Number of words to reach fluency?

Question

Does anyone know if there has been a study to show how many words need to be in a person's vocabulary (in any given language) before he/she could be considered fluent (in said language)?
Or, if not, how many words the average adult has in his/her native tongue? Or how many words a child would have (by comparison) at a given age?
Just trying to figure out how many words/phrases one might need to learn in a given language before one might expect to speak it with reasonable fluency, or at least as well as a child might.

Thanks,
MJW

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Does anyone know if there has been a study to show how many words need to be in a person's vocabulary (in any given language) before he/she could be considered fluent (in said language)?[/nq]
Vocabulary is only one possibe indicator of
knowledge of a language and may be distant
from fluency, i.e. fluency may be better measured
by speed and accuracy of response than by the
number of words a person knows.

Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Does anyone know if there has been a study to show how many words need to be in a person's ... one might expect to speak it with reasonable fluency, or at least as well as a child might. Thanks, MJW[/nq]
Not exactly what you asked, but the US State department has some estimates of classroom hours required for persons of a given ability to reach different degrees of proficiency. I believe the required hours vary over about a four-to-one range depending on language, for native English speakers of a given ability.
Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany

"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward" (Email Removed) Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Does anyone know if there has been a study to show how many words need to be in a person's vocabulary (in any given language) before he/she could be considered fluent (in said language)?[/nq]
I'll grant that no particular number of words guarantees fluency, and I'll bet you would grant that too.
But there are studies of, I think, all the things you ask about or at least closely related things.
I only wish my memory for numbers was better, and that I could remember if these numbers relate to Spanish or English.

The number of words needed to get along most of the time, or maybe it was the number of words that constituted 90% of most people's choice of words, was something like 500. Of course sometimes we really need to talk about things in that other 10%
The average number of words used was something like 3000. But many of those words were used only rarely, and maybe different words by different people.
They just announced that the number of English words had surpassed some round number, but most new words are specialty words that you'll never need, or words you would learn as they become popular, like everyone does. Or they're new and you can ask what they mean, like I aske about blog a few years ago.
[nq:1]Or, if not, how many words the average adult has in his/her native tongue? Or how many words a child ... language before one might expect to speak it with reasonable fluency, or at least as well as a child might.[/nq]
I used the book Spanish in a Nutshell when I was learning Spanish. Broke my leg and had to soak it in hot, then cold water, for a half our twice a day. (Because of the enormous amount of swelling)

It had a glossary and I would study it while soaking my foot and after I had learned all those words, I felt like I was in pretty good shape. I think the number was between 500 and 1000.
Although I had also learned a lot of words at museums, from the newspaper, and after that I learned all kinds of words at the movies with subtitles.
[nq:1]Thanks, MJW[/nq]
Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Does anyone know if there has been a study to show how many words need to be in a person's vocabulary (in any given language) before he/she could be considered fluent (in said language)?[/nq]
This isn't exactly what you're asking, but my personal favorite self-test for fluency in a foreign language is the one I read in a book on creating a résumé: if you aren't willing to conduct the job interview in the language, you aren't fluent.

Michael DeBusk, Co-Conspirator to Make the World a Better Place I am a pineapple * http://home.earthlink.net/~debu4335/

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Does anyone know if there has been a study to show how many words need to be in a person's vocabulary (in any given language) before he/she could be considered fluent (in said language)?[/nq]
Between 3,000 and 4,000.
GFH

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As I know, this number is about 1500 in English.

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[nq:1]The number of words needed to get along most of the time, or maybe it was the number of words ... was something like 3000. But many of those words were used only rarely, and maybe different words by different people.[/nq]
At 2, I started counting (and logging) the words my child used. After about a week, it pretty much leveled out at 500, adding just 20 or so on the last day before I stopped. I agree with you that 3000 is likely to account for much of the remaining 10%.
JOE

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[nq:2]The number of words needed to get along most of ... used only rarely, and maybe different words by different people.[/nq]
[nq:1]At 2, I started counting (and logging) the words my child used. After about a week, it pretty much leveled ... before I stopped. I agree with you that 3000 is likely to account for much of the remaining 10%. JOE[/nq]
The number of commonly-used characters in Chinese is around 1,000-1,200, but there are a whole whack of idioms, which are composed of several characters, that you'll never be able to suss out from the individual character meanings.
Here is one (functional) categorization of different levels of language proficiency:
Level Term Definition
1 Elementary The student has acquired a simplevocabulary and grammar that permits communication of the rudiments of subjects such as travel, courtesy and the weather.
2 Fair The student has acquired a vocabularyand grammar that permits the student to function reasonably well in a social milieu and to exchange ideas on military situations of a very general nature.
3 Good The student has acquired a knowledgethat permits with relative ease, the exchange of ideas on topics of a general nature. The student can, with confidence, communicate on routine matters associated with the particular field of endeavour.
4 Very Good The student has acquired a knowledgewhereby the student is capable of full and accurate use of the target language despite some interference from the primary language.
5 Excellent The student has acquired a command ofthe target language that is equal to that of a well educated native.
Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany

"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward" (Email Removed) Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

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[nq:2]The number of words needed to get along most of ... used only rarely, and maybe different words by different people.[/nq]
[nq:1]At 2, I started counting (and logging) the words my child used. After[/nq]
2! Wow. When did you start doing your own taxes?

Oh, your kid was 2. Or you started after he used his 2nd unique word. Either one is easier to believe.
I really did misread this the first time through. I read "I" for "my child". **** that Evelyn Woods.
[nq:1]about a week, it pretty much leveled out at 500, adding just 20 or so on the last day before I stopped. I agree with you that 3000 is likely to account for much of the remaining 10%. JOE[/nq]
Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

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[nq:1]**** that Evelyn Woods.[/nq]
Evelyn Wood. No "s".

No need to thank me.

Bob Lieblich
No OY! this time

Number of words to reach fluency?

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