To be bilingual is the norm, not the exception.
The importance of English
- More than half of the world’s population speaks another language or dialect fluently. So being bilingual is the norm, not the exception.
- English is the lingua franca or bridge language that is adopted as the common form of communication among speakers whose native languages are different.
- English is a huge advantage for people that travel a lot.
- English is vital to finding work in global markets. Commercially it triumphs as the language of world trade.
- It is the dominant source of the world wide web with more detailed information than any other language and let us not forget its importance as a resource. It dominates in research, academic papers, articles, books and newspapers. Having access to more information leads to better education and potentially a better quality of life and self-esteem.
CEFR
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, CEFR divides learning languages into 6 levels.
They are;
A1 beginner / A2 elementary / B1 intermediate I / B2 intermediate II / C1 advanced / C2 master.
What is my level of English?
A1 beginner
90 hrs
A2 elementary
180-200 hours
B1 lower intermediate
350-400 hours
B2 upper intermediate
500-600 hours
C1 advanced
700-800 hours
C2 master
1000-1200 hours
Note that these are estimates.
You could achieve advanced C1 with approximately 800 hours of instruction.
You can add another 400 hours of personal study and conversation practice. Individual students learn at different speeds. There are many factors that also affect progress. For example motivation, social situations, exposure to conversation, prior knowledge of languages and if you native language has Latin roots etc.
