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Pay me to learn Esperanto | ||
 Language Learning Forum : Esperanto |  | |
| Jinx Triglot Senior Member Germany reverbnation.co Joined 5490 days ago 1085 posts - 1879 votes  Speaks: English*, German, French Studies: Catalan, Dutch, Esperanto, Croatian, Serbian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Italian, Spanish, Yiddish | Message 9 of 26 07 November 2010 at 8:30pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Leosmith, I'm really sorry that you've had these experiences.
As with any subset of people, among those who speak Esperanto can be found lots of nice normal folks and also lots of obsessed freaks. It does seem, from my experience, that "Esperantujo" does include a slightly higher percentage of the latter than most "subcultures" do. Luckily, enough people do speak the language now that if you wanted to get into it and be careful about who you choose to spend your time with, I'm sure you could avoid the weirdos with no problem, and just spend your time meeting other normal linguistically-minded folks. I don't call myself an Esperantist, because despite attempting to learn it for several years now, I *still* haven't managed to scrape up enough interest and motivation to get myself to the level of actually speaking and reading it with no problem. Seeing how incredibly easy Esperanto is compared to most other language, this is a rather embarrassing confession to make. However, it simply proves the point we all know: motivation is king when it comes to successful learning. The way I see it (and I hope you'll forgive my unsolicited advice here!), you have two options: 1) You could refrain from talking about your interest in Eo online, since it seems starting a discussion about this language on the internet is the proven number-one way to attract a bunch of crazies (both pro- and anti-Esperanto crazies) to your thread. You could of course continue reading and thinking about it without posting inflammatory forum threads... unless you secretly actually enjoy the dramatic Esperanto-arguments! 2) You could just go ahead and start studying it already. Nope, no one's gonna pay you. As with any language, you're only going to have success if you can find your own motivation for learning it (as my shameful example demonstrates!). Despite how obsessed some of them may seem with getting you to learn it, most Esperanto-speakers really don't care whether you learn the language or not. If you choose not to, you'll simply remain one of the majority in the world, people who can't speak Eo. If you do choose to learn it, you'll find lots of support and lots of free resources, and yes, free accommodation in many countries (if you can speak it well!). In the end... it's your choice. In case you're worrying, no, starting to study the language won't somehow infect you with The Crazy. Esperanto is not a drug – although some might say it's addictive, in the way that an extremely logical and versatile system can be addictive to learn more about. Just try it, if you really are interested as you say. It doesn't bite. :) P.S. The problem with the responses you've gotten doesn't just lie in Esperanto: I think if anyone repeatedly posted in this forum expressing interest in a certain language but a reluctance to learn it, other people's replies would be rather short-tempered: "Well, quit equivocating and just go learn it already!" 8 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Jinx Triglot Senior Member Germany reverbnation.co Joined 5490 days ago 1085 posts - 1879 votes Speaks: English*, German, French Studies: Catalan, Dutch, Esperanto, Croatian, Serbian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Italian, Spanish, Yiddish | Message 10 of 26 07 November 2010 at 8:36pm | IP Logged | |||||
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One more P.S. – I don't know if you've already done any research into two main Esperanto groups, the Finvenkistoj and the Raumists.
I think it's important to note that only a certain subset of Esperantists are the ones who believe that Esperanto should become the second language for everyone in the world. These are the Finvenkistoj. Unfortunately, I've found that most of the "crazies" are generally located within their ranks. I consider myself to be a Raumist, which is more of a "live and let live" philosophy. Raumists think Esperanto is pretty cool, but they have no desire to force anyone else to learn it. (Not that the Finvenkistoj want to force anyone to learn it, either; they just wish everyone would!) 9 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| leosmith Senior Member United States Joined 6347 days ago 2365 posts - 3804 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Tagalog | Message 11 of 26 07 November 2010 at 10:59pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Thanks Jinx. You're a saint.
1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Enriquee Triglot Groupie United States esperantofre.comRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5132 days ago 51 posts - 125 votes Speaks: Spanish*, Esperanto, English | Message 12 of 26 08 November 2010 at 1:30am | IP Logged | |||||
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Pay me to learn Esperanto
Leosmith said: >I’ve never been hassled like this regarding any other >language. You are very lucky. The whole world have been hassled for many decades into learning English. In a lesser scale, it also happened for French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian. Right now China is trying that all the people in Tibet (and some other parts of China) learn the Mandarin language. >you’ll have to pay me cash to learn Esperanto. It is your loss. >Esperanto speakers are desperate to get new blood. Not all of them. Esperantists know that many of the advantages they are enjoying, are there only because the number of speakers is relative low. Esperantists who invite other esperantists to their homes, and those who are invited, (including I) know that this ready to use friendship would dissapear if everybody spoke Esperanto. Of course, if this were ever to happen, other advantages would appear, that could be welcomed, or not, by the present Esperanto speakers. I would like that you and other people that "discover" Esperanto, would learn and use the language. But I like that for your benefit, not for myself. Because I am very glad that I learned and used Esperanto during more than 50 years, I would like that you also enjoy the same benefits. Jasoninchina said >give my number to whoever offered you free software and >accommodations: The software is there on the web for anybody that wants to download them for free, mainly a couple of programs to learn Esperanto, and many more ways to learn, to get books, music, videos ... Accommodations you will have to arrange with any of thousands of Esperanto speakers that are already willing to receive travelers from outside their own country. Only catch, you have to talk or to write to them in Esperanto. Please check the web page (no charge) Resources to learn and use Esperanto http://esperantofre.com/ edu/iloj01a.htm 5 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Sprachprofi Nonaglot Senior Member Germany learnlangs.comRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6267 days ago 2608 posts - 4866 votes Speaks: German*, English, French, Esperanto, Greek, Mandarin, Latin, Dutch, Italian Studies: Spanish, Arabic (Written), Swahili, Indonesian, Japanese, Modern Hebrew, Portuguese | Message 13 of 26 08 November 2010 at 11:58am | IP Logged | |||||
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I come from a small town. Whenever I told people there that my major was French and I
was learning Chinese "for fun", I'd get uncomprehending looks. By the time they heard how many languages I speak, they'd declare me insane. I have learned to not even mention Swahili (or Esperanto for that matter), because I would have to spend the next hour or two trying to justify my interests; something that shouldn't need justifying at all. At any Esperanto meet-up, people who have actually studied more exotic languages are still only a small percentage (albeit larger than elsewhere), but I revel in the lack of any negativity. Everyone there everyone gives my language studies a positive boost with reactions like "Are you going to learn X as well?", "I only know 'hello' in that language", "Can you teach me a little?", "I might learn that eventually", "What methods do you use for learning?", and so on. An entire week of meeting only people like that, picking up bits of a dozen languages or so, practicing all my current languages, finding tandem partners and language resources for the future... it's refreshing, revitalizing and FUN. Leaves me hyped to outdo A in Chinese this year, and to be able to have a conversation with B in his native language in summer, and maybe I should really pick up Russian... Almost all my energy comes from this kind of meeting, or from trips that I couldn't/wouldn't be planning if not for Esperanto. Since moving to Berlin I've had access to more local language-related events, like language parties. But that's just a few dozen people and most of them Germans with no interest beyond English and Spanish. Doesn't compare to the hundreds of wonderful international people I'll hang out with for seven days around New Year. For me, it has really been an enriching experience, with a more profound positive impact on my language-learning (and my life - I got my dream job because of Esperanto) than anything else I did. Based on your languages, I am sure it would be the same for you; that's why I am posting here even though I had decided to stay out of this forum's unabashed Esperanto-bashing. I wouldn't do this for anyone. I sincerely believe you'd get a lot out of it, much more than you can imagine now. How'bout a 30-day trial? Edited by Sprachprofi on 08 November 2010 at 12:00pm 8 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Arekkusu Hexaglot Senior Member Canada bit.ly/qc_10_lec Joined 5178 days ago 3971 posts - 7747 votes Speaks: English, French*, GermanC1, Spanish, Japanese, Esperanto Studies: Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Estonian | Message 14 of 26 08 November 2010 at 5:29pm | IP Logged | |||||
Bah, I'll do it for $750. 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| leosmith Senior Member United States Joined 6347 days ago 2365 posts - 3804 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Tagalog | Message 15 of 26 09 November 2010 at 2:32am | IP Logged | |||||
Ok, I'm interested again. Thanks Sprachprofi!
Curses - foiled again... 1 person has voted this message useful |
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