weeks or 575-600 hours in class to reach a level of general professional proficiency or higher. This may seem long, but compared to languages that could take up to 88 weeks, it's a breeze.

Book a lesson with a native Italian tutor here