Free Taster Course
Introduction
This page introduces EAB's Free Taster Course in Esperanto. You can download the lessons in the course, to view on-screen or to print, from www.esperanto.org.uk/fpc/.
This free course is for residents of the UK only. Residents of Canada can access a Canadian version by contacting Kim Keeble (condor608
gmail.com). Other free Esperanto courses are available internationally from lernu.net.
What is Esperanto?
Dubbed the 'international language' and created over a hundred years ago, Esperanto is now spoken by millions of people world-wide. This is a language, not a country or nation.
Originally intended as a second language for all, Esperanto will let you enjoy different cultures and share your own ideas with people all over the world.
Why learn Esperanto? It's a gateway to a whole international community - which doesn't depend on the language or culture of any one nation or race.
What use is it? Through Esperanto you gain a truly international perspective:
- Meet: take part in one of the hundreds of Esperanto events, holidays and festivals that take place each year all over the world.
- Write: send e-mails or letters to contacts in many other countries and cultures.
- Travel: use the 'Pasporta Servo' network in about eighty countries where you can stay overnight, free of charge, with a local esperantist.
- Read: explore the thousands of Esperanto books and magazines already published; over 200 more appear every year.
- Share: join an international interest-group and use the language to share knowledge and experience, on anything from Astronomy to Zoology.
- Listen: tune-in to Esperanto broadcasts on the Internet or short-wave radio.
- Discover: learn about the world and its people first-hand.
- Connect: join a world-wide community with a common bond - Esperanto!
Some facts about Esperanto, the international language
Esperanto was launched in 1887 in Poland, by Dr. L. L. Zamenhof, who published the first book on the language, 'Lingvo Internacia', using the name 'Doktoro Esperanto'. Before long, the word Esperanto became the name of the language. Since then, Esperanto has spread, and is now spoken in over a hundred countries. Each year, the world Esperanto convention, or 'Universala Kongreso', attracts thousands of participants from around the world.
- Esperanto is easy compared to other languages:
It has a set of fixed grammatical rules, completely regular verb endings, and phonetic pronunciation and spelling - each letter has only one sound. English-speakers are already familiar with most of these sounds. - Esperanto is based on native languages:
The vocabulary is based on Romance, Germanic and Slavonic word roots, so an English speaker will recognise many of the words - like kato (cat), hundo (dog/hound), nazo (nose) and dento (tooth). Esperanto's common roots can also help if you then go on to learn other (European) languages. - Esperanto words have built-in reminders:
Even a small vocabulary of word roots can be combined in an unlimited number of ways and combinations. Beginners soon learn the meanings of complicated words because they can see how these have been built up from the simpler parts. - Esperanto is a living language:
Over five generations of speakers have used Esperanto in every possible situation. Many international couples use it daily as a home language. New words like poŝtelefono (cell phone), babilejo (chat room), tekokomputilo (laptop) are constantly being adopted, and style and usage have steadily evolved. - Esperantists get together:
All over the world, from local gatherings to world-wide conferences, speakers make friends and practise the language. Meetings cover a wide range of subjects; literature, political discussions, cultural festivals, youth parties... - Esperanto has literature:
Thousands of original and translated works of prose, essays, poetry, plays and songs have been published. International PEN (the world-wide association of writers) has an Esperanto section, and an Esperanto writer was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. - Esperanto has music:
Dozens of professional-quality albums in Esperanto have hit the market. Styles range from rock, funk, and rap to renaissance chamber music and folk singing, with performers ranging from Argentina to Finland, from Spain to the Ukraine. - Esperantists are both pragmatists and idealists:
While many of its speakers support the original goal of using Esperanto as a common international language, others simply enjoy the many benefits that its intimate international community provides - benefits like cultural insight, friendship and travel. - Esperanto is officially recognised:
In 1954 and again in 1985, the international organisation UNESCO acknowledged that the goals and achievements of the World Esperanto Association, in helping people make personal connections across cultural borders, reflect its own ideals. UNESCO recommended that Member States and Non-Government Organisations explore the possibility of using the language. - Esperanto is alive and well:
Since its launch, Esperanto has been used by correspondents to keep in touch across the world. The Internet now allows rapid exchange of e-mails, and gives free access to chat rooms, clubs and net-radio broadcasts. Esperantists use the net to collaborate on projects, and to make their work available to all.
There are many ways to learn Esperanto
There is a range of correspondence, Internet, e-mail and computer-based courses available, to suit every level of language ability and every pocket.
The Esperanto-Association of Britain (EAB) runs a free introductory correspondence course, and you can download the first lesson from www.esperanto.org.uk/fpc/. The lessons and the tutor support are free; you just pay postage (and if you're sending your answers by e-mail, that won't cost you much!).
Other courses and facilities can be found on our education website, or please feel free to contact us, using our enquiry form or by writing to us at the address below.
We are a registered educational charity (No 272676), supported by donations and gifts, so if you do send your enquiry to us by post, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope for our reply.
Published by Esperanto-Asocio de Britio,
Esperanto House, Station Road, Barlaston, STOKE-ON-TRENT, ST12 9DE
www.esperanto.org.uk
(Photos: Ziko M. Sikosek and others)