| What is Esperanto?
Esperanto is an exciting language introduced towards the end of
the 19th century which is now spoken by people all around the world
making it a full-fledged international language. Having a simple
grammar and vocabulary that can be learned in a few months, Esperanto
has grown in popularity. This is evident looking at the vast international
literature (over 25,000 books) as well as regularly published magazines
and many diverse styles of music, including a 24/7 Esperanto music
radio station.
What can I do with Esperanto?
There are many ways to use Esperanto. Imagine backpacking across
Europe or North America. With the Pasporta Servo, you can stay with
locals all around the world (over 1300 homes in over 92 countries)
who host other Esperanto speakers for free. The hosts get the pleasure
of meeting people from around the world, and travellers get free
lodging.
There is an Esperanto event happening, somewhere around the world,
every day of the year and they are more than just people speaking
Esperanto. During the day you will find everything from interesting
lectures to massage classes. The night comes alive with drinking
and dancing. The World Congress of Esperanto draws anywhere from
2000-3000 people. The largest annual youth gatherings are for anyone
under 30 and are attended by 200-400 participants. Whether you are
looking to get to know people from around the world or are interested
in an international romance, these conferences are a great place
to meet others.
You can also use Esperanto right from the comfort of your home
computer to enrich the way you experience the Internet. At gxangalo.com,
you can get your world news from a politically neutral source. You
can also use forums, discussion lists and chatrooms to hear the
local point of view. Read the deep thoughts and everyday experiences
of people living in exotic countries in their web logs. Downloading
MP3 files is a different experience in Esperanto due to the vast
number of cultures creating Esperanto music. Whatever your interests
you will find something for you in Esperanto.
Where can I learn Esperanto?
Pick the evening you would like and then register for an upcoming course at The Calgary Esperanto Center. We are also offering a Weekend Introduction to Esperanto September 15 and 16. Whatever your level
(or with no foreign language experience at all), we welcome you
to participate in our courses. .
Although there is no substitute for
a professional classroom learning experience, there are courses
available online which will help you to get a better understanding
of Esperanto. We encourage you to visit these online resources:
- Lernu! - multilingual course available online
- NESTO - computer program with sound files (Linux/Windows)
- Esperanto Viva - lessons about the language and culture
- Free Esperanto Course - the classic correspondence course
- esperanto.net - learn about Esperanto in over 55 languages
Some other great places to learn more about Esperanto in English:
- Esperanto: A Language for the Global Village by Sylvan Zaft
- The Esperanto Book by Don Harlow
- About Language Problems by Claude Piron
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