How long does it take to learn French?

There is no single length of time it takes to learn French: published benchmarks range from 60 to 80 hours for level A1 to more than 1,000 hours for level C2, and everything depends on your pace and on your practice between lessons. In my lessons, I count about 30 lessons of 50 minutes per level, with regular work between lessons.

In this article, I give you the benchmarks that exist, the ones I see in my lessons, and what makes the time vary from one learner to another.

Published benchmarks, level by level

Language levels follow the CECRL¹Cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues (in English: CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages): the grid that describes the levels, from A1 to C2. Several language schools publish an indicative length of time for each level.

Here are the lengths given by the Alliance française de Trieste:

• A1 : 60 to 80 hours;
• A2 : about 200 hours;
• B1 : about 380 hours;
• B2 : 550 to 600 hours;
• C1 : 750 to 850 hours;
• C2 : more than 1,000 hours.

These figures increase from one level to the next: they seem to count the total from the start of learning. The page doesn't say so, and it doesn't cite any study. So these are benchmarks, not a measurement.

Another benchmark comes from the Foreign Service Institute, the language school of the U.S. Department of State. It classifies French among the languages close to English. It counts 24 to 30 weeks of intensive lessons, or 600 to 750 hours of class, to reach a professional working level.

Be careful: this figure concerns English speakers learning full time. And the page that gives it is an archive, which is no longer updated.

My benchmarks in class

In my lessons, a level represents about 30 lessons of 50 minutes, or 25 hours of class with me. This is true for level A1, and roughly the same for the following levels.

For level A1, this number also depends on what you already know. If you've already learned a few basics, it can be shorter.

These 25 hours don't measure the same thing as the published benchmarks. They only count class time. They don't count the time you spend doing your homework, listening to French or practicing on your own. And that time counts a lot.

Because what I notice above all is that the time needed depends enormously on the learner. Two learners who take the same number of lessons don't necessarily progress at the same pace.

How many lessons per week?

It all depends on your goals. Here's what I recommend:

• at levels A1 and A2 : two to three lessons per week, depending on the learner. At these levels, you learn a lot of new things, and the basics need to be well mastered;
• at levels B1 and B2 : at least one lesson per week.

Let's do the math, as an example. With 30 lessons per level:

• at two lessons per week, a level takes about 15 weeks, a little over three months;
• at three lessons per week, about 10 weeks, a little over two months;
• at one lesson per week, about 30 weeks, about seven months.

These lengths are not a promise. They only show how the pace changes the total time.

And in any case, lessons alone are not enough. You always need to work outside of class. Otherwise, everything is forgotten.

To find out the length and price of the lessons, see the pricing page.

What makes the time vary

From one learner to another, several things change the time needed:

• practice time between lessons;
• the number of lessons per week;
• exposition à la langue²the time you spend hearing, reading or using French in your life : living in France, working in French, listening to the radio or watching series;
• your native language : depending on your language, some things will be more familiar to you than others;
• your goals : preparing for an exam, traveling and working in France don't require the same work.

That's why nobody can give you an exact date.

Practice every day, even for ten minutes

When you learn a language as an adult, it's important to practice every day, even for ten minutes.

Homework

At the end of each lesson, I give you homework. Take the time you need to do it. It's there so that you have something to work on the language with between two lessons.

Fifteen minutes for your own sentences

On top of homework, working 15 minutes a day on something else can help. My advice: build your own everyday sentences.

We all have phrases types³sentences you repeat often, in the same situations in a day. Those are the ones you need to be able to say in French, so you can use them in context.

For example, in the morning:

Je prends un café avant de partir.

On the way:

Je suis en retard, j'arrive dans dix minutes.

In the evening:

Qu'est-ce qu'on mange ce soir ?

Write down the sentences you actually say, in your language, then look for how to say them in French.

Where to start?

To know how long it will take you, you first need to know where you're starting from.

You can take my online placement test. It gives you a first idea of your level, between A1 and C1. To read the description of each level, see the levels page.