How long does it take to learn English at each level?

How long does it take to learn English? As a guide, most beginners can reach upper-intermediate level within a year, assuming a reasonable amount of effort and study time.

But the real answer to this question depends on many factors, such as your native language, your age, and the number of hours you are able to commit to learning English each week.

We also need to consider your starting level of English and the level you want to achieve. Since these answers will be different for everyone reading this article, it is difficult to give a precise answer to the question. However, once you have understood the things that affect how long it takes to learn English, you’ll be in a better position to visualize your own journey.

What affects the time it takes to learn a new language?

In order to get a better idea of how long it will take you to learn English, you need to consider some important factors.

1. Is your native language similar to English?

English belongs to the Germanic language family, which also includes German, Dutch, Danish, and Norwegian. It is also closely tied to the Romance language family, which includes Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Italian.

So, if you speak any of these languages, you’ll probably find it easier to learn English than someone whose native language is, for example, Arabic or Mandarin.

We explore this more in our article: Why is English so difficult to learn?

2. Do you speak any other languages?

If you already speak another language, you may find it easier to learn English than someone who doesn’t. This is because your brain is already used to recognizing different linguistic patterns and recalling words in different languages – even if you aren’t conscious of it.

One of the advantages of speaking multiple languages is that as your brain gets better at switching between them, your attention span and your ability to multitask can improve too!

If you’re familiar with any of the languages mentioned above, even if they are not your native tongue, this should give you an extra boost toward English fluency.

3. Do you live in an English-speaking country?

Living in an English-speaking country helps immerse you in the language. You see and hear it everywhere you go and are surrounded by native English speakers, so you become familiar with the language much faster.

The same goes if you live with another English speaker, especially if they mainly speak English to you at home.

4. What level do you want to reach?

Learning a language is a bit like learning to drive a car or play an instrument. You don’t wake up one day and find that suddenly all your hard work has paid off and you can now do it perfectly. Instead, it takes time and dedication and your skills improve gradually over time.

Even after you have passed your driving test and you’re allowed on the road by yourself, your driving should continue to improve over the next few years.

And it’s the same with English, except there is no exact measure of fluency. You may have a certain exam level in mind that you would like to reach, or a target that will tell you when your English is ‘good enough’. Either way, it’s helpful to have this in mind before you begin, so you can clearly measure your progress along the way.

If you don’t yet know your current proficiency level, you can read more about ESL levels or take a free assessment with Gymglish. Click here to get a free 30-day trial of their online English course, and after the first week you’ll receive a detailed report with your current level and the areas you need to improve.

There are also the different language skills to consider. You may find it quite easy to hold a conversation in English with minimal understanding of grammar rules, for example. Or, you may be excellent at writing, but lacking confidence when speaking because you haven’t had much practice with pronunciation.

In order to speak English fluently, you should really have a good grasp of all aspects of the language, and this may mean you have to work harder on one particular area.

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5. How much time do you have to study English?

Naturally, the more time you can commit to your studies, the faster you will make progress toward achieving fluency.

Someone who takes one online class every week and skims over their lesson materials will take much longer to reach the next level than someone who dedicates a couple of hours per day to their studies. And if you have the time and money to go and live in an English-speaking country and take an immersive English course, you’ll dramatically cut down the time it takes to reach advanced level!

6. Are you taking lessons or studying alone?

Self-led learning is an affordable way to learn a language, and it lets you progress as fast or slow as you like. There are many online English courses that do a great job of replacing the traditional classroom environment and making language learning engaging and convenient.

However, one thing that apps and websites can’t replace very well is the personalized feedback and correction that you get from having a teacher or tutor listen to you speak. You’ll find that you learn English faster if you have someone guiding you along the way and helping you learn from your mistakes, rather than just trying to find your own way to fluency.

How long does it take to learn English?

With all of the above factors in mind, let’s look at how long it takes to learn English, according to CEFR levels. As a guide, we can say that it takes approximately 200 hours of study time to progress from one level to the next. However, certain levels typically take a little longer to master.

Level of English (CEFR)	Hours to complete this level	At this level you can…
A1 (Beginner)	70 – 100	Understand and use basic everyday expressions to satisfy concrete needs, such as introducing yourself and asking and answering simple questions about personal details. Interact in a simple way in familiar situations, as long as the other person speaks slowly and clearly and is willing to help. Read very short, simple texts and find specific, predictable information in everyday materials, like advertisements, menus, or timetables. Write short, simple messages and complete simple forms with personal details.
A2 (Pre-intermediate or Elementary)	150 – 200	Understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of immediate relevance (e.g. basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography). Communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar topics and activities. Read short, simple texts on familiar matters and understand the main points and important details. Write simple and coherent texts about familiar topics or personal experiences, using basic sentences and vocabulary.
B1 (Intermediate)	200 – 300	Understand the main points of clear and standard speech on familiar matters, such as work, school, leisure activities, etc. Participate in conversations on familiar topics, express opinions, and give short presentations using a reasonable degree of fluency. Read straightforward texts, such as articles, letters, or stories, and understand the main ideas and specific information. Write clear and detailed texts on various topics, expressing opinions and giving arguments while using appropriate grammar and vocabulary.
B2 (Upper-intermediate)	180 – 250	Understand the main ideas of complex texts on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in your field of specialization. Interact with native speakers fluently and spontaneously, participating actively in discussions and debates, and expressing viewpoints clearly. Read articles, reports, and literary works, comprehending their content and recognizing different writing styles. Write clear and well-structured essays or reports, expressing opinions, and providing arguments supported by relevant examples.
C1 (Advanced)	180 – 220	Understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, including abstract ideas and specialized discussions in various fields. Engage in complex interactions, express ideas fluently, and spontaneously participate in discussions, debates, and negotiations. Read and comprehend complex texts, such as academic articles, literary works, and reports, identifying nuances and implicit meanings. Write well-structured, detailed texts on complex topics, presenting arguments, and synthesizing information from different sources.
C2 (Proficiency)	200 – 300	Understand virtually everything heard or read with ease, including complex ideas, abstract concepts, and idiomatic expressions. Engage in spontaneous, fluent, and nuanced conversations, using language effectively for social, academic, and professional purposes. Read and comprehend any type of written material, including specialized and abstract topics, with a high level of comprehension. Write clearly, accurately, and effectively in various styles and genres, demonstrating precision, subtlety, and a high degree of proficiency.

If you only speak one language or your mother tongue is quite different from English, you may need to add another 50 percent to these times for a more realistic total.

It’s interesting to note that reaching beginner level English typically takes less time than advancing to any of the other levels.

How many hours does it take to become fluent in English?

The amount of time it takes to speak English fluently will depend on your definition of ‘fluent’.

If you need English for your job, check whether there is a specific qualification or test score you must obtain to prove your level of fluency. In many cases, level B2 is the minimum required to perform a job that involves communicating in English.

Say you are already level A2 and you need to reach B2, it could take between 380 and 550 hours to learn the additional skills needed for this. If you have a lot of free time and can spend 2-3 hours per day studying, this means it will take you 6-9 months to achieve your goal.

If you wish to reach full proficiency and be able to speak English naturally, perhaps for a highly qualified or academic profession, you’ll likely need to spend several years studying, if not more.

Easy ways to improve your language skills and learn English faster

We already mentioned some factors that influence how long it takes to learn a language, but here are some ways you can make the most of your time learning English:

Listen to podcasts: Not only is this a very convenient way to expose yourself to the language, but there are plenty of free podcasts for learning English, many of which provide transcripts and additional materials.
Meet with other English learners: If you use English every day, even if it’s with other people who still want to improve, you’ll push yourself to explore new vocabulary and grammar rules as you discover new things you want to express.
Get an app for your phone: There are tons of great apps for learning English. Some just suggest new words each day, while others are full-blown courses that will guide you on the path to fluency.
Have a clear goal in mind: If you’re really passionate about the language because you want to travel more, or it’s essential for your line of work, you have a great reason to stay motivated. Learn how to set goals for learning English here.
Play games in English: Whether it’s online video games or fun word games, they all help expose you to the language you’re learning and reduce the time it will take to become more confident.
Read the news in English: There are some websites dedicated to publishing news stories for English learners of different levels, and they make it easy to learn new words relating to different topics.

So, how long does it really take to learn to speak English?

The good news is it takes as little as 70 hours to achieve a level of basic English where you’re able to hold a very simple conversation. However, to reach fluency it’s likely to take over one thousand hours spread over several years of English studies.

In reality, most people are happy with reaching intermediate level and being able to understand a wide range of topics, even if their speech and writing is not perfect. That said, according to a language learning quote from Roman educator Marcus Fabius Quintilian, “One should not aim at being possible to understand but at being impossible to misunderstand.” So, you’ll need to decide for yourself which level you want to reach.

Remember, the amount of time it takes for you to learn English will depend on a number of personal factors, so try not to compare yourself to others too closely. Stay focused on your goals and find ways to make your learning engaging and manageable if you want to keep improving long-term. See our How to learn English guide for more tips.