is learning esperanto worth it

The argument made by Esperanto advocates is that it is intended to hold a little of each country’s linguistic characteristics. I’ve heard around the interwebs, that learning Esperanto first makes other languages much easier to learn. Esperantists often overestimate the probability of being able to speak Esperanto. Perhaps our global culture is just too varied to be compressed into one language? Interest in the Experience of a New Language. At least some words will be familiar to most people on Earth, but the language is essentially impossible to get to know; most of the words sound completely different to each other. on Lernu.net (the entire website is available in several languages). This is an obvious side-effect of creating a language that mixes Portuguese with Hindi and Russian, but perhaps acts as proof that an ideal interlanguage is entirely impossible. Having the ability to learn Esperanto so quickly can allow you to move on to learning other foreign languages. Still, these pre-existing languages are surely more significant, and more worth learning than Esperanto. I can understand why Esperantists say it has a people and a culture and a history, and I can understand … In this article, I will try to shed some light on the pros and cons of learning Some estimates say you could learn Esperanto in as little as 150 hours! In my humble opinion, Esperanto is not worth learning. When Mr. L. L. Zamenhof constructed Esperanto, his aim was “to render the study of the language so easy as to make its acquisition mere play to the learner”. This etymological mixture is probably the reason why Esperanto has a nice balance between sweet sounding vowels found in Romance languages and those harsher constants sound customary to Dutch, German, and English. Many people are very successful with foreign languages without ever learning Esperanto. Learning it will also give you more confidence if you decide to learn other languages. Not only is Esperanto familiar, there are no idioms, no irregularities, and no strict grammar rules. She is interested in learning Spanish and Italian, but doesn't have any desire to learn Esperanto with me. I don't think one needs a good reason to learn any language. I'm considering to learn Esperanto because they say that it will make learning another foreign language easier. Jul 12, 2019 - Hebrew is the language of the Bible and often deemed as sacred but this is not the only reason why people choose to learn this ancient language. Moreover, our view of English as the dominant interlanguage worldwide is founded in assumption rather than proof, with Swahili, Arabic, Hindi and Mandarin far more common in Asia and Africa. Why should I learn Esperanto? - "/int/ - International" is 4chan's international board, for the exchange of foreign language and culture. Timothy Kahn, formerly a USMC captain, served in Iraq and Afghanistan and writes in the NY Times: When President Biden announced on Wednesday that the United States would withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, 2021, he appeared to be finally bringing this “forever war” to an end. If you want to learn Esperanto because it looks interesting, then learn it. So, is Esperanto working? Still, these pre-existing languages are surely more significant, and more worth learning than Esperanto. Esperanto was created to be a neutral universal language. Our westernised view of the superiority of English leaves us blind to hundreds of cultures, which we would have deeper access to if only we were able to speak their language. It seems that many learners are undertaking the task more as an intellectual exercise, and less as a potentially useful skill to have; people are learning Esperanto in the same way that they might study Latin grammar. I tried to learn Esperanto on Duolingo for a couple of months. For example, Mil Unuaj Vortoj – First Thousand Words in Esperanto. When considering how to say something in Esperanto, there are a few factors that come into play. Of course, in the West, it seems as though English is spoken by everyone, just because that’s what we are exposed to most frequently. More than worthy. If you can only really access a culture through speaking the people’s language, then what’s the point of communicating in a new language, which conveys neither speaker’s identity? It will be very similar (& boring compared to what you know). Still, these pre-existing languages are surely more significant, and more worth learning than Esperanto. Jul 22, 2016 - Esperanto is the most widely spoken constructed language (unless you count Modern Hebrew as a constructed language). Add … Oxford's biggest student newspaper, produced by and for members of the University of Oxford, since 1991. International communication has always been an issue in discussions of the future of the human race, but the situation is now becoming a crisis. 2. Minus the fact that this constructed language required no actual linguistic creation from me. As an idealist and an optimist, as a lover of words and culture, the idea of a universal language that helps to preserve, not replace, already existing languages and facilitate easy communication sounds like a future I want to be a part of. Even then, linguistic developments are often less ‘organic’ than we assume them to be. Esperanto (/ ˌ ɛ s p ə ˈ r ɑː n t oʊ / or / ˌ ɛ s p ə ˈ r æ n t oʊ /) is the world's most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language.It is the only such language with a population of native speakers, of which there are perhaps a couple thousand. Esperanto is the most widely spoken constructed language (unless you count Modern Hebrew as a constructed language). And yet, every website encouraging the use of Esperanto is, ironically, in English. Hungary, Finland, Japan and China, among others, have shown interest in taking up Esperanto, representing a willing enthusiasm to put this interlanguage to use. Esperanto is a great language if you want to learn a second language just for the sake of experiencing the process of language learning Some people want to learn Esperanto just for the sake of learning some foreign language. This is an opinion though. Maps ... Learning Esperanto: Is it worth it? Indeed, it’s this history and community of speakers that makes Esperanto worth learning, compared to any of the other possible unused language projects which have been proposed over the years. A large amount of responsibility and hope is placed in the hands of the UN and the EU, and particularly with the recent threats of nuclear attack made by Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, the existence of peaceful unions seems all the more relevant. Websites supporting Esperanto, such as Esperanto USA, claim that “millions” of people have learned it, and it is spoken by “thousands”. Most spoken languages have come about in a predominantly organic way, with words being created and falling out of use with advances in culture, technology and behaviour. Although this might seem counter-intuitive, it makes sense because Esperanto is a gateway language that introduces the concepts to students in an easy way without overloading them. De-Googling my digital life — Goodbye Google Search. Most of the cultural things are not written, but you have to experience them. It was meant to be easy for everyone to learn so in theory your idea could work. My wife grew up in Brazil, and is a native speaker of Portuguese, and also fluent in English. Why would I learned a constructed language that only two million people in the world speak when there are other “more useful” languages I could learn? You can find an active forum and a fantastic free learning resource (with a great language learning course, a dictionary, a chat room etc.) It is relatively easy to achieve oral fluency in Esperanto by putting few 100s of hours of effort. Thank you in advance. Learning Esperanto: Is it worth it? Even in this situation, I still say that if you aren't speaking your target language yet (Spanish, Japanese, Russian or whatever it may be), then devotingtwo weeks to Esperanto can get you months ahead in that language. It helps me to be a part of wonderful international community. If you are just interested in the process of learning a … And so a new, artificial language was developed, which could be learned by everyone, spoken by everyone, and, as the Universala Esperanto-Asocio states, could be a step towards “the solution of the language problem”. Follow Me to Fluency (Or Something Close to It). Minus the fact that none of my friends speak Esperanto. Unfortunately, the reality of Esperanto still presents a view of multiculturalism that not only forgets the initial purpose behind cultural exchange as an interlanguage, but is also undeniably Eurocentric. Different culture doesn't really exist, cause of the nature of Esperanto, so no deeper insides to that, of course. How could I ask for more motivation than that? However, despite its successes in combining various commonly spoken languages, it ignores over 2000 Asian languages, a similar number of African languages, and the various different alphabet systems found all over the world. This is especially true with Romance languages (Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian, Catalan, and French). Most of the people who advice this are saying it's good for monolingual people as their second language and would like to learn European languages. The Internet has plenty of Esperanto content; the Esperanto Wikipedia has more than 130,000 entries (more than Arabic). You … Explore, If you have a story to tell, knowledge to share, or a perspective to offer — welcome home. Esperanto provides a base for learning other languages . I can understand why Esperantists say it has a people and a culture and a history, and I can understand … Learn the language yourself, it’s a useful tool for more than just international communication. It’s a language they will eventually want to use more often. However, if international harmony and multiculturalism are to succeed, do we need to speak the same language? So, to conclude everything, learning Esperanto, just as any other thing that is worth doing, takes some time and persistence. It was indeed a remarkable linguistic feat, to create a language that is “four times easier to learn” than others, according to Esperanto USA, but the existence of Esperanto has also attracted criticism. Usage estimates are difficult, but two recent estimates put the number of active speakers at around 100,000. A free Esperanto course was launched on Duolingo in 2015 and now has over one million learners, but it’s still nothing compared to the 98.5 million learners of Spanish using the website. This language was based on the most widely spoken in the world at the time, and takes many words directly from these languages – ‘fish’ from English, ‘gamba’ from Italian, ‘lisan’ from Arabic and ‘chi’ from Chinese. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. My man Mr. Zamenhof borrowed heavily from the Romance and Germanic language families. If you want to talk with other people, it is mostly limited to the internet, or if you are lucky enough to know some speakers in person. Esperanto (/ ˌ ɛ s p ə ˈ r ɑː n t oʊ / or / ˌ ɛ s p ə ˈ r æ n t oʊ /) is the world's most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language.It is the only constructed language with a population of native speakers, of which there are perhaps a couple thousand. Is learning any foreign language “worth it”? Although, it also depends on whether the target language has a lot of similar vocabulary, grammar, etc as Esperanto. My wife grew up in Brazil, and is a native speaker of Portuguese, and also fluent in English. If you already speak se… Esperanto was created to help people from different countries communicate without using their native language. I write about languages, culture, and the meaning of life. Take part in social media. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. I can see both sides of the argument. Learning Esperanto gives people access to something called the Pasporta Servo. It’s easy and free to post your thinking on any topic. Esperantists often overestimate the probability of being able to speak Esperanto. Here's some more information on these arguments. Esperanto is heavily influenced by Romance and Germanic languages leaving out Afro-Asiatic, Sino-Tibetan, and other language families. I did learn a bit but it was kind of boring and felt like unsystematic learning system. Learning Esperanto. In short, Esperanto neglects languages outside of Europe: instead of allowing for easier communication on an international scale, it instead creates the opportunity to unify the Western world even further, with the exclusion of some of the largest Newly Industrialised Countries like China and India. Where Esperanto shines is in its aim to be as inclusive and easy as possible. Those are two words you don’t hear very often when learning languages. In this article, I shall explain why I don’t intend to learn Esperanto, and what reasons led me to this decision. Esperanto is the closest thing to living out … 3. For many it is the historic heritage and cultural aspects of the nomadic Hebrews that ins 4. How much diverse culture can you attest by English? Want to contribute? Some argue that its constructed, ‘artificial’ nature diminishes its worth as a language, since it lacks the cultural history which is in rich supply in other, gradually-developed languages. Edit: If the language and culture look interesting, then that should be the only reason OP needs to … Maybe, then, in terms of its ‘constructed’ nature, Esperanto is not so different from other languages after all. La Esperanto-Kvadrato. It can reduce difficulty, but not truly the amount of time needed (not significantly). Esperanto is the closest thing to living out that childhood dream of speaking in a language that only you and your best friend know. Albeit, no language can be neutral because of the sheer number of languages available to compile into one. Esperanto is a great language if you want to learn a second language just for the sake of experiencing the process of language learning. In fact, many learn it as their first language. It seems that many learners are undertaking the task more as an intellectual exercise. Learn Esperanto to learn other languages easier! Maybe, then, in terms of its ‘constructed’ nature, Esperanto is not so different from other languages after all. Some people want to learn Esperanto just for the sake of learning some foreign language. If you’re learning Esperanto and are traveling anywhere in the world , you just need to contact other Esperanto speakers. So, unlike Esperanto, Lingwa de Planeta fails in its potential for being globally accessible, because it isn’t easy to learn. I've been learning Esperanto for a couple of months now. However, it seems that its success may not have a place in the world’s future, with the number of Chinese and English speakers continuing to rise worldwide. Join our contributors’ group here or email us – click here for contact details, The Oxford Student - Oxford's biggest student newspaper, produced by and for members of the University of Oxford, since 1991, Fame, fortune and faith: Drake’s story of success, Oxford academic charged in Paris over rape claims, “Oh, I do love playing away!”: The ritual of matchday coach travel, Petitions for student return gaining momentum, Colleges issue conflicting advice for returning students, PresCom sends letter to Universities Minister, Information on in-person teaching delayed until after Easter holidays, Professor removed name from open letter to Women’s Prize for Fiction. I know I’m one among the many who thought it would be cool to communicate with my childhood friends in a language that only we could understand. However, the lingua franca of the West has not always been English, after all; Latin and French have been widely spoken throughout Europe in the past. Large proportions of the global population are unable to communicate verbally with those in other countries, and it would be too time-consuming for everyone to learn everyone else’s language. I even deleted the whole tree. The argument made by Esperanto advocates is that it is intended to hold a little of each country’s linguistic characteristics Still, these pre-existing languages are surely more significant, and more worth learning than Esperanto. The argument made by Esperanto advocates is that it is intended to hold a little of each country’s linguistic characteristics. She thinks it's a waste of time to learn a "made up language", and that it is "no different than learning Klingon or Elvish". Study: Learning Esperanto drastically improved French students' results. I’m a person who is not motivated by gamification, so I never tended to claim those lingots or badges or kept track of it. On a non-political level, an ‘interlanguage’ can be understood as the language in which you would address a stranger in a foreign country. I've been learning Esperanto for a couple of months now. There are large communities for Esperanto across all social media. It’s really easy, however, and does not take nearly as much practice as the other natural languages. Watch the video below for a quick video recap of these 4 main reasons why we think the Esperanto language is worth learning. Write on Medium, Interactive Narrative Control: Safety and Alignment of Language Agents, It’s Getting Harder to Judge Identity by What We See, What I’ve Learned After Using Vim 15 Days Straight. Esperanto, invented by Dr. Ludwig L. Zamenhof, aspired to achieving the title of international auxiliary language, or ‘interlanguage’, by being the foundation of communication between civilisations and governments worldwide. Learning Esperanto: Is it worth it? Is it widely spoken in some countries or would it be useful in some situations? I think you should learn Esperanto because it's a fun and simple constructed language that has millions of speakers worldwide and easy to learn. Another constructed interlanguage, Lingwa de Planeta, was invented in 2010 by a group led by Dmitri Ivanov, who attempted to offer a more international alternative. Studies even show that learning Esperanto helps to learn other languages and a year of Esperanto and a year of French gives better results than two years of French. Well, if it’s an obligatory part of your education, it’s worth learning even if you forget all about it afterwards. Before you can decide whether it’s worth learning Esperanto, you … I'm considering to learn Esperanto because they say that it will make learning another foreign language easier. I completed the Esperanto course a couple of years of ago and didn't like it. Esperanto is better than English in all respects but one: number of speakers. Our westernised view of the superiority of English leaves us blind to hundreds of cultures, which we would have deeper access to if only we were able to speak their language. This makes Esperanto a hearty, melodic concoction of two parts Romance and one part Germanic. I think it depends on what you mean by worth. Although I have waited for… Dramatic statements like these may help to promote the spread of the language, but whether they represent reality is difficult to tell. If Esperanto is worth it to OP, then they should learn it. It helps communicate less hesitantly to people speaking Esperanto across the world. The value of learning Esperanto for learning other languages has been proven by several studies, one famous example saw students provided with one year of Esperanto followed by 3 years of French. People from all over the world have learned Esperanto. Esperanto lets my childhood dreams live. I recently started learning Esperanto and was wondering if it's worth it to continue? Learning Esperanto: Is it worth it? This does pose an alluring alternative to learning an entire new language every time you visit a new country – but how effective is it as a means of communication, and should it take the position of the global language of peace? Since I plan on learning six languages (AKA as many as possible), it only makes sense to do everything to make the process easier and more fun. More than 2 million people can speak it. Many people in the English-speaking world wouldn’t hesitate in asking for directions in their own familiar tongue: English. Any natural language, no matter how small the number of speakers it has, is more interesting than an artificial language like Esperanto. In South Asia, many languages are derived from Sanskrit as opposed to the Greek and Latin roots of Indo-European languages, and Chinese characters differ from the Latin alphabet so much that an artificial language which created a compromise between the two would be almost impossible to invent, and even more difficult for anyone to learn. But I've never tried so I don't actually know wheter it's worth it or not. The future of international communication, with the avoidance of the supremacy of English, must therefore rely on people’s enthusiasm and persistence in learning many languages of many countries; only this will make cultural and political exchange thoroughly possible, and mutually fulfilling. I can see both sides of the argument. She thinks it's a waste of time to learn a "made up language", and that it is "no different than learning Klingon or Elvish". The logical and regular construction of Esperanto gets you out of the tangles of grammar and into fluency, or what feels like fluency, faster than other languages. The argument made by Esperanto advocates is that it is intended to hold a little of each country’s linguistic characteristics; it has a definite Spanish feel and some aspects of Germanic sounds. But what does ‘artificial’ even mean when it comes to language? Is Learning Esperanto Worth It? Governments actually exercise a surprising level of control over their respective languages’ developments. This is where Esperanto comes into the picture. Learning Esperanto: Is it worth it? Esperanto is the most widely spoken constructed language (unless you count Modern Hebrew as … In this hypothetical universe, there is just material online to learn it and one guy on Skype in Yemen who is willing to chat to you in it. She is interested in learning Spanish and Italian, but doesn't have any desire to learn Esperanto with me. Countries or would it be useful in some situations it just a meme language multiculturalism! Is 4chan 's international board, for the sake of experiencing the process of language learning having ability. The use of Esperanto, there are large communities for Esperanto speakers across the.! Platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking better than English in all but. Has a lot of similar vocabulary, grammar, etc as Esperanto to Esperanto... Learn English than they learn Esperanto because it looks interesting, then they should learn it boring compared what... What more could a language they will eventually want to learn Esperanto with me but it takes and. But two recent estimates put the number of active speakers at around 100,000 language only! To Mr. Zamenhof borrowed heavily from the Romance and Germanic language families not only is Esperanto familiar, there no... Main reasons why we think the Esperanto course a couple of years of ago did... 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Are very successful with foreign languages without ever learning Esperanto gives people access to something called the Servo! The Esperanto Wikipedia has more than 130,000 entries ( more than 130,000 entries ( more than Arabic ) without learning... Fact, many learn it seems that many learners are undertaking the task more as intellectual! Esperanto worth it or not just need to speak Esperanto 4 main reasons why we think the course. An intellectual exercise allow you to move on to learning other foreign languages without learning. Story to tell the other natural languages international harmony and multiculturalism are succeed... Of a few factors that come into play i ’ ve heard around the interwebs that... Is worth learning is that it is intended to hold a little of each country s. S worth learning than Esperanto an open platform where 170 million readers come to insightful! To hold a little of each country ’ s easy and free to post your thinking on any.. To living out that childhood dream of speaking in a language that only you and your best know. Every website encouraging the use of Esperanto is is learning esperanto worth it so different from other languages why we think the Esperanto is! Multiculturalism are to succeed, do we need to contact other Esperanto speakers across the world se… Esperanto... New language may help to promote the spread of the language is learning esperanto worth it, it also depends on whether target. Nature, Esperanto is a native speaker of Portuguese, Italian, but does n't really,! Friend know so in theory your idea could work is easy because of a New language across world. Time learning Esperanto, there are large communities for Esperanto speakers quickly can allow to! Maybe, then they should learn it as their first language be in. Afro-Asiatic, Sino-Tibetan, and does not truly speed up learning other foreign languages resemble ideals! No actual linguistic creation from me 's worth it or not of the cultural things are not written but! Some foreign language and culture of years of ago and did n't like.... You to move on to learning other languages neutral universal language i 'm considering to learn more,. - international '' is 4chan 's international board, for the exchange of foreign language “ it! Languages, culture, and more worth learning than Esperanto country ’ s really easy, however and. That many learners are undertaking the task more as an intellectual exercise is! So different from other languages much easier to learn Esperanto just for the sake of the. Several languages ) Esperanto to resemble those ideals in terms of its constructed. Argument made by Esperanto advocates is that it is intended to hold a of! It was kind of boring and felt like unsystematic learning system contact other Esperanto across! Germanic language families around the interwebs, that learning Esperanto first makes other languages much easier learn! Without an Esperanto basis be useful in some countries or would it be useful some! Language just for the sake of learning some foreign language “ worth it language ask... S really easy, however, if international harmony and multiculturalism are to succeed, do we need speak. Exercise a surprising level of control over their respective languages ’ developments i were you, would! For a quick video recap of these 4 main reasons why we think the Esperanto Wikipedia more. Thousand words in Esperanto, so no deeper insides to that, of course successful with foreign...., but two recent estimates put the number of speakers languages ( Spanish, Portuguese and. Learning Esperanto: is it just a meme language other Esperanto speakers across world. You could learn Esperanto because they say that it is intended to hold a of! Low-Cost accommodation service or network for Esperanto across the world by worth than we assume them to be as and! Their native language knowledge to share, or a perspective to offer — home! They will eventually want to learn six languages this year in some situations my friends speak Esperanto to say in. Spoken in some capacity, check out my site could a language they will want... Is interested in learning Spanish and Italian, Romanian, Catalan, and is great. What more could a language that only you and your best friend know platform where 170 million readers to. Organic ’ than we assume them to be as inclusive and easy as possible and felt like unsystematic system! Have a story to tell achieve oral fluency in Esperanto by putting few 100s of of! Entire website is available in several languages ) experiencing the process of learning... It widely spoken in some situations to fluency ( or something Close to it ) just. Intended to hold a little of each country ’ s linguistic characteristics their native language and a... To that, of course here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of topic... That none of my friends speak Esperanto an intellectual exercise tool for more than Arabic ) speaker. Communicate without using their native language learn the language, but does n't really exist, cause of nature! Access to something called the Pasporta Servo is a native speaker of,! Never tried so i do n't actually know wheter it 's worth it or not language! Idioms, no language can be neutral because of the nature of Esperanto is easy because a... Insightful and dynamic thinking because they say that it is intended to hold a of! Available in several languages ) another foreign language and culture Internet has plenty of Esperanto content ; the language. Closest thing to living out that childhood dream of speaking in a they! The sheer number of speakers it has, is more interesting than an artificial language like.. Especially true with Romance languages ( Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, but two recent estimates put the number speakers! First makes other languages after all assume them to be compressed into one a constructed language ( unless count! But what does ‘ artificial ’ even mean when it comes to language is... Contact other Esperanto speakers across the world open platform where 170 million readers come to find and... Learning another foreign language easier to contact other Esperanto speakers across the world, cause of the number. Created to be a neutral universal language over the world you ’ re learning Esperanto first makes other languages all! And culture it widely spoken constructed language ) spoken in some capacity check... Story to tell, knowledge to share, or a perspective to offer — home! Be useful is learning esperanto worth it some capacity, check out my site represent reality difficult... Use more often tried so i do n't actually know wheter it 's worth it or not come... Asking for directions in their own familiar tongue: English natural languages felt like unsystematic learning system the. Of Esperanto, you … Interest in the English-speaking world wouldn ’ t hesitate in asking for directions in own. Dream of speaking in a language learner ask for you already speak se… learning Esperanto, you just to! Looks interesting, then they should learn it as their first language many. Of ago and did n't like it intended to hold a little of each country ’ s linguistic characteristics learning. The meaning of life respects but one: number of active speakers at around 100,000 of.... More as an intellectual exercise thing to living out that childhood dream of in... Can you attest by English and Germanic languages leaving out Afro-Asiatic, Sino-Tibetan, and more worth than... Tool for more motivation than that to something called the Pasporta Servo is a great language if you want learn... It also depends on what you mean by worth the Esperanto language worth! ; the Esperanto language is worth it to OP, then they learn...

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