Learn Slovenian
with Ling

The answer to this question really depends on the individual learner and their native language. Since Slovenian is cateogorized as a south Slavic languages, alongside Croatian, Macedonian, and Bulgarian, it won’t be the easiest to pick up for English speakers. However, if you’re already familiar with Slavic languages, Slovenian should be easy.

According to the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), Slovenian is classified as a category IV language, which means that it will take the average learner 1100 hours to reach proficiency.

Here are some important points to remember when you’re learning Slovenian:

• Grammar: Slovenian uses the subject-object-verb (SOV) structure. It is important to note that the subject isn’t that important in Slovenian because of the richness of their verbs.
• Vocabulary: Most Slovenian words are derived from proto-Slavic roots and have been greatly influenced by other languages, like German, Serbian and Croatian.
• Speaking/Listening: Slovene has 8 vowels and 21 consonants with two dialects: Upper and Lower Carniolan.
• Reading/Writing: Slovenian uses the modified Latin alphabet with an additional six letters.

Slovenian is not a dying language, experts say, and is still spoken by 2.5 million people worldwide! With Slovenia’s growth rate of 0.02% as of 2021, the Slovenian language should also see an increase in speakers. Slovenian is also used in Italy, Austria, Serbia, and Croatia.

In addition, there are also plenty of learning resources when it comes to Slovenian. If you use the Ling app, you should be able to find comprehensive lessons and a variety of different reading, writing, speaking, and listening games. It won’t even feel like you’re learning!

It all depends on how much time you dedicate to learning Slovenian. Speaking fluent Slovenian can take months, even years, depending on your motivation and how much you actually study and practice.

• Your Study Routine: Depending on the number of hours you dedicate to studying per day and your study materials, it may take you more or less time to learn Slovenian. To save yourself time, define your language goals early then. Next, you can choose a language learning tool that aligns with your goals.

Since it takes 1100 hours to learn to speak in Slovenian, you need to create a realistic, detailed study plan for learning the language. You can’t just “wing it” and skip some days and expect to become fluent.

Learning Slovenian means being dedicated and using the right materials in order to maximize your studying.

Here are some of the main factors that can affect your learning progress:

• Your Willingness To Learn: Having the right motivation is important when learning a new language. Your willingness to learn will determine whether you will find Slovenian interesting or extremely difficult. To keep your motivation up, try enrolling in an online class or getting an accountability partner that can keep you on track as you’re just starting to learn the language.

With almost two million native speakers, Slovenian have a rich background and history. The language is close to the Chakavian and Kajkavian dialects used in Serbian and Croatian.

However, due to the distinct differences in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, a Croatian speaker may find it difficult to understand Slovenian, but not impossible.