How long does it take to learn a new language?

The US Foreign Service Institute's estimates are the most cited benchmark: roughly 600-750 class hours for languages close to English like Spanish or French, and 2,200 hours for distant ones like Japanese, Arabic or Mandarin. Conversational comfort arrives much earlier — many learners hold basic conversations after 150-300 hours. The practical translation: 30 minutes a day gets you conversational in a near language within a year or two.

Is learning a language pointless now that AI translates everything?

For transactions — menus, directions, emails — translation apps genuinely are good enough now. What they cannot do is real-time friendship, humor, job interviews, or belonging in a community; conversation through a phone screen keeps you a permanent outsider. So the question shifts: if your goal is occasional travel convenience, apps win. If it is relationships, migration or career in another market, learning still pays.

What is the best way to actually stick with a language?

Attach it to something you already want: shows you watch without subtitles, a partner's family, a planned move, or work meetings. Learners with a concrete use survive the intermediate plateau; learners running on abstract self-improvement usually quit there. Mechanically, 20-30 daily minutes mixing an app, spaced-repetition flashcards and early speaking practice with real humans beats occasional marathon sessions by a wide margin.

Education

Should I learn a new language?

Is learning a new language worth hundreds of hours now that translation apps are everywhere?

Machine translation handles menus and emails, yet it cannot give you friendships, jobs or the inside of another culture — things only speaking the language unlocks. The real costs are honest ones: 600-2,000 hours to professional fluency and a daily habit that must survive your motivation dips.

Short answer

Learn it if a concrete use is waiting — a move, a partner's family, a job market, shows you want in the original — because real relationships and careers are exactly what translation apps cannot deliver. Skip it without guilt if your goal is occasional travel convenience: apps already handle menus and directions. Basic conversation arrives within 150-300 hours, but professional fluency takes 600-2,200, so make sure the payoff justifies the daily habit.

Template balance

Too close to call

The sides are nearly balanced — try breaking big items down further.

48%

For

52%

Against

Strongest pro

Unlocks real relationships and cultures, not tourist transactions

Biggest risk

Huge time investment: 600-2,200 hours to professional fluency

How the verdict works

Each item counts with the weight you gave it. Sub-points can strengthen or weaken their parent by up to 50% — your own rating always stays primary.

Tap any argument below to switch it off and watch the balance move — sub-arguments shift their parent's weight.

Pros

Cons

Make it yours

Adjust the arguments and weights to your situation — the verdict recalculates live.

Check before you decide

Name the concrete use that will keep you going: a move, a relationship, a job, or media you love
Estimate the real hours for your target language — near languages take roughly 600-750, distant ones up to 2,200
Commit to a 20-30 minute daily slot for a 30-day trial before buying courses or tutoring packages
Mix an app, spaced-repetition flashcards and early speaking practice with real people from week one
Plan for the intermediate plateau around month six — decide now what you will do when progress feels invisible

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to learn a new language?: The US Foreign Service Institute's estimates are the most cited benchmark: roughly 600-750 class hours for languages close to English like Spanish or French, and 2,200 hours for distant ones like Japanese, Arabic or Mandarin. Conversational comfort arrives much earlier — many learners hold basic conversations after 150-300 hours. The practical translation: 30 minutes a day gets you conversational in a near language within a year or two.
Is learning a language pointless now that AI translates everything?: For transactions — menus, directions, emails — translation apps genuinely are good enough now. What they cannot do is real-time friendship, humor, job interviews, or belonging in a community; conversation through a phone screen keeps you a permanent outsider. So the question shifts: if your goal is occasional travel convenience, apps win. If it is relationships, migration or career in another market, learning still pays.
What is the best way to actually stick with a language?: Attach it to something you already want: shows you watch without subtitles, a partner's family, a planned move, or work meetings. Learners with a concrete use survive the intermediate plateau; learners running on abstract self-improvement usually quit there. Mechanically, 20-30 daily minutes mixing an app, spaced-repetition flashcards and early speaking practice with real humans beats occasional marathon sessions by a wide margin.