Esperanto. What a great idea!

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Ricardodaforce

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Bonan matenon!

Wouldn't the world be a better place if we could all communicate without problem? I think all schooling should teach esperanto as the first second language. If it were to happen all over the world, then it would all work very sweetly!

Fascinating things languages, but they are such a barrier!

Watcha reckon? Esperanto, nice idea or not?

Incidentally is learning languages in school mandatory in the UK?
 
No, we should scrap French & German and have Chinese as the first 2nd language, maybe Japanese or one of the Indian languages too. The world is changing and we need to communicate with what will be the main powers then.
 
cambsno said:
No, we should scrap French & German and have Chinese as the first 2nd language, maybe Japanese or one of the Indian languages too. The world is changing and we need to communicate with what will be the main powers then.
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But if all the Chinese were taught esperanto too........? As their second language.
 
not star trek, hitchhikers guide to the galaxy :)
 
cambsno said:
Well seeing as English is a universal language, why not just teach everyone english rather than anything else?
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Well more people speak Spanish, why don't just teach that to everyone else? I think you've applied a very UK-centric point of view to your argument.
 
crofter said:
They want to speak English, my son has lived in China for the last 3 years teaching them to do so.
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Of course the do! Because the world hasn't embraced Esperanto. If the rest of the world could speak Esperanto, the Chinese would be chomping at the bit to learn it.
I just think a global second language (which is not English) is such a nice communication solution.
 
Ricardodaforce said:
Well more people speak Spanish, why don't just teach that to everyone else? I think you've applied a very UK-centric point of view to your argument.
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Spanish may be more common but think about the important countries to talk to - Japan, China, India, USA... English is strong there - and they are more important economically than Sth American Countries who are the main Spanish speakers. Also, English is the international language for air traffic and no doubt more things like that too.

English is a universal language so it makes sense to work with whats there.
 
The Americans can't get English right... and you want them to learn another language ;)
 
English is also the global language of finance.
 
viv1969 said:
English is also the global language of finance.
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Only because Dads Army hasn't been translated into enough other languages....

frazer.jpg
 
What I'm seeing here is our (British) resistance to learning other languages. Is it the "island mentality"? All of my mates (none of them British) speak their mother tongue (obviously) plus Spanish and English and, in some cases, other languages too. Yet the Brits here struggle to ask directions in Spanish. Why is that guys? I gotta say I find it embarrassing to think I might be associated with them!
Here, by law, the kids have to learn Valenciano AND English in school. They are equipped to be trilingual (up to a level) when they've finished their studies.
I just like the idea of a true world language that would help bring people together and assist in commerce. To avoid any prejudice or political problems I think Esperanto would suit perfectly.
Maybe I'm just a romantic and dreamer!
 
My paternal grandparents were both fluent in Esperanto, in fact it was whilst learning the language they met.

Quite what use they found for this in Glasgow I never did discover :lol:
 
Ricardodaforce said:
What I'm seeing here is our (British) resistance to learning other languages. Is it the "island mentality"? All of my mates (none of them British) speak their mother tongue (obviously) plus Spanish and English and, in some cases, other languages too. Yet the Brits here struggle to ask directions in Spanish. Why is that guys? I gotta say I find it embarrassing to think I might be associated with them!
Here, by law, the kids have to learn Valenciano AND English in school. They are equipped to be trilingual (up to a level) when they've finished their studies.
I just like the idea of a true world language that would help bring people together and assist in commerce. To avoid any prejudice or political problems I think Esperanto would suit perfectly.
Maybe I'm just a romantic and dreamer!
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Thats because pretty much everywhere you go, people speak English to some degree. Music and films are worldwide hits if they are in English (generally) - UK and American acts chart all over the world but its rare for a foreign language artist to appear here. There is an advantage for say Spanish to learn English as they will probably have dealings with UK and USA but I dont think I have used my GCSE French since I left scool. I dont think its so much that we are lazy, its because there is little need. I remember organising an exhibition/seminar for the scientists to go to - they were coming from some 50 or so countries but English was the universal language.

I actually would hate a world language - I love the cultural differences and going to somewhere like Greece 25 years ago was far different to going there 5 years ago. I dont want to see Starbucks and McDonalds everywhere - I like the foreign currency, I like the haggling or whatever the differences are. A world language is further down the road to us all being the same - boring!
 
cambsno said:
Thats because pretty much everywhere you go, people speak English to some degree. Music and films are worldwide hits if they are in English (generally) - UK and American acts chart all over the world but its rare for a foreign language artist to appear here. There is an advantage for say Spanish to learn English as they will probably have dealings with UK and USA but I dont think I have used my GCSE French since I left scool. I dont think its so much that we are lazy, its because there is little need. I remember organising an exhibition/seminar for the scientists to go to - they were coming from some 50 or so countries but English was the universal language.

I actually would hate a world language - I love the cultural differences and going to somewhere like Greece 25 years ago was far different to going there 5 years ago. I dont want to see Starbucks and McDonalds everywhere - I like the foreign currency, I like the haggling or whatever the differences are. A world language is further down the road to us all being the same - boring!
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I hear what you are saying Simon, I really do. But I still find it hard to palate that when it comes to being able to converse overseas, we Brits are (generally) an embarrassment!

Do you not think it would benefit our kids if they could speak at least 3 languages on leaving school? To learn a language one has to immerse oneself to an extent in a different culture. That surely has to open minds?

You've also added other things into the mix, things like the globalisation of American brands. Agreed, not a good thing. The reason I detest Benidorm is that it's full of "British" pubs, chip shops, bingo etc. We are talking about a city in Spain FFS! Why don't people want to immerse themselves in a foreign culture????? However, I don't agree that commercial globalisation need go hand in hand with having a global language.
 
Ricardodaforce said:
What I'm seeing here is our (British) resistance to learning other languages. Is it the "island mentality"? All of my mates (none of them British) speak their mother tongue (obviously) plus Spanish and English and, in some cases, other languages too. Yet the Brits here struggle to ask directions in Spanish. Why is that guys? I gotta say I find it embarrassing to think I might be associated with them!
Here, by law, the kids have to learn Valenciano AND English in school. They are equipped to be trilingual (up to a level) when they've finished their studies.
I just like the idea of a true world language that would help bring people together and assist in commerce. To avoid any prejudice or political problems I think Esperanto would suit perfectly.
Maybe I'm just a romantic and dreamer!
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Well basicallly anywhere on the costa blanca within 3 miles of the sea has so many ex-pats, the majority of which live in isolated false communities. (i.e a villa village not the more typical Spanish apartments.) Many of the restaurants have their menus in varying levels of english german and more recently more Eastern European counties so when Johnny goes on holiday to Bendorm, or Herman pops down to Altea for 2 weeks, then he doesn't have to worry because he is a lazy arse on holiday for 2 weeks and doesn't want to. I guess the majority of the ex pats just cannot be bothered, as many of the coastal Spaniards have very good english and pretty much everyone under 30 or so has been learning it since about 5. Also exposed to English via music etc so pick more up. Cannot remember last time I heard a Spanish song on Radio 2.
 
Ricardodaforce said:
Well more people speak Spanish, why don't just teach that to everyone else? I think you've applied a very UK-centric point of view to your argument.
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I think more people speak Portuguese than Spanish.

Anyway - A list of some Esperanto words...

formal : formal
forum : forum
foto : photo
klub : club
komputero : computer
profesio : profession
profesi`a : professional
profesor : professor
program : programme
radio : radio


Might as well be English
 
Steep said:
I think more people speak Portuguese than Spanish.

Anyway - A list of some Esperanto words...

formal : formal
forum : forum
foto : photo
klub : club
komputero : computer
profesio : profession
profesi`a : professional
profesor : professor
program : programme
radio : radio

Might as well be English
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Haha and ALMOST every English word that ends in "tion" is the same in Spanish except it's "cion". Using your floored logic Spanish is English!
 
Oh, and significantly more people speak Spanish in the world than Portuguese.
 
Lynton said:
Well basicallly anywhere on the costa blanca within 3 miles of the sea has so many ex-pats, the majority of which live in isolated false communities. (i.e a villa village not the more typical Spanish apartments.) Many of the restaurants have their menus in varying levels of english german and more recently more Eastern European counties so when Johnny goes on holiday to Bendorm, or Herman pops down to Altea for 2 weeks, then he doesn't have to worry because he is a lazy arse on holiday for 2 weeks and doesn't want to. I guess the majority of the ex pats just cannot be bothered, as many of the coastal Spaniards have very good english and pretty much everyone under 30 or so has been learning it since about 5. Also exposed to English via music etc so pick more up. Cannot remember last time I heard a Spanish song on Radio 2.
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You're not wrong. I'm surprised though that no one seems to agree that it would be a good thing that their kids finish school trilingual. It can't be too difficult to see the advantage of this surely?
 
Ricardodaforce said:
Oh, and significantly more people speak Spanish in the world than Portuguese.
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Yeah you're right, 330mil as opposed to 260mil.

My logic though is neither floored nor flawed :) English is apparently spoken by 400mil as a first language and over a billion!!!!! as a second language.
 
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Steep said:
Yeah you're right, 330mil as opposed to 260mil.

My logic though is neither floored nor flawed :) English is apparently spoken by 400mil as a first language and over a billion!!!!! as a second language.
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I always knew I was 1 in a billion! :lol:
 
zeugma said:
Agreed. It worked well for centuries so people could communicate across language barriers, very precise language too :thumbs:
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Which current language is closest to Latin? Anyone know? Italian I guess.
 
Sonriendo said:
:thinking:
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The c before e & i (as in gracias) pronounced th (as in thanks).
The d pronounced so softly that in most of mainland Spain that it's more akin to the th sound than a hard English d. Listen to how they say Madrid or verdad.
Etc etc etc
 
William Shatner in an esperanto film anyone?
[YOUTUBE]AW7AuyIwN2A[/YOUTUBE]
 
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