The investment of time in the study of english: A little considered factor

Abstract

This paper describes a study on the necessary time to learn English. The main objective was to determine the elements that require an investment of time to learn English successfully. This quantitative research collected data from 191 users of English through a questionnaire to discover the relationship between the time spent learning English and mastery of the language at a high intermediate level. The findings indicated that the learners reached the level of English they possess in an average of 9.36 years in school contexts. During this time, exposure to the language and activities outside the classroom that indicate a medium-high to high investment of time stand out. The main activities out of the classroom develop receptive skills.