Let’s get Britons talking: the 1,000 Words Challenge

The UK has a reputation for a

general aversion to learning foreign

languages. Well, this might change,

thanks to a campaign, just recently

started, called the 1,000 Words

Challenge. This campaign aims at

raising awareness about how

important competence in

languages is for the individual and

for the country as a whole.

Basically, the campaign requires

Britons to make the commitment

to learn 1,000 words of a language

other than English. A vocabulary of

1,000 words will allow the learners

to understand a language’s

structure and to have a basic

conversation within that language.

Nobody is expecting the British to become fluent in foreign languages overnight; this

campaign is about increasing the number of those who understand that their future will be

better if they know other languages and, therefore, want to take action.

You can find more about 1,000 Words Challenge here.

Why this campaign should have great results

Personally, I was thrilled when I heard about this campaign. Language skills are an important

asset for both personal and professional development for any individual, no matter in which

country they were born. English teenagers are ‘the worst in Europe’ at languages, according

to the 2013 European Survey on Language Competences. I also blogged about the low

numbers of A-levels in foreign languages in the UK and suggested a solution to this issue. I

think the 1,000 Words Challenge will be more efficient in dealing with this situation and

here is why: because it sets a smart objective.

Not just smart, but SMART:

Specific – learning 1,000 words of a different language is a clear and unambiguous

goal.

Measurable – we are dealing here with a number; is there anything that can be

more measurable than a number? People will be constantly aware of their individual

progress if they regularly count the number of total words learned.

Achievable – learning 1,000 words of a language is not an extreme goal; considering

that an adult knows more than 10,000 (maybe even more than 20,000) words in their native

language, 1,000 in another one seems quite doable.

Relevant – this could be the subject of an entire blog post. To name just one

supporting argument, it will enhance the UK’s economic prospects and help prepare the

British for the globalised workforce.

Time-oriented – people who commit to this Challenge will be able to set their own

time-frames for it; however, everyone will get the same piece of advice: little and often – 10

minutes a day is better than a hour a week.

‘The hard thing about learning a language is getting started. 1,000 words can easily lead to

5,000 or more, or indeed to 1,000 words in a different language. The benefits for the nation

.’ Professor Nigel Vincent, Vice-if people are persuaded to take this step will be immense

President for Research and Higher Education at the British Academy.

The biggest journey begins with a first step. Make it. Here are some tips on how you can

face this challenge.