Learning English

Is English Hard to Learn?

English is often thought of as a hard language to learn. Many regard it as difficult because it has lots of spelling and grammar rules that can be difficult to learn. Our online poll, asking 'Is English is a hard language to learn?' currently agrees that English is difficult to learn, but only just. At the time of writing, 53% of responses say it is difficult to learn, while 47% say it isn't. We think it depends a lot on your what your native language is, and how much practice you have had.

How Long Does it Take to Learn English?

The answer depends on what source you look at, what you classify as having 'learned English', and what your background in languages is. The BBC suggests that it can take 360 hours to achieve a good level of English - enough for citizenship exams. To get to B2 level on the CEFR scale (Upper Intermediate) it's been suggested that it could take up to 720 hours of instruction. The responses to our poll asking 'How long do you think it takes to become fluent in English?' suggest that the majority think it will take over 5 years.

How to Learn English

There are many ways to learn a language. UsingEnglish.com has lots of content to help you out. Here are some great places to find out more:

Resources for Learning English

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Our online discussion forum is the perfect place to quickly get help learning English. We have a number of professional volunteer English teachers and experts ready to answer your questions 24 hours a day.

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