How long does it take to learn Japanese? - Japan Switch (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take to learn Japanese? - Japan Switch? ›

In the end, most people agree that mastering Japanese at the native level can take anywhere between 2,200-4,800 hours of intense studying.

English speakers (2-4 hours):

Those who spend more hours daily learning and practicing will probably progress faster than those who only dedicate a few hours per week. So for those looking to learn the language as a secondary language, at least 2—4 hours should be spent in a day learning and practicing the language.

However, many experts believe it takes between 4 to 6 months of dedicated study to reach a beginner level. On the other hand, you can expect to spend at least 3 years studying to become fluent in Japanese with near-native level accuracy.

FSI classified Japanese as a “Super-hard language.” They estimate that reaching Japanese fluency takes 88 weeks or 2,200 hours. It's really hard to argue against this data, but you should take this with a grain of salt: FSI ranks languages based on how long native English speakers learn them.

If I study Japanese 10 hours a day, how many days would it take me to become fluent? 90 days but be sure at least half your time is spent with a Japanese person, preferably in Japanese contexts. Read Japanese high school 国語 textbooks. Speak no English from day 10 to day 90 during those 10 hours each day.

Explaining Overtime

According to the Japanese Labor Standards Act, a full-time employee can only work for 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week in total.

As a student, colleges recommend studying 2-3 hours for every credit hour. So, you'll need to commit 24-36 hours for 12 credit hours weekly. Therefore, studying for two hours every day is not enough. Two hours of study time may be sufficient if you're preparing for a professional certificate.

Age Guidelines for Teaching English in Asia Over 40

Japan: The official retirement age is 60. Most schools hire teachers between 21-40, though there is no official age limit for the JET Program, and some schools will hire older teachers, especially those with experience and advanced credentials.

Absolutely not! Being 25+ is still prime time to learn Nihongo. While ages 22-24 might be the ideal, 25-28 remains a fantastic phase. Your brain is still adaptable, and life experiences only enrich your language journey.

The Japanese language is considered one of the most difficult to learn by many English speakers. With three separate writing systems, an opposite sentence structure to English, and a complicated hierarchy of politeness, it's decidedly complex.

What is the hardest language to learn? ›

Mandarin Chinese

Interestingly, the hardest language to learn is also the most widely spoken native language in the world. Mandarin Chinese is challenging for a number of reasons.

Conversational Japanese is Equivalent to the JLPT N3

To reach this intermediate level of Japanese fluency, you'll need about 1,700 hours of study. Depending on how many hours a day you can afford to spend with your textbooks, you should be able to reach your goal in two to four years.

For example, Japanese grammar is relatively straightforward - probably even easier than English! While many native speakers think English is easy, it's actually prety hard. The difficulty comes from the inconsistencies in the rules of the language.

Learning Japanese isn't easy and it will take time. It's probably fair to say that you can expect a commitment of at least three years in order to achieve something resembling fluency. The average learner gets to the advanced level in three or four years.

How long it takes to learn Japanese on Duolingo depends on a number of variables, including desired level of fluency, time commitment per day, and practice outside of Duolingo. For casual Duolingo learners though, expect two to three years of work.

According to a survey conducted in April 2023, about 31 percent of students in sixth grade and ninth grade in Japan studied one to less than two hours after school on average per day. This included study hours at home, supplementary tutorial schools, online studies, and with private tutors.

The number of hours you are able to commit per day is ultimately what will have the largest impact on how many years it will take to reach your Japanese fluency goals. So, you will want to spend a good chunk of time learning every day. In general, it is recommended that learners spend 2 hours per day studying Japanese.

Japanese is one of the most difficult languages for English natives to master. This is because it does not have a lot of likeness in structure to English. Approximately it will take 88 weeks, or 2200 hours of studying, to become fluent. But this article shows tips and tools to expedite and make the process easier.