Esperanto: A Language For Everyone - How It Can Benefit You, How It Can Benefit The World

The Esperanto language was developed by Dr. L.and Esperanto can communicate fully with each
L. Zamenhof in Europe over a hundred years ago.other. With email and the internet, I can and do
No one knows exactly how many people speakwrite to people in China, Mali, Russia, Italy, France,
any language fluently. Some estimates put theKorea, and any other country in the world where
speakers of Esperanto at more than a million.someone speaks Esperanto.The subtitle of this
They live everywhere in the world. Zamenhof`sarticle says that Esperanto can be good for you.
idea came from his experience in EuropeanHere`s how: Esperanto is so much easier to learn
communities which were made up of separatethan a national language that you can be speaking
groups who gathered together because theyand writing it within months. Because of its logical
spoke the same language. Next door to themorganization of roots and affixes, what you learn
was another enclave of people who spoke onlyabout Esperanto transfers easily to your study of
their own language. There may have been ten orother languages. It is estimated that a person
more different groups clustered near each other,who studies Esperanto first, can learn another
yet they could not communicate outside their littlelanguage in about half the time it would usually
language zones.This led to great difficulties in tradetake.You can find more information about
and social interaction. Zamenhof felt that he couldEsperanto at this site: the word, is made up of
create a simple language which everyone couldthe root -esper- hope, the noun ending -o-, and
learn as their second tongue. Then they couldthe suffix -ant- doer. So the word means - one
peacefully and productively communicate.As youwho hopes.Dr. Zamenhof published his book under
can imagine, there was great resistance. Learningthe name, Dr. Esperanto, one who hopes for a
another language is time-consuming and difficult.better world through increased communication.All
But many people did learn Esperanto andEsperantists have the same hope and invite you
communication did improve.Today people aroundto learn more.Jack Wilson is an Esperantist and
the world who speak only their native languagetranslator working out of Tempe, Arizona.