Wondering whether to study a language at home or immerse yourself abroad? This thoughtful piece explores the advantages of both approaches—and why combining them might be the most powerful path to fluency.
How Much Time Does It Take to Learn a Language?
Have you ever caught yourself wondering, “How long until I can actually speak this language?” You’re not alone! The answer isn’t one-size-fits-all and depends on what you’re hoping to achieve.
Need enough Spanish to order tapas in Madrid? That’s a different journey than preparing to study abroad in Berlin for a year. Your personal language learning timeline depends on your goals, mindset, previous language experience, and the language itself.
At ILI, we’ve guided thousands of students through their language journeys—from ordering their first espresso in Italian to navigating complex work conversations in French. What we’ve learned is that the most important question isn’t how long it takes to “learn a language” but rather “How much of the language do you need to achieve your dreams?”
ILI’s Highlights of 2023: You helped make them possible!
Free English classes welcome more immigrants and refugees than ever before! It was early 2023 when the MA Department of Elementary […]
Marco Bittencourt brings a lifetime of multicultural experience to teaching!
Marco has been inside the language teaching environment since 1995. He has taught ESL, EFL and ESOL as well as Spanish […]
Financial assistance available to businesses and individuals for language training
State financial support for language training in the workplace… ILI is an approved provider for the Massachusetts Workforce Training Fund. This means […]
This article has a new version: How much time does it take to learn a new language?
Quick question. Does it take three months or two years to learn a foreign language? The answer is yes. In […]
The Rejection of Perfection in Learning a Language
If this were a perfect world, I’d be dead! Whoa! It’s not that I think it would be perfect if […]
Northampton’s International Language Institute earns highest ranking from national accreditation authority
The Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET) has certified the International Language Institute (ILI) of Massachusetts through August 30, 2026. This five-year accreditation is the highest level bestowed by ACCET, which since 1978 has been officially recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a reliable authority regarding the quality of education and training provided by the institutions ACCET accredits.
World of jazz: An Interview with Andy Jaffe, a Portuguese and Chinese language student living in the USA
An interview with a jazz musician about his experiences learning Portuguese and teaching Brazilian music in Taiwan.