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Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics in the news and in life

Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics in the news and in life.

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More or Less: How Many Words Do You Need to Speak a Language?

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The World surrounded by Flags

23/06/2018 GMT

How Many Words Do You Need to Speak a Language?

BBC World Service - More or Less, How Many Words Do You Need to Speak a Language?

How many words do you need to speak a language and how many do native speakers use?

How many words do you need to speak a language and how many words do native speakers actually use?

Ein Bier bitte? Loyal listener David made a new year's resolution to learn German. Three years later, that's about as far as he's got. 

Keen to have something to aim for, he asked More or Less how many words you really need to know in order to speak a language.

Reporter Beth Sagar-Fenton finds out with help from Professor Stuart Webb, and puts Tim through his paces to find out how big his own English vocabulary is.

Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Charlotte McDonald and Lizzy McNeill

(Photo: The World surrounded by Flags. Credit: Shutterstock)

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