Rob: Hello I'm Rob. Welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm joined today by Finn. Hi
Finn.
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 trait – 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
linguists – 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 compulsory – it didn't have to be studied -
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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 presenter,
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 selfsatisfaction,
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 boosts your confidence. Imagine going on holiday to Spain and
being able to converse 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 dealing 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.
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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 dilemma. 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 posed 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 census, 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 schön, Finn.
Finn: Bitte schön!
Rob: OK, well that's it for this programme. Please join us soon again for 6
Minute English from BBC Learning English.
Both: Bye.
