Diamond Enthusiast Winner, AP's First Annual Chili Cook-off
Posted
When I was in grade school I had a rather energetic teacher who was convinced that by the beginning of the 21st century Esperanto would be the most widely spoken language on Earth. I am curious as to what kind of impact Esperanto has actually had to date and what the members of this forum think of the "international language".
There is a fundamental problem with this and any other artificial language such as Volapuk. Whatever major language you learn you do so in the certain knowledge that millions of people from the toddlers to centenarians and from illiterate paupers to presidents already speak it in a country and the signs and directions are in it too, to help travellers.. Somehow, getting off a 'plane or boat and having to find an esperanto speaker, rather than try to speak the natives' language for the few words I need does not have a lot of appeal, however easily I may've learnt 'Cu vi parolas esperanton ?'( meaning 'do you speak esperanto ?' if I remember it aright after nearly 50 years. See, it seems memorable at least !) And no, I've not yet found anyone to practise even those few words on !
Thanks for the input Jenny and Fred. I guess even a million people speaking it would still be only one in every 6300 people in the world. Other than the teacher who first told me about Esperanto I have never met anyone who even mentioned it, much less spoke it.
