How long should a language course take to complete?
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2019 4:22 pm
For those of you who have been following my Spanish journey, I am about a month into learning. I am using FSI basic mainly, and about a month into it I have gone through the first 3 units. I feel like this is almost too slow of a pace. If it takes me this long to assimilate each lesson, FSI would take me about 1 1/2- 2 years to complete. On the other hand, before I started FSI I was using the Berlitz Self Teacher and made much faster progress. I also recently took a look at the Cortina method and it seems to have good material for the A2 level that could be completed in around 5-6 months. I really want to activate and use the language, but I really do need a base before I do so, and was wondering for some advice on what to do. Courses are good for building a base, but I think FSI, at the pace I am going at, is not worth the amount of time to study before actually putting the language to use, given that at the pace I am going at could take upwards of 2 years and I really don't want to overwhelm myself with course study. This is not to say I am done with FSI, but perhaps I can use it after I build up a base.
I would eventually like to work with a tutor on italki, use language exchange partners, use the language daily, use native materials, etc. And I think 2 years to work on the FSI to get an A2-B1 level is far too long before activating the language. I do not want to get course crazy, and really just need a base to build upon.
Do you think it is reasonable to do 1 lesson of Cortina a week, and 2 lessons of the Berlitz self teacher a week, for a total of 20 weeks/ 5-6 months, and realistically get within the A2 level by the end of 2019? From there, working with people on Italki, using native materials, and then perhaps doing FSI would be a better approach?
I know the language is dated in the older materials, but do you think upon completion of the Berlitz Self Teacher and the Cortina method after 5-6 months, would be sufficient for a good A2 base in the language from which further progress can be made with native materials? Do you think getting to A2 by the end of 2019 is a reasonable goal If I study 2 hours a day with these courses?
I would eventually like to work with a tutor on italki, use language exchange partners, use the language daily, use native materials, etc. And I think 2 years to work on the FSI to get an A2-B1 level is far too long before activating the language. I do not want to get course crazy, and really just need a base to build upon.
Do you think it is reasonable to do 1 lesson of Cortina a week, and 2 lessons of the Berlitz self teacher a week, for a total of 20 weeks/ 5-6 months, and realistically get within the A2 level by the end of 2019? From there, working with people on Italki, using native materials, and then perhaps doing FSI would be a better approach?
I know the language is dated in the older materials, but do you think upon completion of the Berlitz Self Teacher and the Cortina method after 5-6 months, would be sufficient for a good A2 base in the language from which further progress can be made with native materials? Do you think getting to A2 by the end of 2019 is a reasonable goal If I study 2 hours a day with these courses?