| Imagine that you have a bag with every single Chinese | | | | without uttering a single word in English. |
| word printed on poker chips. The bag would need to | | | | But not much more than that. |
| be large as it would hold over fifty-thousand of them. It | | | | Now the rest of that bag - 99% of it, is less useful, but |
| would also need to be sturdy, as it would weigh more | | | | any serious student desiring to learn Chinese would |
| than half a ton. This makes learning Chinese a pretty | | | | need to go through some of it. So we continue. |
| gruesome undertaking, right? | | | | We start to organise more words on that table, now |
| First of all there is obviously no need to learn most of | | | | the criterion that we are going for is to get every |
| them. Today at least twenty percent are only used if | | | | word that a student would want to use in the average |
| you study ancient literature. In fact, to enter university, | | | | month, that is not terminology or jargon, onto the |
| you only need to know about six percent of this bag. If | | | | surface. We start at the circumference of the basic |
| you would become a professor, you would leave with | | | | circle. This next circle will become much larger; six |
| ten-thousand, at the most, of which the majority would | | | | times larger, in fact. At the same rate as before, only |
| be terminology. | | | | ten words a day, this would take about 1 year and 3 |
| Given that the majority of the words are not really that | | | | months. |
| interesting, how does one learn Chinese in the most | | | | The next circle is much much larger. It would take 10 |
| efficient way possible? | | | | years to complete that one. |
| Imagine a very large round table. The entire content of | | | | However, to most people, that circle is not relevant in |
| the bag is promptly emptied onto the table. The flood | | | | its entirety. For basic economics, for example, the |
| of chips are intimidating but we start organizing, | | | | range of word that would classify as jargon or |
| creating structure and order to it. | | | | terminology is about 500 to 1000 words. Unless you |
| We place the most commonly used word in the very | | | | are going to work with Economics you will never, ever, |
| center of the table - lets go with "Hello". We then start | | | | encounter them. However, if you are, they are crucial. |
| the place the second most commonly used words; | | | | The same applies to all other hobbies and professional |
| perhaps - thank you, good bye, my, name, is, etc. We | | | | ambitions. So, add another, say 2000, for good |
| continue to do this until every word that you would use | | | | measure to represent hobbies and professional jargon. |
| in daily communication is laid out on the table. It is | | | | In summa; 5000 words, or 10% of that bag and you will |
| obvious that to speak Chinese in any useful way, you | | | | have access to every word that you use in daily |
| will need to learn these characters, every single one of | | | | conversation, also every word you will need to know |
| them. The good news is that these only represent | | | | to not have to use a dictionary more than a few times |
| about one percent of the total pile. | | | | a month, and all the words you need in professional life |
| Most students are able to learn and retain between | | | | and in your spare time. No one would say that you can |
| ten and twenty characters if they study for three | | | | now not speak Chinese. |
| hours a day. For the average student it would only | | | | In 2 years and 1 month you have learned to speak |
| take ten weeks to be able to handle everyday | | | | Chinese at a level where you can live and work like a |
| conversations. They would be able to count to infinity, | | | | native. You have done this without it interfering with |
| describe what they see, be polite, ask for directions, | | | | your life, professional or social calendar, as you have |
| order in restaurants - in short be able to live in China | | | | only spent 2-3 hours per weekday. |