How Long Does It Take to Learn a B2 Language? The Truth Behind the Timeline

What Does B2 Actually Mean?

First things first—B2 isn’t just a random label. According to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), B2 is the upper-intermediate level. You're not quite fluent, but you can:

• Handle complex conversations

• Understand most news, articles, movies (with a few hiccups)

• Write emails or essays with relative ease

• Travel and work in the language without constant help

It’s the level where you start to sound like you know what you’re doing, even if you still mess up subjunctive tenses from time to time. (We've all been there.)

The Average Time to Reach B2: It Depends… a Lot

According to official estimates

Institutions like the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) give a rough idea based on “class hours.” For example:

• Category I languages (like Spanish, French): ~600–750 hours

• Category IV or V (like Russian, Japanese, Arabic): 1100+ hours

So yeah—big gap there. But these hours assume consistent study with qualified instruction. Not cramming Duolingo on the bus twice a week.

Real-life examples vary wildly

One person might hit B2 French in 6 months with immersion, while another takes 3 years doing part-time night classes. I once met a guy in Lisbon who learned Portuguese B2 in 5 months flat—but he had a Brazilian girlfriend and zero shame about making mistakes in public. That helped. A lot.

Key Factors That Affect Your Progress

1. Language difficulty & your native tongue

If you’re a native English speaker, learning German will be easier than Korean. Same alphabet, more cognates, fewer cultural curveballs. On the other hand, if you’re already bilingual, you may pick up new languages faster in general.

2. Learning method

Are you going to:

• A language school

• Self-teach via apps and YouTube

• Hire a tutor

• Or—best case—immerse yourself in the country?

Methods matter. Passive learning (like just watching Netflix) will help your listening, sure—but you won’t magically start forming B2-level sentences without active practice.

3. Consistency and intensity

Someone who studies 2 hours a day consistently will obviously progress faster than someone who studies “when I get time,” which really means “almost never.”

As a rule of thumb:
1 hour per day = ~B2 in 1 to 1.5 years (for easier languages)
3+ hours/day = possible in 6–8 months
But that’s assuming you're using your time well, not just scrolling memes in your target language (fun, but not enough).

Can You Speed Up the Process?

Yes, but it takes strategy

• Focus on high-frequency vocab first

• Speak from Day 1—even if it’s ugly

• Record yourself and rewatch (painful but works)

• Read graded readers or news for learners

• Use flashcards (Anki, Quizlet, etc.) every day

Also—don’t underestimate the power of community. Tandem apps, Discord servers, language cafés. Being around real humans makes things click.

The B2 Trap: You’ll Feel “Stuck”

Reaching B2 often feels like hitting a plateau. You’re no longer a beginner, but still make dumb mistakes, and progress slows down. Don’t panic—that’s totally normal.

Some call it the “intermediate wall.” Push through it with better input, more speaking, and targeted practice (especially grammar holes). And maybe a short trip abroad wouldn’t hurt either.

Final Thoughts: So... how long really?

Alright—real talk. If you study smart, stay consistent, and aim for a communicative approach, you can realistically reach B2 in 6 to 12 months (for easier languages like Spanish or Italian).
For trickier ones? Give it a solid 1.5 to 2 years—or more, if you're casual about it.

And hey, even if it takes longer, every step forward means deeper conversations, cooler job opportunities, and a brain that’s literally rewiring itself. Not bad for something that started with “hola” or “bonjour,” right?

Is 165 cm normal for a 15 year old?

The predicted height for a female, based on your parents heights, is 155 to 165cm. Most 15 year old girls are nearly done growing. I was too. It's a very normal height for a girl.

Is 160 cm too tall for a 12 year old?

How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).

How tall is a average 15 year old?

Average Height to Weight for Teenage Boys - 13 to 20 Years

How to get taller at 18?

Staying physically active is even more essential from childhood to grow and improve overall health. But taking it up even in adulthood can help you add a few inches to your height. Strength-building exercises, yoga, jumping rope, and biking all can help to increase your flexibility and grow a few inches taller.

Is 5.7 a good height for a 15 year old boy?

Generally speaking, the average height for 15 year olds girls is 62.9 inches (or 159.7 cm). On the other hand, teen boys at the age of 15 have a much higher average height, which is 67.0 inches (or 170.1 cm).

Can you grow between 16 and 18?

Most girls stop growing taller by age 14 or 15. However, after their early teenage growth spurt, boys continue gaining height at a gradual pace until around 18. Note that some kids will stop growing earlier and others may keep growing a year or two more.

Can you grow 1 cm after 17?

Even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after age 18 to 20. The graph below shows the rate of growth from birth to age 20. As you can see, the growth lines fall to zero between ages 18 and 20 ( 7 , 8 ). The reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.