appleeclipse:I feel at a standstill with Esperanto..

In my view, if you keep going steadily you will get through this "plateau", and become aware of a greater ability to follow the spoken language than you had perhaps a year or two previously, as well as increased confidence in using the language.

I feel at a standstill with Esperanto so I'm curious as to what people think, and what people want to progress to next within the language, or another language.

What is your level of Esperanto? I felt like I was on a plateau before, but then Duolingo came along and it is enough to keep me entertained. I usually spend about 20 minutes a day on it.

Are you looking for ideas on how to improve your Esperanto level or are you looking for ideas on how Esperanto can be used practically in your life?

Maybe, you just need a challenge. If you can tell us what your level is then we could suggest a project that is more challenging for you.

Right now I'm pretty basic. On paper I understand the grammar rules I've learned so far (accusative, past, present and future tense) but I tend to forget to use the accusative when writing. Vocabulary is what's holding me back. I'll learn a word and then when it's time to use it I forget it, especially the question words. I feel like knowing question words is very important when learning a language.

I'm using a combination of Duolingo and Lernu to learn, and also writing with a person in Esperanto, though having to google most things continues to frustrate me. I sort of understand how to learn a language, after three years of classroom Spanish I spent a semester in Argentina and got my speaking to a pretty good level (though far from perfect), so I guess starting from scratch and feeling dumb makes me doubly frustrated.

appleeclipse:Right now I'm pretty basic... so I guess starting from scratch and feeling dumb makes me doubly frustrated.

Don't get frustrated. It isn't about how hard you work. It is about the time you put in. Just my opinion.

I would say that you should keep doing Duolingo and chatting with people.

Also, it might be good to check out some Esperanto youtubers because listening is more relaxing and interesting. There is a youtube channel called Parolu where you can answer his questions in video form.

appleeclipse:Right now I'm pretty basic. On paper I understand the grammar rules I've learned so far (accusative, past, present and future tense) but I tend to forget to use the accusative when writing. Vocabulary is what's holding me back. I'll learn a word and then when it's time to use it I forget it, especially the question words. I feel like knowing question words is very important when learning a language.

Reading will help a lot with vocabulary. Not just Duolingo, but real texts, novels or short stories or poetry.

Is there an Esperanto association nearby that you can connect with?

Alkanadi:Is there an Esperanto association nearby that you can connect with?

I'm not sure if there is. I'll be moving to the city in August so I'll probably try and find one there.

appleeclipse:

Alkanadi:Is there an Esperanto association nearby that you can connect with?

I'm not sure if there is. I'll be moving to the city in August so I'll probably try and find one there.

Which city are you moving to? Unfortunately, most US cities do not have an organized Esperanto association, but larger cities usually have at least a couple of active speakers who are happy to meet up with you, or else informal events going on occasionally, which you can hear about if you find the right contacts or find the right e-mail list. For example, I'm in DC. We have an association which is inactive and if you Google it, you'll find nothing but a broken and outdated website. It looks totally dead, and the main organization kind of is. But there are a number of people who plan a monthly meetup (not in conjunction with the association), so there are things going on, if you know who to ask and where to look.

erinja:

appleeclipse:

Alkanadi:Is there an Esperanto association nearby that you can connect with?

I'm not sure if there is. I'll be moving to the city in August so I'll probably try and find one there.

Which city are you moving to? Unfortunately, most US cities do not have an organized Esperanto association, but larger cities usually have at least a couple of active speakers who are happy to meet up with you, or else informal events going on occasionally, which you can hear about if you find the right contacts or find the right e-mail list. For example, I'm in DC. We have an association which is inactive and if you Google it, you'll find nothing but a broken and outdated website. It looks totally dead, and the main organization kind of is. But there are a number of people who plan a monthly meetup (not in conjunction with the association), so there are things going on, if you know who to ask and where to look.

I'll be heading to Philadelphia, which is reasonably sized. I'll find someone there, I'm sure.

appleeclipse:I'll be heading to Philadelphia, which is reasonably sized. I'll find someone there, I'm sure.

I guess you could start by contacting Chris B:
http://www.pasportaservo.org/esplori/?q=Philadelph...

Also, there is a meetup group:
http://www.meetup.com/Esperanto-Philadelphia/

Finally, there is a club:
https://www.esperanto-usa.org/?q=node/446#pa

appleeclipse:I'll be heading to Philadelphia, which is reasonably sized. I'll find someone there, I'm sure.

You should contact Todd Moody, a nice guy and a local university professor in Philadelphia. Username T0dd at lernu (T zero d d)

Do a search of the lernu database for users with at least "low" activity level, who indicated they live in Philadelphis or Filadelfio.

I haven't personally had tremendous luck with the Pasporta Servo route. Several of the hosts listed for my city are not involved in anything at all, which I found when I messaged just to introduce myself and say hello.