Esperanto
I've been wanting to learn another language, especially japanese, but this caught my eye. It is supposed to be quite easy to learn (some people can be fluent in 4 months or something like that) and I'm trying to figure out if it's worth trying or not. Has anybody tried?
I know it's not the official language of any country and whatnot, but I think it might be interesting to learn. Practice, if nothing else. And if it is indeed quick to learn, I wont' get discouraged since I should see results <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo--> more incentive to be patient enough for more complex languages
I know it's not the official language of any country and whatnot, but I think it might be interesting to learn. Practice, if nothing else. And if it is indeed quick to learn, I wont' get discouraged since I should see results <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo--> more incentive to be patient enough for more complex languages
Comments
My first recommendation is to find some easy and motivational way to learn it. If you can find an instructor in your area (such as at a local public university, if they offer it) or with a book, that's good. Since I haven't managed to find either, I've used the computer-based "Curso de Esperanto" freely available at <a href='http://www.cursodeesperanto.com.br/en/index.html' target='_blank'>http://www.cursodeesperanto.com.br/en/index.html</a>. I honestly haven't put any time into it in months, but I'd like to thank you for reminding me about it.
[edit]Ooh, looks like they've even updated it since I last downloaded it. /me downloads again[/edit]
Ich Speilen fusball <- well something like that anyway
The lesson i learnt was not to try again hence i will never learn another language again.
Well maybe improve my english a little
I have to disagree with the idea of there being "no point in learning to speak anything else." Since Hispanics have surpassed African-Americans as the "largest minority" (as much as that sounds like an oxymoron) in some parts of the US it can be <i>extremely</i> important to learn Spanish. I live in South Florida, and there's some places where you simply cannot conduct business (as a customer or employee) unless you know the basics of both English and Spanish.
The beauty of something like Esperanto is that (supposedly) it's a simple enough language that the entire planet could use it. Not necessarily as a replacement for your first language, but as a secondary. Personally, I think it'd be more useful for everyone to be learning Esperanto courses in schools rather than French or Spanish. Things change; earlier this century, French was useful, now it seems to be shifting over to Spanish.
Back to the topic of the 1st post: I'm assuming you've also already found <a href='http://www.esperanto.net' target='_blank'>www.esperanto.net</a>?
[edit]Yes, SoulScorpion, it's "largest minority" instead of "largest majority." Thanks for catching that error[/edit]
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Ich Speilen fusball <- well something like that anyway<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That would be: Ich spiele Fussball , if you wanted to know <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> .
I would say everyone should learn english - that's what all the mexican bashers say around here, but I don't like english and I'm fine with mexicans, so everyone learn latin or something. Wait, then the doctors would be ahead of everyone...
Evil doctors... <!--emo&:0--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wow.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wow.gif'><!--endemo--> .
Listening to: Everybody Hurts, by REM
...my stomach hurts....Blue Wizard needs food badly! (gauntlet arcade game, for the simpletons)
But seriously. I like the idea of being able to go anywhere in the world and have at least a minority there speak esperanto so I don't have to know the native language which is more complex. But on the other hand, quite a few people in other countries know english, or at least enough to communicate. So rather than using it as an essential item, I want to try and learn as a stepping stone to learning more complex languages; hopefully they'll be easier when I have experience trying to learn another language.
I hope to learn unorthodox languages- I've got binary flashcards, morse code, looking into esperanto, and then hopefully I'll tackle japanese <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
After that, who knows. I'll probably be 90 before I actually get anywhere. I love to talk about doing it, but actually going out and spending the time needed is harder than I thought, even now in the summer where I have literally NOTHING to do, and a lot of things I want to accomplish. I end up being indecisive and wasteing it all....
I know I do.
Ich Speilen fusball <- well something like that anyway <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Close. It'd be "Ich spiele Fussball", which means I'll have to take a cool point from you for playing that horrible sport <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
BTW, the easiest way of at least learning the written 50% of a language: The Internet. Thanks mostly to Natural Selection, I improved my English from a friendly C to the straight A I graduated with.
What languages do you already speak? If you haven't tried Spanish that's a good one to learn - I believe it's the third most widely-spoken lanuage in the world, after English and Chinese.
I have to disagree with the idea of there being "no point in learning to speak anything else." Since Hispanics have surpassed African-Americans as the "largest majority" (as much as that sounds like an oxymoron) in some parts of the US it can be <i>extremely</i> important to learn Spanish. I live in South Florida, and there's some places where you simply cannot conduct business (as a customer or employee) unless you know the basics of both English and Spanish.
The beauty of something like Esperanto is that (supposedly) it's a simple enough language that the entire planet could use it. Not necessarily as a replacement for your first language, but as a secondary. Personally, I think it'd be more useful for everyone to be learning Esperanto courses in schools rather than French or Spanish. Things change; earlier this century, French was useful, now it seems to be shifting over to Spanish.
Back to the topic of the 1st post: I'm assuming you've also already found <a href='http://www.esperanto.net' target='_blank'>www.esperanto.net</a>? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
(don't you mean "largest minority"? <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> )
I guess it depends on the location. I haven't heard any one non-English language spoken often enough down under to be valuable enough to learn, and certainly not one of the ones I find interesting. Ok, maaaaybe Japanese...
oh ive lost my train of thought. i took 4 languages in highschool (got B's too) and everyone thought i was crazy.
While Latin is a dead language quite a few of the European lingos have similarities, and it can help with guessing what a word means etc, so it <i>could</i> concievably be helpful with regard to learning other languages. ( I took Latin for two years, a <i>long</i> time ago..)
Which language did you study in high school? I imagine any language you have some previous experience with will be easier than trying to pick up a new one from scratch.
( In Scotland you have to pick a language in high school, usually French, Spanish or German, if this doesn't apply where you live, forget that part..)
I keep meaning to learn another language myself. I speak very limited French, and can order a beer in a few more, but I'm not at all fluent in anything.
Quite fancied Japanese myself, maybe German. My g/f speaks German and a bit of Greek, so I might persuade her to teach me the basics.
( I have no real reason to learn any of this, I just like learning..)
BTW, the easiest way of at least learning the written 50% of a language: The Internet. Thanks mostly to Natural Selection, I improved my English from a friendly C to the straight A I graduated with.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Books. Despite not really following my english lessons at all, I graduated with what equals a "B". All because I read a lot of english books. Und an deinem Deutsch ist nix auszusetzen.
Anyway, seems kinda silly to learn a language that no one speaks, even if it'll only take 4 months.
<Psuedo-Psycho-schizo-conspiracy theorist rant>
Sounds a bit like this to me: <a href='http://www.newspeak.com/Newspeak.htm' target='_blank'>NEWSPEAK</a>
I am quite happy with slow adoption of English as a basis for a universal language.
</rant>
Latin, Spanish, Russian, German, and English are more than enough for me.
Liegt wohl dran, dass es meine Muttersprache ist <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
THESE FORUMS ARE ENGLISH ONLY
sdrawkcab kaeps lla dluohs ew tey retteB
I had a look at it, looked sorta like simplified Latin to me..which would be fine, except I don't know many people who actually speak Latin...