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Can Esperanto aid language acquisition?
Posted by: Lauren Webb, Senior Project Manager
Ever heard of Esperanto? Neither have a lot of people, but it has been suggested that it may be a useful tool in developing language learning skills.
Esperanto is a constructed language, and is the only one to have native speakers. It was devised by L. L. Zamenhof as a means of achieving international understanding and breaking down barriers between communities. The word Esperanto is derived from the pseudonym (Doktoro Esperanto, meaning Dr. Hopeful) which Zamenhof used in the publication of his Unua Libro in 1887. The book set out the grammatical rules and roots of vocabulary, along with some examples of the language in use.
With its simple grammatical rules, lack of irregular verbs, and relatively easy pronunciation, a thorough knowledge of Esperanto can be gained much more quickly than other languages (four times faster, according to some Esperantists), and can therefore act as a building block for language learners. A positive for would-be Esperanto students is that there are not a great deal of slangwords or idioms – after all, the language was created to ease international understanding, not make it more difficult!
However, as a constructed language Esperanto has been criticised as being too heavily based on Indo-European languages, and is more difficult to learn for speakers of other types of languages. Of course, that is not to say that it is impossible, and many people who don’t speak Indo-European languages can speak Esperanto.
What do you think? Do we have any Esperantist readers? If so, we’d love to hear your opinion on this.
LAUREN WEBB
Discussion
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January 6, 2011
I heard from many English speakers who never learned Esperanto nor participated in an Esperanto convention, that this easy to learn language is not that easy for people that don’t speak European languages.
I have spoken Esperanto in Japan, Korea, and China. I have also spoken Esperanto with natives of Iran, Russia, and a few countries of Africa. No one of them said that Esperanto was difficult. Instead, they said that Esperanto was much easier than any other language.
Anyone interested to know about how to learn Esperanto, or to see the vast resources of Esperanto materials, books, magazines, videos, music, radios, please check this page:
Resources to learn and use Esperanto
http://esperantofre.com/edu/iloj01a.htmEnrique
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January 6, 2011
Yes. Esperanto aids language acquisition. (It happened to me)
When attending an Esperanto international convention, you will hear many of the participants say that, after learning Esperanto, they went on to learn one or more other languages or returned to finally learn a language previously abandoned.
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January 6, 2011
That’s really interesting to hear. One of the most difficult parts of dealing with a new language is learning irregular verbs, so learning a language without any is sure to be easier. I don’t speak Esperanto (yet) but one of the main criticisms of the language that I encountered was that non-Europeans found it difficult. I’m glad to hear that it is erroneous! Thanks for the link to the resources as well.
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January 6, 2011
I’m British and I’m keen to tell you that Esperanto works! I’ve used it in speech and writing in about fifteen countries over recent years.
Indeed, the language has some remarkable practical benefits. Personally, I’ve made friends around the world through Esperanto that I would never have been able to communicate with otherwise. And then there’s the Pasporta Servo, which provides free lodging and local information to Esperanto-speaking travellers in over 90 countries. Over recent years I have had guided tours of Berlin, Douala (look it up!) and Milan in this planned language. I have discussed philosophy with a Slovene poet in Klagenfurt, humour on television with a Bulgarian TV producer in Sofia. I’ve discussed what life was like in East Berlin before the wall came down, how to cook perfect spaghetti, the advantages and disadvantages of monarchy, and so on. I recommend it as a very practical way to overcome language barriers.
Although the vocabulary looks superficially European, the way in which words can be puit together is definitely not. I remember standing at a bus stop in North Wales with a Hungarian visitor on his way to Chester. He looked at a gaggle of young people with rucksacks also waiting and called them his “samsortanoj” (same fate members, i.e. people who like him were going on an old Welsh bus for a long journey). I had never heard the word before but its meaning was immediately clear.
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January 7, 2011
There have been a variety of studies over the years validating this idea in theory (search for the “Propadeutic effect” of Esperanto for oodles of info) but in the UK it’s being used in practice. Specifically, Esperanto is being used in the Springboard program to introduce schoolchildren to language learning. See: http://www.springboard2languages.org/home.htm
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January 11, 2011
In reply to Bill Chapman I would stress that Esperanto is not a European Language. Many who claim this want English to be international language, instead
Can I add that Esperanto is not only a great idea, but is now a living language.
The study course http://www.lernu.net is now receiving 120,000 hits per month.
That can’t be bad
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About the Author
Lauren is one of Veritas' Project Managers, and has always been fascinated by languages. With a degree in Translation, and having worked periodically as a freelance translator, she has a thorough understanding of both sides of the translation process, which ensures the smooth running of projects.