Three questions about language learning

There are three questions that everyone asks about language learning. In this lesson, we’ll answer them:

1. Where should I start?
2. How much should I practice?
3. How long until I’m fluent?

1. Where should I start?

The short answer is: start at the beginning.

This will be the right answer for most people. Even for those who already know a lot of book Spanish, most still need practice speaking—and that’s what you do in SuperCoco. If you’re not sure, listen to the sample conversation. If it’s not challenging, then go up a chapter or a level.

Admittedly, this can be humbling. But what’s worse is to start at a level that’s too advanced and struggle. And remember—you control the pace with which you progress through the material. If the material’s relatively easy for you, just go through it faster!

2. How much should I practice?

The answer here depends on your goals and your availability.

15 min/day: Awesome! You are building the language learning habit. Great for people who want to pick up some travel Spanish.

30 min/day: Double awesome! You are on the path to conversational Spanish.

1 hr/day or more: Maravilloso! You aspire to mastery.

3. How long until I’m fluent?

The answer to this question depends on what you mean by fluent.

If you mean full, native-like command of the language—many years of active study are required. Most of language is not hard, but language is big. The average educated English speaker knows approximately 20,000 root words—and on top of that, many thousands of unique structures, phrases, and idioms that define colloquial speech.

However, as any intrepid traveler knows, one can communicate with far less. With only a few hundred “survival” words and phrases, one can get by quite nicely.

For many people, the goal is not native mastery but just to comfortably converse. To be able not just to survive but to connect. Here it’s useful to distinguish two scenarios:

1. One-on-one communication with a native speaker who adjusts their speech for you.
2. Uncontrolled communication in a group or with a native speaker who doesn’t accomodate your limitations.

In the first scenario, SuperCoco’s intermediate level will suffice. Practicing 30-60 min/day, intermediate is achievable in a year or two for most people.

For the second scenario, you will need to be at the higher “proficient” levels. For most people, this entails another year or two of practice.