How Long Does It Take to Learn Spanish?

Homeschool Languages
Nov 16
5 min read

It takes 6–12 months to reach conversational Spanish with daily practice. Expect faster progress with immersion, interaction, and consistency. For kids, 15 minutes a day builds strong speaking skills in just weeks, even if parents aren't fluent.

We’ve had so many families ask us this: “How long will it take before we can actually speak Spanish at home?” Here’s the honest truth: we’ve seen kids start using full Spanish replies in just a few weeks!!!

But the timeline depends less on how fast you go... and more on how often you show up.

TL;DR: What You Need to Know Upfront

Most families reach basic conversations in 3–6 months with daily exposure
You don’t need to be fluent to teach your kids, we'll guide you step-by-step
B2 fluency (confident conversations) is realistic within a year with consistency
Progress happens faster when Spanish is used daily in real-life routines
Play-based learning makes Spanish stick, no grammar drills required

Our Favorite Way to Get There? Our Homeschool Languages Spanish curriculum helps families bring Spanish into real moments, like getting dressed, eating breakfast, or saying goodnight. It’s designed for parents who aren’t fluent and kids who need Spanish to feel like play!!

Inside, you’ll find:

Fully scripted lessons (no prep required)
Built-in games, songs, and bilingual books
Tools that help kids reply in Spanish, right from the start

👉 Start free with our first lessons!

Want a deeper look at what fluency actually takes, month by month? Keep reading. We’ll walk you through realistic timelines, what really makes a difference, and why your child might be speaking Spanish much sooner than you think.

What Do You Actually Mean by “Learn Spanish”?

Let’s start with a little clarity: when someone says “learn Spanish,” they usually mean fluency. But here’s the thing, fluency means different things to different families.

For us? It’s about having real conversations with your kids. Not passing an exam. Not memorizing every grammar rule. Just being able to speak…

Here’s how we like to break it down:

Conversational Fluency (B1–B2): You can ask and answer everyday questions, give directions, describe things, and hold a back-and-forth chat.
Survival Spanish (A2): You know greetings, feelings, and practical phrases that get you through basic situations.
Native-Level Proficiency (C2): Fluent like a native speaker, usually not needed for family life at home.

Most families we work with are aiming for B1 or B2, where Spanish becomes useful and comfortable, and that’s exactly what we design for!!!

So… How Long Does It Really Take?

This is the big one. Here’s a general idea based on consistent exposure, not just study time.

Level	Estimated Time	What You Can Do
A1–A2	1–3 months	Greet, name objects, express basic needs
B1	4–6 months	Ask questions, describe your day, tell stories
B2	6–12 months	Confident conversations, explain opinions
C1–C2	1–2+ years	Native-like fluency (usually unnecessary)

But here’s the secret: Your pace depends more on consistency than hours. Ten minutes a day with real conversation beats one hour a week of disconnected lessons.

“What can my child say after one month?” If you're speaking daily, they’ll likely greet you in Spanish, answer ¿Cómo estás?, and recognize key routines like bedtime and mealtimes in Spanish phrases.

What Speeds It Up (and What Slows It Down)

Here’s what we’ve seen after working with thousands of families:

Speeds it up:

Daily exposure, even just 10–15 minutes
Real-life use: greetings, commands, questions
Speaking Spanish with your child, not at them
Repetition through songs, play, and simple routines
Having a clear goal like “order in Spanish” or “greet grandma in Spanish”

Slows it down:

Long breaks between lessons
Relying only on apps without conversation
Fear of “doing it wrong” and avoiding speaking
No structure, random words with no interaction

“Is it too late for me to learn?” Not at all. Adult brains just learn differently. And honestly? When you learn alongside your child, you're modeling exactly what language learners need: curiosity and courage.

Why Immersion at Home Works Better Than You Think

You don’t need to move to Spain. You just need to create little moments of Spanish, every day.

We call this functional fluency at home, and it’s how our curriculum is structured. Spanish becomes a normal part of your routines!!

Here’s what that can look like:

Wake up: “Buenos días, mi amor.”
Snack time: “¿Quieres más?”
Playtime: “Dime un color.”
Bedtime: “Buenas noches. Te quiero.”

When kids hear and use the same phrases every day, it clicks. And the best part? You’re learning too.

“But I’m not fluent, will I mess it up?” Nope. That’s why we script everything in our lessons. You’ll know exactly what to say and when to say it, and your kids will start answering back before you know it.

For Kids: How Fast Can Children Learn Spanish?

Children are wired for language. The younger they are, the more naturally they absorb sounds, patterns, and rhythm, especially when learning feels like play.

What we’ve seen from families using our program:

After 1 week: Kids recognize greetings and respond to simple cues
After 1 month: Kids reply with phrases like “Estoy bien” and “Quiero más”
After 3 months: Kids speak full sentences, ask questions, and sing songs from memory

And they’re not memorizing vocab lists, they’re talking to you. That’s the real goal.

We’ve designed our program so each unit teaches real replies, not just recognition. Because knowing “hola” is nice, but hearing your child answer back in Spanish? That’s when it gets fun.

Plateau-Proofing Your Progress

Everyone hits a lull at some point. You’re cruising along, then suddenly, it feels like nothing new is sticking. Sound familiar?

You’re not doing anything wrong. Plateaus are part of the learning process. In fact, they often come right before a breakthrough.

Here’s how we help families push through:

Switch up the routine: Same phrases, new setting (e.g., in the car, during dinner)
Introduce a puppet or character that only speaks Spanish
Add movement: Use songs with actions or play-based commands
Go back to easy wins: Revisit an earlier lesson and celebrate how far you’ve come

“My child used to respond, and now they don’t.” That’s okay. Keep speaking Spanish around them without pressure. The reply might come back out of nowhere next week.

Progress isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s just listening, and that’s still learning.

Choose Your Learning Path

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to language learning. But knowing your options can help you choose what fits your family best!

Common paths:

Immersion abroad – Fast, but expensive and not always realistic
Apps and YouTube – Fun for vocab, but rarely lead to fluent speaking
Tutors – Great if you can find the right fit (and budget)
Traditional curricula – Often grammar-heavy or geared toward classrooms
Play-based home curriculum – Our favorite for families with kids

The biggest difference? Most programs stop at recognition. Ours is designed for replies. That means kids don’t just hear Spanish, they start using it in real conversations.

A Parent’s Roadmap to Real Fluency

You don’t need to reach “C2 mastery” to feel like you’ve arrived. Real fluency starts when your child can reply to you in Spanish, and that can happen faster than you think.

Start small. Stick with it. Celebrate every “¡Hola!” like it’s the win it is.

And if you’re looking for support along the way, we’d love to help. Our open-and-go Spanish curriculum is made for families like yours, parents who aren’t fluent, kids who need structure and play, and households that want language to feel like part of real life.

Inside every box, you’ll find: