There is no magic number of words that we need to know in order to speak a language

Many people want to know how long it takes to learn a fo reign language and become fluent, andhow many word a student should know. This is a difficult question to answer. There is no consensus on this question.

We all know that in foreign language learning an excellent vocabulary is extremely important because large vocabulary size is a useful tool for speaking, listening, reading, and writing. For foreign language learners acquiring extensive vocabulary knowledge is always a great challenge and vocabulary development has always been a critical aspect of learning a foreign language. Specialists in methods of foreign language teaching. Authors Waring and Nation argue that first and foremost students should be taught high frequency words which constitute the foundation for English language learning because “a vocabulary size of 2000 to 3000 words provides a very good basis for language use”.The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages divides language skills into 6 skills: A1, A2, B1,B2, C1, C2. According to this system students should learn a certain number of words at each level. A1(Elementary)-500 words; A2 (Pre –Intermediate)-1000 words; B1(Intermediate) 2000-2500 words; B2(Upper-Intermediate)- 4000 words; C1( Advanced)-8000 words; C2 (Proficiency)-16000 words.

At level A1, it is anticipated that an active vocabulary should comprise 500 words. Of course it is a highly limited numbered of words which will help to explain very simple things. An A2 level active vocabulary( 1000words) students can make stories on their families , working day, hobbies, favorite dishes , so on. With the active vocabulary 2000 words at level B1 students will be able to make orders in restaurants and do shopping. Read simple stories and newspaper articles. With B2 vocabulary (4000) learners can interact with some fluency and communicate easily. They can write clear, detailed texts and behave appropriately in any situation. At the B2 level, students also can comprehend and produce language that includes more complex structures and a wider range of vocabulary, including idiomatic expressions and nuanced terms. It should be remembered the level of fluency is not measured by the number of words the learners know but by their ability to use them in every day communication. That is why, learning a foreign language is a continuing learning as many words as you can because vocabulary size can be your milestone.

Irash Baimuratova,

Bayan Karabayeva

Department of foreign languages