For those interested in that it's like to try communicating using only the 1,000 most abundant words in english, here's a tool to do that: http://splasho.com/upgoer5/
You can usually get your point across, but it often takes a fair bit of work, especially for complex ideas.
I completely agree. 1000 words is far from fluent. But it's a start, and it's motivational to know that there's a high return on investment for the first 1000 words.
Generally it's said that 3000-5000 words are needed to read a newspaper.
I mean, 3 words per day, 1000 words per year x 3 years? It seems well within the realm of possibility. Also throw in a few months of extra intensity if you can travel to China for some time.
I think it's something enjoyable to pursue if you have an interest in China/Chinese/Languages
I'm hoping to spend some of my post FIRE life adventuring around China :)