These days, learning the Chinese language in Singapore has become significantly easier. People are no longer just limited to dictionaries and books. There are countless applications available online that are created specifically to help people master a new language, including the Chinese language.

However, is the large number of resources available sufficient to master Chinese in a short amount of time?

How Long Does It Take to Achieve Language Fluency?

Before we answer that question, we need to answer the fundamental question of how long it takes for an individual to achieve language fluency.

According to the US State Department, learning the Chinese language will take the average individual around 2,200 class hours. This essentially means that it is safe to assume that achieving Chinese fluency will take one around 3,000 class hours.

This is a really long time. Even if you studied for 24 hours a day for three months, you still would not be able to hit the 2,200-hour mark, let alone 3,000 hours.

Is It Impossible to Learn Chinese in a Short Amount of Time?

It is possible to learn the Chinese language and achieve basic knowledge within a few months. You will not be able to gain proficiency and fluency yet, within such a short period of time. However, if you spend at least three to six months, taking up regular Chinese language learning classes, you should be able to learn a lot.

Even though you will not be able to gain fluency within such a short period, you do not have to feel disheartened. Mastering any language in a couple of months is close to impossible. This is especially true for the Chinese language, which is widely considered as one of the most challenging languages to learn in the world.

Achieving conversational proficiency and eventually, fluency will require a lot of time but do not let that deter you. What is important is that instead of sky-high expectations, you set reasonable goals and expectations for yourself so that you can push yourself to do better.

A good example of this is to expect to be able to carry out a basic conversation in Chinese after two to three months. It is reasonable to expect knowing how to exchange names and greet each other, among other things, after having spent so much time trying to learn the language. However, if you want to get rid of your native accent, you will need much more time.

It is also essential to take note that when learning the Chinese language, reading and writing will take up most of your time. This is because there are more than 100,000 characters in the Chinese language, and it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with at least 5,000 of these characters.

In conclusion, it is nearly impossible to master the Chinese language within a short amount of time. However, there is plenty of time for you to begin your route to obtain fluency in the Chinese language.