Comments on: Should We Teach American Children Esperanto? http://foreignlanguagefun.com/2009/01/should-we-teach-american-children-esperanto/ Where Language Learning is Child's Play Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:58:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dustin http://foreignlanguagefun.com/2009/01/should-we-teach-american-children-esperanto/comment-page-1/#comment-2826 Dustin Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:57:47 +0000 http://foreignlanguagefun.com/?p=2679#comment-2826 Esperanto helps you learn other languages, and it only takes a little kid two years to become fluent, as if it was one of their first languages. Compare that to Spanish, where it takes six to seven years for a little kid to become fluent. And while Spanish is helpful in learning some other languages, the fact is that it isn't really going to be that big of a plus when learning non-romance languages. The same with most other languages. Esperanto, on the other hand, has been shown to increase a person's ability to learn other languages. So when teaching it to a little kid, they will probably do better with a foreign language than someone who was *not* introduced to Esperanto at an early age. There are children who learned Esperanto as their first language, and went on to become what we can call 'hyperpolyglots'. That is, they have learned around thirty languages fluently. And considering there are more native Esperantists who became hyperpolyglots than not, it can't just be a coincidence. Esperanto helps you learn other languages, and it only takes a little kid two years to become fluent, as if it was one of their first languages. Compare that to Spanish, where it takes six to seven years for a little kid to become fluent. And while Spanish is helpful in learning some other languages, the fact is that it isn’t really going to be that big of a plus when learning non-romance languages. The same with most other languages.

Esperanto, on the other hand, has been shown to increase a person’s ability to learn other languages. So when teaching it to a little kid, they will probably do better with a foreign language than someone who was *not* introduced to Esperanto at an early age. There are children who learned Esperanto as their first language, and went on to become what we can call ‘hyperpolyglots’. That is, they have learned around thirty languages fluently. And considering there are more native Esperantists who became hyperpolyglots than not, it can’t just be a coincidence.

]]> By: Leon http://foreignlanguagefun.com/2009/01/should-we-teach-american-children-esperanto/comment-page-1/#comment-2684 Leon Fri, 13 May 2011 21:53:17 +0000 http://foreignlanguagefun.com/?p=2679#comment-2684 It's interesting that in Briton, all the children learn a foreign language for about 4 years, but most of the adults in Briton only speak English. Most of the ones that do speak a foreign language do so because the have some kind of practical investment in the country/culture. For me, learning a foreign language in school was a hard chore that I was glad to be free of when my secondary school finished and I had the freedom to choose my own educational path. After the 4 years I had a very bad knowledge of French, and no interest in the country or culture. My education had put me off languages for good. If I would had learned Esperanto however, it may have given me a confidence and advantage to pursue other languages of personal interest. It’s interesting that in Briton, all the children learn a foreign language for about 4 years, but most of the adults in Briton only speak English. Most of the ones that do speak a foreign language do so because the have some kind of practical investment in the country/culture.
For me, learning a foreign language in school was a hard chore that I was glad to be free of when my secondary school finished and I had the freedom to choose my own educational path. After the 4 years I had a very bad knowledge of French, and no interest in the country or culture. My education had put me off languages for good.
If I would had learned Esperanto however, it may have given me a confidence and advantage to pursue other languages of personal interest.

]]> By: Hookdump http://foreignlanguagefun.com/2009/01/should-we-teach-american-children-esperanto/comment-page-1/#comment-2053 Hookdump Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:04:13 +0000 http://foreignlanguagefun.com/?p=2679#comment-2053 I think you are missing the point of learning Esperanto. Teaching Esperanto is the only way to teach languages without endorsing any language over another. Because it is kind of a mix of lots of languages, and it's not attached to a specific culture or country. That's why it can really be called a "universal language". I think Esperanto is an special and exceptional language, and it should be thaught everywhere. Simply because what I've just exposed, and because it's easy to learn. Also, knowing Esperanto makes it easier to learn new languages in the future. So, it's not endorsing one language over another. It's provinding children a powerful tool for learning new languages, without endorsing one country/culture over another. I think you are missing the point of learning Esperanto.

Teaching Esperanto is the only way to teach languages without endorsing any language over another. Because it is kind of a mix of lots of languages, and it’s not attached to a specific culture or country. That’s why it can really be called a “universal language”.

I think Esperanto is an special and exceptional language, and it should be thaught everywhere. Simply because what I’ve just exposed, and because it’s easy to learn. Also, knowing Esperanto makes it easier to learn new languages in the future.

So, it’s not endorsing one language over another. It’s provinding children a powerful tool for learning new languages, without endorsing one country/culture over another.

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