When Is the Best Time to Learn a Language? Science vs. Reality

Usually, when a person starts learning a second language, especially an adult, the “best time for learning” is determined by their schedule. They learn not when it’s best for their brain to absorb information but when they have time to do it. And “the best time for the brain to digest information” is determined by one’s lifestyle, chronotype, etc.

So, is there a specific “magic” time when you can learn a new language and memorize it better?

Best time to study and memorize

A couple of studies in 2017 and 2020 showed that students were doing better at their classes in the mid-morning (from 11 AM), not in the early hours.

Frankly speaking, it really makes sense. You wake up, have breakfast with a cup of coffee, and are not in a hurry. Your brain has some time to wake up and receive energy to work hard.

Another recent study found that those who took a nap before 1 PM were more productive. But let’s be realistic. Who can take a nap in the middle of the day with their busy workload?!

How to find out what is your best time for learning

You can read tons of studies and research on this topic, but the best time for you is the one that is the most convenient in your schedule. If you’re unsure, experiment with your schedule: plan lessons at different times and days to see when you feel more confident and relaxed.

If you have private lessons with a tutor (on LiveXP or elsewhere), firstly, choose the most comfortable lesson duration. On LiveXP, we offer 30-, 45- and 60-minute lessons. Book them in the morning before your working day (or tasks you have to do), in the afternoon (if you have the possibility to have a lesson between your tasks), and in the evening. One main disadvantage of early morning and afternoon lessons is—you might be in a hurry. And the disadvantage of the evening lessons can be—you might be tired. But it all depends on the person. Morning people will most likely choose morning lessons before going to the office. The choice of night people will fall on evening lessons.

What was the best time for learning a second language in 2023?

Based on LiveXP data, we can make some conclusions about the most convenient or most popular time for studying. And we will speak not only about the time of the day but also about seasons and days. So, let’s see what we have here in 2023.

Best season to start learning a language

Based on our data collected for 2023, the most popular season was the second quarter of the year, April to June. 28.75% of lessons were taking place in this period.

Best day to have lessons

If you think that the best day is the weekend—Saturday and Sunday—you might be surprised to hear that these days are the least popular. Only 21% of classes were taking place on the weekend. The peak started on Monday and finished on Friday. It can be explained that people really want to have a rest on the weekend in their busy workload. It’s important to have spare time with our families, do household chores, or just relax and watch TV. It helps us to meet Monday with new strength and bring everything from our to-do list to life (including our language lessons). That’s why 79% of lessons were held on working days.

Best time of day to learn a language

If the most popular season and days for learning usually don’t vary depending on the country, we can’t say the same about the time of the day. It depends. If we speak about European countries, the most popular time slots in 2023 were between 8-11 AM and 5-7 PM. On the contrary, people in the US had lessons between 8 AM and 3 PM.

Conclusion

We have seen our own data from LiveXP, so what conclusion can we make? It is easy—learn whenever you want. Don’t rely on scientific studies or research to find the best solution. The best time is the one that is the most comfortable for you, whether it be late at night or early in the morning. Everything depends on you personally. LiveXP gives you full flexibility in terms of schedule to make your learning process smooth and effective.