You need to learn English as an additional language and you need to do it quickly. You’ve been promised to learn English in 3 months but is it really possible? Read on and find out the (honest) answer to one of the most frequently asked questions by English language learners.
Where does this idea come from?
You have probably seen a lot of English language schools, and private teachers/tutors advertising miraculous courses in which you would learn English in 3 months. This is not something new, in fact, this has been a very common practice nowadays. Have you ever asked yourself why that is the case?
Our contemporary society tends to reproduce the idea that “time is money” all the time. We are usually busy from the time we get up to the time we go to bed (are we, really?). It is usually difficult to find some time to do any other activity but the essential ones, right? Well, it depends on what priorities you have in your life.
Since we often tend to think that we do not have time for anything else (and we often ignore that we do find some time for the things we really want to do), it is extremely easy for us to follow the flow and (uncritically) reproduce the idea that, yes, time is money, my friend.
There is a marketing world out there seeking opportunities to sell everything to everybody. The more, the better (for whom?).
Marketing strategies are then combined with this desire to do everything as quickly as possible (we do not have time to spare!) and they target your Achilles’ heel (your weak spot).
You then see a very bright and colorful headline promising you that you will learn English in 3 months. How wonderful (but is it really?).
Is It Possible to Learn English in 3 Months?
Well, after analyzing a little bit the reasons why you have probably found so many ads that enticed you to pay for their learn-English-in-3-months course, let’s try to answer this question: Is it possible to learn English in 3 months?
The answer is: it depends.
And on what, exactly, does it depend?
It depends on two main factors.
It depends on what you define as “learning English”. It also depends on how much time you are willing to dedicate to studying this language.
What is “learning English” for me?
This question has to do with your goals in learning English.
Do you want to learn English so that you can communicate with people about your basic needs (eating, staying at a hotel, asking for directions, etc.) when you go on a trip? Do you want to learn English so that you can talk to your colleagues about work-related stuff? Do you want to learn English so that you can go to college abroad? You can add as many specific objectives as you want to this list.
The first thing you need to tell yourself very clearly is what your objective is in learning this language. Be honest with yourself and try to be as specific as you can.
Do you have this answer yet? If so, let’s consider the next essential question you need to answer.
How much time am I willing to dedicate to studying English?
After having established your objectives with the English language as clearly as possible, you need to consider how much time you will dedicate to the study of the language (ideally, on a daily basis).
Can you study English for 15 minutes a day? Can you study English for 30 minutes a day? Can you study English for 1 hour a day? Can you study English for 2 hours a day? Think about this and be realistic! There is no point in saying that you will study for 1 hour every day if you actually study 30 minutes a day and end up skipping some days.
Now that you have thought about both answers and have hopefully answered them honestly, let’s consider our first question.
Is It Possible to Learn English in 3 Months? Here’s the Answer
The short answer is “no, it’s not” if by learning English you mean having good proficiency in the language, even if you study about 2 hours a day. Good proficiency would be achieving an upper-intermediate (B2), advanced (C1), or proficient (C2) level in English.
The short answer is “yes, it is” if by learning English you mean having only the basic skills you need to survive at a place where English is used in everyday interactions (i.e. an elementary level, A1-A2) and if you study for about 1 hour a day considering that you are an average student. For some people, it may take a little less time, and for some, it may take a little longer.
Cambridge Assessment English estimates that it would take you 200 hours of guided practice to go from one level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) to the next. You do the math! Of course, it may vary according to a lot of factors. But this is the average time for the average learner.
To sum up, be careful when you come across ads promising to teach you English in 3 months. They may be referring only to basic survival skills. Or, worse, they may be only interested in getting your money!
If you want to really learn English and take the time you need to do it properly, take a look at our English tutoring service via WhatsApp.
