Learning a language is hard, and of the many languages globally, Russian is one of the hardest to wrap your head around. However, as one of the most powerful countries, there’s a certain allure to learning the language, whether for leisure or necessity. Consequently, a popular question on the internet is, “How long does it take to learn Russian?”
It takes roughly 1100 hours to learn Russian. This time is dependent on a slew of factors and can increase or reduce considerably depending on each. However, this is the amount of time it’ll take for the average monolingual person.
Russian is one of the most complex languages in the world to learn, but it can be gratifying if you do. If you’d like to read some more about what it takes to learn Russian and how to learn it as effectively as possible, the rest of this article has you covered.
How To Learn Russian
Like any other language, learning Russian can be very difficult, especially if you have no prior knowledge of any other language but your primary one. However, that doesn’t mean that there are no ways to make the undertaking significantly less stressful.
To learn Russian, practice every day. This step is key in learning any language, and Russian is no different. To become better at the language, speaking it as much as possible gives you the practice you need and makes you comfortable enough to hold conversations in it eventually.
Constant practice is essential if you plan to learn the language in a decent amount of time and gain some proficiency beyond being able to say cup or table. However, this isn’t the only thing to note as some other factors can significantly shorten or lengthen the amount of time it’ll take you to learn the language.
Here are some factors that can alter the length of time it’ll take you to learn Russian:
Knowledge of Other Languages
Knowing how to speak other languages generally helps in two significant ways. The first is that if you understand a closely related language, then learning the new language will be far more manageable. In the case of Russian, knowing Ukrainian will make learning Russian so much easier.
The second way knowing languages helps is that multilingual people generally have an easier time learning new languages than others. It’s well documented that learning a new language opens up your mind. As a result, once you have a working knowledge of multiple languages, it’s easier to understand more.
How You Learn
How you choose to learn the language is likely the most significant factor in determining how long it’ll take you to learn Russian. Here are some of the major things to consider:
- Your method of learning (courses, online, conversations, etc.)
- How much time you devote to it
- Consistency
There are quite a few others, but the above mentioned factors have the most impact. The method you choose to use directly correlates to how easy it’ll be to pick up Russian. Some people learn best by hearing other conversations, while some learn by reading from a book. Hence, it’s vital to find what works best for you and proceed from there.
The amount of time you spend learning and your consistency with it go hand in hand. Spending too little time learning can make your sessions extremely unrewarding, and spending too long a day can have diminishing returns. As a result, you’ll need to find a good middle ground.
Furthermore, consistency is one of the only ways to develop an acceptable skill level in speaking a new language, so daily practice is advisable.
Conclusion
Learning a new language is an intense endeavor. However, the most important thing is to make sure you’re constantly learning a little bit daily. Eventually, these little parts add up to give you the fluency you need.