How Long Until I Become Fluent Or Dream/Think In My Target Language?

The short answer: It depends. All I can really do is share my personal experiences of how long it took in my own learning.
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[@TheVille1980]

I've been studying German on my own for several years (just a hobby.....a passion as I've always wanted to know a second language) and although I'm not completely fluent I can speak it well conversationally. Because it is such a process to learn a second language I decided when I had kids to raise them knowing two from birth that way they'd just grow up knowing it without having to study later. My son is almost four and I've been talking German to him his entire life, I read him German children's books and I let him watch German cartoons quite often (Mickey Maus Wunderhaus, Sofia die erste und JoNaLu). He still is around English more than German and speaks mostly in English but he understands German perfectly.

[@jutra4502]

I think the most trouble in your path to become fluent is get used with the phonetic sounds of the natives do when they're talking, slangs is another problem, becaz is a natural thing for them create different slang for a big amount of situations and create short words to make them more efficient that's the most difficult thing for those who're learning a new language!!!

[@thelanguagelife7962]

Mariaaa I miss your videos :(

[@MrLAntrim]

Great video. Lots of wonderful tips and anecdotes for language learners. Thanks for sharing.

[@aked1222]

Love your philosophy about seeing the positive side of progress :)

[@dustinammerman4735]

It's very interesting to hear your thoughts about going back to read children's books in order to get that part of the language learning experience that non-native speakers missed out on... To be honest I've never even thought about that! But that is really a great idea!

[@MarkBH70]

It took me 6 years. The first foreign language you learn--esp. if you're not in the country--will take about 3 to 8 years or more. A Brazilian who is multi-lingual took 8 years to learn English. I was reading in the language after 2 years--fluently, but back then there was no one to study with and I didn't know how to study. You learn how to study, what to do and the next languages after you learn your first will come progressively EASIER AND FASTER, from my own experience and the experience of others. The second foreign language should come in about 2 to 3 years.

[@Mowteng]

lol sie hat "SMS" gesagt :D

[@mahmoudhegazy8553]

I'm really happy for you and take my advise nothing is more efficient than listening to documentary movies in a foreign language .

[@RingsOfSolace]

I've learned Spanish this past year or so, and I'm not fluent, but reading and writing and speaking, I'm pretty close (I also had a lot of exposure to the language when I was young, and my girlfriend speaks the language so I've been speaking it everyday for quite some time). And I'd say I started dreaming in the language in about the first five or six months, but only recently had the first auditory dream where everyone spoke in Spanish. Before it was texts or only some phrases in Spanish maybe, but not a full dream that happened in Spanish. I did have a dream where all but one person spoke English, but newspapers and stuff were in Spanish, and the one who spoke to me spoke in Spanish and I didn't fucking understand it lmao My girlfriend and I just recently started learning German together. I learned Spanish to a good point and I'm kind of "riding" the wave of listening and speaking more so than study, she has been fluent in English but her first language was Spanish, and we wanna learn a language together, so yeah.

[@SydtheKyd]

This is so motivational. You are my Yoda.

[@thewierd_thewonderful996]

motivating and helpful!!thanks #Maria Athena

[@collegesuccess]

Maria Athena, I like your side comment that purposefully(!) having "fun" and "looking forward" to your next language learning experience help to maintain momentum and focus in any language learning quest (cue @ 14:40 min. mark) . Also useful is your idea of getting children's books, etc. and how they help to maintain a valuable light touch (cue @ 15:45 min. mark), providing an excellent counter balance to the heavy reading that you do. BTW, It is my understanding that authors of children's books do not have an easy job of it, as it is no breezy task to express things in the simplest, most effective manner possible. (The challenge, as Einstein famously pointed out is to: "Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.") Thus, the deceptive lesson about children's books is that they, too, can actually help to bring things directly "back to basics" for you from a variety of foreign language vantage points. Recently, I began studying German on my own and am hoping to make progress that is steady, fun and increasingly fascinating. Thanks for the great videos!

[@jaudeoliveira9967]

congratulation for this vídeo. Maria

[@eduardvinogradov612]

motivation is the best thing with this deal

[@GoldenHay1]

I know what it takes.Speak the language every single day.Talk to people online via headset, or microphone in games like Second Life, if possible; it helped me a lot.

[@MissJadeC]

I dream in German almost everynight, and I keep catching myself thinking in German. It can get annoying though, because sometimes I lose a word and it interrupts my thoughts! But it's pretty cool to see my progress.

[@lr2ldn]

I have a Korean and French tutor on Italki. I love that site.

[@michaelshort2388]

I struggle to come to grips with the concept of not learning through translation. I am learning Swedish and I read a lot of Swedish material and watch a lot on youtube but I always have to think ok that word or phrase = this one in english.

[@marinea6737]

Is Swedish your first foreign language? I've experienced the same with my first foreign language, but I think that more you learn foreign languages more your brain will focus on the general idea, on the concept of the words rather than the word in your native language in itself - (significant // signified)

[@michaelshort2388]

It's not my first, but it's my first in a long time :) I learned italian at school but I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to it back then, which I'm really regretting now. lol

[@ralphmumbeck5758]

Michael Short The best way to learn how to speak is interactive, which means two way. The best way to learn how to write, is a blog about a subject that interests you. For example, if you like engineering, look for a video here on YT, and start a discussion. That way, you pick up vocabulary passively. Good luck !

[@mohammedmusthafa.kallankun6512]

thank u very much are doing good job

[@ramicky16]

ahh you are saying everything that's on my mind! I'm bilingual too I speak Arabic and English! :D I think in both :o English is a little more though.. I'm trying to learn a third language but its kinda hard :o English was easier cause I had school to back it up sometimes

[@sakurahan91]

I think in French a lot of the time. I don't always speak what I'm thinking in French but I still think it as you said for German. What online games would you recommend? I'm trying to start German and Italian as well as keep up with my French. Danke!

[@alphawolf2993]

Hey hey! I'm one year 4 months into learning and am very very conversational (was just at a party for 4-5 hours and spoke no english at all) but I still haven't dreamt in German! Disappointing.

[@kbcafootage]

do you lern more then one language at the same time? is that not harder?

[@Evelyne47600]

But what do you speak so quickly!!!!!

[@lutffysaeed7353]

Maria nice video from you.. 😘👏

[@Minhnguyen-ny7gq]

I really like your accent! Can you tell me where is your accent?

[@TheAlexheroe]

Es gefällt mir merh, wenn du auf Deutsch sprichst...

[@MarkBH70]

Also, concentration makes it faster. That doesn't mean 5 minutes though.

[@moosaas-adi3266]

whre from I got more englsh speeches or classes like it as a mp3 through whatsapp

[@Ahmed-Benazzi]

i want to practice english with others

[@pradipanp]

if you don't mind you can join with me. I too looking for a practice partner. My Skype id is 'pradipanp'. Thanks.

[@user-wp1nt9xr9f]

pradipanp im a native

[@antonietasalas2574]

This is such an odd comment but i love your name!

[@javieruriel]

iiiiii wwwwaaaaannnnnnn aaaaa bbbbeeeeee fffffllluuuueeeeenttttt pleeeaaaseeeee hhhheeelllppppp mmmeeeeeee

[@jutra4502]

what language are u trying to become fluent?

[@javieruriel]

+Julio Texeira English

[@saraimadel-deenahmedyassin4706]

Me too english

[@eraymutlu2098]

you are as an talk machine. Fast girl

[@user-ew9cg8ht7j]

you are speaking so quickly

[@27scole]

you see when you there eh, what is the point

[@HamiltonIsLife]

If I cared more I would be fluent in French. Like I've learned it since I was like 10

[@jeremyemilio9378]

...30 for German~ Mark twain The truth^^

[@chrisleekyable]

You speak so fast. how can I catch up?

[@liveyglam3046]

Chris Lee

[@mustafakareem9388]

You speak fast

[@tiago4007]

Ich bin erst vor kurzem auf dich und deinen Kanal gestoßen. Warst mir sofort sympathisch also hab ich dich direkt aboniert. Ein wirklich aussagekräftiges Video. Weiter so :)

[@edisionadle1409]

You speak fluently and clear but you speak way too fast. It makes you sound nervous. I am native so I can understand your speed but I not everybody would. Take a breath and maybe pause a bit.

[@thanvankien2289]

nhảm nhí