How many words you need to read a litterary text in a foreign language? Many, but you can already do a lot with a fairly limited vocabulary.

See this excerpt of 'How to Learn any Language' by Barry Farber with the eyes of somebody who knows only the 3000 most common English words, then the 5000 most common words and finally with a full vocabulary (The '#' stand for unknown words.):

Reading with a 3000 words vocabulary

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“They taught us in the ##### of the ######## and the #### so early, most of us dismissed it as a children's tale and ignored the powerful lesson it contains: Others may be brighter. Others may learn quicker and retain more. Yet ######### keeps on #########  ############  ###### the goal of mastering another language, though his gifts be ###, stands a better chance than the ##########  ###### whose #######  ####### so much #### in high school Spanish class.

######### your hidden moments, those otherwise meaningless ##### of time you'd normally never think of putting to any practical use, and using them for language study - even if it's no more than fifteen, ten, or five seconds at a time - can turn you into a ##########  ########.”

Same text with a 5000 words vocabulary

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“They taught us in the ##### of the ######## and the #### so early, most of us dismissed it as a children's tale and ignored the powerful lesson it contains: Others may be brighter. Others may learn quicker and retain more. Yet ######### keeps on ######### ############ toward the goal of mastering another language, though his gifts be ###, stands a better chance than the unmotivated ###### whose ####### ####### so much #### in high school Spanish class.

######### your hidden moments, those otherwise meaningless ##### of time you'd normally never think of putting to any practical use, and using them for language study - even if it's no more than fifteen, ten, or five seconds at a time - can turn you into a triumphant ########.”

Full text

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“They taught us in the fable of the tortoise and the hare so early, most of us dismissed it as a children's tale and ignored the powerful lesson it contains: Others may be brighter. Others may learn quicker and retain more. Yet whosoever keeps on plodding relentlessly toward the goal of mastering another language, though his gifts be dim, stands a better chance than the unmotivated genius whose dazzle ignited so much envy in high school Spanish class.

Harnessing your hidden moments, those otherwise meaningless scraps of time you'd normally never think of putting to any practical use, and using them for language study - even if it's no more than fifteen, ten, or five seconds at a time - can turn you into a triumphant tortoise.”