2019-02-22 12:19:03

Has any one here ever learned esperanto? If so, what are some really good places to start? Also is it worth it or should I just go for another language?

I would rather listen to someone who can actually play the harmonica than someone who somehow managed to lose seven of them. Me, 2019.

2019-02-22 21:04:53

there is the lernu.net site. its the biggest learning platform for esperanto you can find. few years back, when i tried it, it was pretty accessible. but now, when they changed the courses, and its interface, i dont know. i tried the new versions back then, but i wasnt impressed withit. but who knows? maybe today the situation is better. i didnt tried it.

f.a.t.h.e.r

2019-02-22 21:28:25

Why would you learn Esperanto? It's a failed attempt to make an international language and I don't know whether there is actually a community that speaks it natively; or to put it better, I am not sure whether there is a community that uses Esperanto as its first language. I am not sure where or when, but I heard that there are around 100,000 people who use Esperanto as their first language. This might not be true, anyway.
Remember that Esperanto is a constructed language, meaning that it is constructed up to a point and does not continue anymore. Also the number of speakers is destened to shrink year after year.
This of course is just my personal opinion. I don't see a valid point in spending time, effort and energy in learning a language you can't make use of.
If I had time and the necessary resources, I would begin to learn French or German.

2019-02-22 21:48:58 (edited by Pineapple Pizza 2019-02-22 21:53:28)

I’m fully aware that Esperanto is a  constructed  language. My reason for learning it is so I can learn how to learn a language, if you understand my meaning.  There are also multiple sources that say Esperanto seriously helps you down the path of learning certain languages. Starting out with the most basic things I can, and Esperanto seems to be close to that level.  I’m a monolingual English speaking Hispanic teenager  with somewhat limited resources,  and I have  ambitions of learning several languages in the futurer including spanish,  which at the moment seems a little too complicated for someone of my skill to start learning. Hence me starting simpler.

As for French and German, I’ve heard some, interesting, things that kind of dissuade me from learning them at the moment. I have little reason to learn  German  right now.  Because of how widely French is spoken outside of Europe, I may consider learning it in the future. For now though, my top priority is getting a grip on learning a language, which is harder than it may seem. After Esperanto, I’m going for Spanish,  which will open the path for me to learn some really obscure languages.

I would rather listen to someone who can actually play the harmonica than someone who somehow managed to lose seven of them. Me, 2019.

2019-02-22 23:22:13

I don't think it is quite difficult for someone of your age to learn a language. If you say it is difficult now, what are you going to do when you tern 25 or 30 and you want to learn a language. Your memory is fresh and is willing to absorb new things.
What you need, in my opinion, is a set of good resources which does not necessarily include online books or exercises. A good resource, when beginning to learn a new language as a blind student, in my opinion, is a braille display or braille books/materials. A language cannot be learnt by using your computer with JAWS or NVDA solely. You may switch to your computer only when you have acquired the basics of the language you're learning.
Each language has its own specific rules related to writing and pronunciation that you have to learn and acquire. A synthesiser reads in that language appropriately because it "knows" the rules and specifics; whereas when you use braille, you read yourself and "see" what you are reading.
I have suffered a lot while learning English, especially after I graduated from the special school for the blind in my country. Everything was carried out in braille. After I enrolled at a public secondary school of linguistics, everything went digital, that is, audiobooks, electronic materials, and so on. When I left the special school for the blind, my English was at around A2+ or B1 level. When I went to high school, not only was the pace of learning quicker, but the lessons were quite difficult. I wasn't accustomed to that pace of learning at all. My classmates, on the other hand, were quite used to that. Their English was superior to mine. What I hadn't learnt in primary school, I had to make up for in high school. I would sit and dedicate around four hours to learning English. Something my friends would complete in two hours, I was able to complete in four hours. One part of learning was examining how the new words I would encounter were written and it took time, of course. This was largely due to the lack of braille which I strongly believe would have helped. That's why I highly recommend you to use braille in the process of learning the language you like. Also, it is quite important to follow the right strategy for your age in regard to learning a new language.
One suggestion I give you when considering learning a new language: never base your opinion or consideration for a language on stereotypes like "it is difficult", "it has a terrific grammar", "it has a rough pronunciation", and so on. They are all subjective.

2019-02-23 19:57:25

@an idiot, I'm sorry to say, but I am in agreement with those that say you should stick to learning a more established language. There is nothing wrong with Esperanto, but if you're looking to learn a language that has value, you're better off learning Spanish, French, etc. I'm bragging here a bit when I say that I speak seven languages, and the first step to learning is to actually put yourself in the process of acquiring skills in something you actually want to learn. That's what I did when I first started with Japanese. If you want to learn Esperanto to learn how to learn, you might as well just learn Spanish for that purpose. Wow, so many learns! lol However, if you're genuinely interested in learning Esperanto for its linguistic nature and scholarly beginnings, be my guest. But it sounds like you actually want to dive into languages for the sake of speaking them. Best of luck to you.

2019-02-23 21:40:02

I know it has little value out in the real world, but I’m learning it to establish a few foundations and because it’s interesting.  And judging that I’m in high school, I’ll probably be learning Spanish soon either way. By the way, what are the seven languages that you speak?

I would rather listen to someone who can actually play the harmonica than someone who somehow managed to lose seven of them. Me, 2019.

2019-02-24 09:12:38

I agree with kaigoku. And honestly if you want to learn how to learn a language, might as well start with a real one. Spanish is relatively easy as well, compared to some other languages I know...

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