How long does it take to learn English? It depends on the way you learn it. Some English-learning methods are so effective that you can quickly start speaking English at work, in school, or around town.
If you’d like to learn English fast, we’ve got the way to do it! Find out how to learn English in just nine steps. We also have tips on how to learn English at home with Rosetta Stone’s helpful tools and instruction guides.
Table of Contents
1. Assess your current English skills
How much English do you already know? If you know some English, it will take you less time to become fluent. But if you are starting as an English beginner, your study will take longer.
Find your English level with a self-assessment test or rubric, such as the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). It describes skills in understanding, speaking, and writing English for you to choose from. Then, you can find your language fluency levels and determine what English skills you should work on first.
2. Set English-learning goals
It may seem difficult to learn a new language by yourself, but when you set goals, it gets a lot easier. Start with SMART goals when you’re finding out how to learn English. SMART stands for:
- Specific – What specific words or grammar concepts do you want to learn? Do you want to learn to speak English or read English mostly?
- Measurable – How can you measure your progress?
- Achievable – Can you achieve this goal easily?
- Relevant – Is it connected to your life in some way (work, school, etc.)?
- Time-Bound – How long will the goal take?
One example of a SMART goal could be learning how to use the English verb to be with no errors by the end of the week. It’s specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound for your English study.
3. Begin with the English alphabet and pronunciation
Every language journey begins with learning a new alphabet. English uses the Latin alphabet, just like Spanish, Italian, French, and many other languages around the world.
But even if your first language uses the Latin alphabet, you’ll need to know how each letter sounds in English. Some important letters to study include:
- a, e, i, o, u: English vowels have short sounds and long sounds, which change the way a word is pronounced.
- y: In English, y is sometimes used as a vowel, and can sound like an e or an i.
- w, b, p, g, k: These letters are sometimes silent, depending on the word (such as write, climb, psalm, design, and knife)
- th, sh, ph, gh, ch: Blended consonant sounds can sound different in various words (such as in tough and dough)
4. Learn common English words and phrases
Some of the most common words in English don’t follow regular pronunciation rules. These are known as sight words, and memorizing them is a big step toward fluency in English. Make sure you know the pronunciations and meanings of words like:
- the (pronounced THUH or THEE)
- was (pronounced WUZ)
- of (pronounced UHV)
- Mr. (pronounced MISS-tur)
- says (pronounced SEZ)
You should also learn the most common English homophones (words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings). There, there, and they’re are common homophones, and so are two, too, and to.
5. Study English parts of speech
If you’re working on how to learn English at home, take some time to master the English parts of speech that make up each sentence. The eight main parts of speech include:
- English nouns: people, places, things, and ideas
- verbs in English: action words
- adjectives in English: words that describe nouns
- English adverbs: words that describe verbs and adjectives
- English pronouns: words that replace nouns
- prepositions in English: words that show relationships
- conjunctions: words that make connections
- interjections: words that show emotion
English sentences also follow a general word order to show meaning. A common English sentence looks like this:
- pattern: Subject – verb – object.
- example: Roger played the guitar.
Roger, the subject (main noun) in the sentence, comes first. Played is the action in the sentence, and the guitar (second noun) is the object that receives the action.
6. Grow your English vocabulary
Once you know common sight words and parts of speech, it’s time to learn more English words! This is the fun part of learning English because you can discover new ways to communicate..
Choose English vocabulary words for the places you plan to speak English. For example:
- travel: Learn how to order in a restaurant, how to communicate in an airport or train station, and how to ask for directions.
- holiday: Learn how to say different holidays in English, including common greetings and words for holiday traditions.
- hobbies: Learn how to talk about your favorite hobby and ask questions about sports, movies, music, or art.
- family: Learn how to talk about the members of your family and how they’re related to you.
- yourself: Learn how to talk about your personal appearance, your life, and other personal details.
7. Master English verb tenses
If you’d like to become fluent, you’ll need to understand English verb tenses. Then you can speak clearly and accurately about events that have already happened, are happening now, or will happen soon.
There are three main verb tenses in English: past tense, present tense, and future tense. Each of them has four aspects that show more details about the action.
| Base Form | Past Tense | Present Tense | Future Tense |
| walk | walked | walks | will walk |
| sleep | slept | sleeps | will sleep |
| be | was | is | will be |
While conjugating English verbs can be a little complicated, depending on the verb, it is possible to master. You’ll need to memorize which verbs are regular and which ones are irregular. That will change the way they appear in different tenses.
8. Discover English idioms
Learning idioms in English is a great way to become fluent. Most native English speakers use these phrases in their everyday speech. When you add idioms to your English knowledge, you’ll sound like you’ve been speaking English for years, too!
Common English idioms include:
- the early bird gets the worm: people who get up early get the rewards
- under the weather: feeling sick
- have a crush: having romantic feelings for someone
- a piece of cake: very easy
- out of left field: something unexpected
Remember, idioms aren’t literal phrases. The early bird gets the worm isn’t actually about a bird and a worm — it’s about people who get up early. A piece of cake is about anything that’s easy, not about cake.
9. Immerse yourself in the English language
You can start immersing yourself in English as soon as you start learning it! If you work in a place that speaks English, listen closely to conversations for words and phrases that you know. Go to stores or places where people speak English, and practice speaking new greetings or phrases. Travel to English-speaking countries to hear different dialects and accents.
You can also learn a language by watching TV, watching movies, and reading books. Talk to friends who speak English and ask them for tips on improving your speech. Most of all, try to visit as many English-speaking places as you can — and take notes if you need to!
Learn English fast with clear goals and steps
Some people say that English is hard to learn. But when you’ve set SMART goals and mastered the basics, you’ll find that learning English isn’t hard at all. It can even be a lot of fun!
Follow our study guide for more tips on how to speak English. When you’re ready to learn English from the experts, Rosetta Stone has all the tools you need to reach English fluency quickly and effectively!
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