学习一千外语单词

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　　Finn: Hi Rob - or should I say 'ni hao' Rob?

　　Rob: Your Chinese is very good Finn but I wonder how many more Chinese words you know? 1,000 perhaps?

　　Finn: (In Chinese: "Not really, I just know a little…")

　　Rob: Now you're just showing off! Not being able to speak a foreign language is a bit of a British trait¹ - or a particular British characteristic. We're not very good at it although Finn is an exception, he can speak many foreign languages, can't you?

　　Finn: Not that many - a bit of German, some French, Polish a little, Chinese of course, Hokkien, a bit of Japanese… That's about it.

　　Rob: I'm impressed Finn. Well, now the rest of us Brits are being encouraged to learn at least 1,000 words of another language. We'll talk more about that soon but before I start learning my new words, how about a question Finn?

　　Finn: Très bien!

　　Rob: Do you know which is the second most spoken language in England? Is it:

　　a) Polish

　　b) Urdu

　　c) French

　　Finn: I think I know this one, Rob. I'm going to say a) Polish.

　　Rob: OK, well, as always I'll let you know the answer at the end of programme. So, as I mentioned, the British are generally considered to be lazy linguists² - they just don't bother to learn another language.

　　Finn: I guess the main reason is that when British people travel around the world they find that English is spoken almost everywhere - so they get by - they survive on just using their native language.

　　Rob: I think, in the past, the education system was also to blame. Learning a foreign language was not compulsory³ - it didn't have to be studied

　　when I went to school, we didn't have to study languages to exam level - so I took the easy option and studied photography instead of French! But of course I regret it now. But that wasn't the same for you Finn?

　　Finn: At first I didn't really like it but you know, I love words, and then one day I discovered the Chinese language and thought this was fascinating, and it's a key to a whole new culture.

　　Rob: Well, recently a campaign was launched for those of us who didn't share your enthusiasm or have the opportunity to learn another language. The 1,000 Words campaign is encouraging everyone in the UK to learn at least 1,000 words of another language. It hopes to help Britain increase international trade.

　　Finn: The group says that a vocabulary of 1,000 words would allow a speaker to hold a simple conversation. It sounds like a good idea.

　　Rob: Si! Well, let's hear from the former England footballer and TV presenter⁴, Gary Lineker, who is supporting the campaign. Can you hear what three things he says learning another language gives you?

　　Gary Lineker:

　　I think it gives you self-satisfaction and self-esteem if you can speak another language when you're travelling. I think it also gives you an edge in a lot of different areas in the workplace, not just football.

　　Finn: So Gary Lineker says there are three things it gives you; it gives you self-satisfaction, firstly. He means you feel good about learning a new skill. But it can have negative meaning - self-satisfaction - that you are smug or pleased with yourself. I don't think he means that here though.

　　Rob: He also says it improves self-esteem - so you feel good about yourself and it boosts⁵ your confidence. Imagine going on holiday to Spain and being able to converse⁶ with - or speak to - the locals.

　　Finn: It feels good! And he also mentioned the economic benefits of speaking another language; it gives you the edge in the workplace. That means it gives you an advantage, especially if you are dealing⁷ with foreign companies.

　　Rob: And it also shows politeness and respect for other people by showing you have made an effort.

　　Finn: It's something another footballer, Gareth Bale, has tried to do. Last year he signed for Real Madrid so he tried to master - or to be very good at - speaking Spanish so he could talk to his fans. This is how he got on:

　　Gareth Bale:

　　(In Spanish: Hello. It is a dream to play for Real Madrid. Thank you.)

　　Rob: Muy bien! Impressive - I think he was saying it was his dream to play for Real Madrid.

　　Finn: Rob, your Spanish is very impressive too there. For Gareth Bale, speaking Spanish will help him fit in - perhaps make him more accepted by his teammates and his fans.

　　Rob: But Finn, I have a dilemma⁸. There are so many languages in the world, which one should I learn first?

　　Finn: Maybe you could start with the UK's second most spoken language?

　　Rob: Yes, that's the question I posed⁹ earlier: what is Britain's second most spoken language.

　　Finn: I said Polish. Polski.

　　Rob: Yes, of course you are right. According to the 2011 census¹⁰, the answer is Polish. The census also found over 104 different languages are spoken in the UK. Before we go, could you remind us of some of the English words we've heard today?

　　Finn: Yes, we heard:

　　trait

　　linguists

　　native language

　　to get by

　　compulsory

　　self-esteem

　　to converse with

　　to give you the edge

　　to master

　　to fit in

　　Rob: Danke sch?n, Finn.

　　Finn: Bitte sch?n!

　　Rob: OK, well that's it for this programme. Please join us soon again for 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

　　Both: Bye.

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