Al la enhavo
Respondi

Publicizing Esperanto

de jsewell94, 2009-septembro-15

Mesaĝoj: 11

Lingvo: English

jsewell94 (Montri la profilon) 2009-septembro-15 03:47:38

We all know that Esperanto is an all around great language. It supports a good cause, and has been very effective for those who have found out about it. As you all probably know, there is still one major problem with Esperanto...

No one knows about it! Well, 2 million people do but that's such a tiny amount of people when you look at the big picture. If more people could hear about Esperanto, and the wonderful cause that it supports, many more people would learn it (obviously). And the more people that speak it, the more motivated others will be to learn it..

So how can we publicize Esperanto? How can we get the word out and let more people know about it? Ideas?

I have thought about making a website, personally...

Tidalias (Montri la profilon) 2009-septembro-15 04:48:15

A thought I've had many times as well. Perhaps E@I (the proprietors of Lernu) could save enough funds to take out a few billboards in well-populated areas around the world. Or any other major EO-endorsing organization could do the same. Billboards aren't super cheap, though, and I doubt the dues from Esperantist members could add up to much more than enough to keep most of the organizations alive, but I may be wrong as I'm not very familiar with the inner workings and possible grants received by any of them. I'm sure it's a question any in the position to do so have contemplated, however.

But that doesn't mean we can't do our part the spread the word on a basic level. Like you're saying, even a simple website with some kind of draw to it can be yet another web search hit for Esperanto to prove its widespread usage and get potential new speakers interested. I personally think making more sites available in Esperanto that aren't sites dedicated -to- Esperanto would also help considerably in boosting its credibility in the eyes of anyone curiously searching about it.

I'm interested in hearing anyone else's ideas short of tattooing green stars on our foreheads. ridulo.gif

ceigered (Montri la profilon) 2009-septembro-15 05:16:10

jsewell94:I have thought about making a website, personally...
Well, what do you think you're on? lango.gif But I'm not disagreeing with you ridulo.gif

Another problem EO could face is 'competition' with English and Chinese, considering the two languages together about a quarter (~1.5 billion out of 6 billion) of the world population by native speakers and a third (or maybe even half) the world population by non-native speakers.

It's gonna be hard to publicise EO, which has at tops 20 million speakers (very kind estimate rido.gif) vs. two languages which could essentially form a trade-style pidgin with a reach of up to 3 billion speakers.

Of course, I'm predicting anything so radical would happen (if at all, I mean you've got to admit it would be pretty darn cool) in the latter part of the century which gives EO about 80 years , and considering its rate of growth anything could happen.

@ Tidalias:
Well, given the history of Esperanto vs. dictatorships in the 20th century, I would approach tattooing a virtual crosshair on people's heads with caution lango.gif. I think translating games, popular websites and government services to Esperanto would be good for promotional services though, and far less painful/permanent rido.gif

Tidalias (Montri la profilon) 2009-septembro-15 05:44:57

The major languages of the world are certainly a big competition for EO, but I suppose the point isn't so much to be a competitor as to be a bridge. Perhaps EO could even be marketed more effectively to those learning English or Chinese as a quick method of getting a handle on language learning, thereby forming a mutually beneficial partnership rather than an opposition. I suppose much of the limitation still lies in convincing people it has much utility, so getting practical websites and organizations out there that truly do afford services to many cultures at one location seems the best way to show its utility.

And yeah, the forehead tattoo doesn't seem quite the wisest direction to go. okulumo.gif Though I do wonder if there are any Esperantists out there with ordinarily-placed EO tattoos. I should try to search some up sometime.

patrik (Montri la profilon) 2009-septembro-15 12:52:08

formiĉjo:I'm teaching my 1 1/2 year old daughter Eo. She's very social and outspoken so maybe she can be our mascot.. ridulo.gif
Why not post a video of her speaking Esperanto in YouTube, like this one: Bebo parolas en Esperanto? lango.gif rideto.gif

[Anyway, there are also videos of Africans speaking E-on, and even a report on the Beijing Olympics, again in E-o. Too bad that non-Esperantists would not care to notice.]

Rogir (Montri la profilon) 2009-septembro-16 10:18:14

I think we should just get a summer hit in Esperanto, like Dragostea din tei or the Ketchup song. They were very popular even though most people don't understand the words. Also, Esperanto does sound beautiful. I'm sure it will make many people interested.

russ (Montri la profilon) 2009-septembro-16 16:09:40

The best thing beginners can do to help popularize Esperanto is simply to improve their own Esperanto. Become fluent, use the language, form friendships with people who don't share your native language, read literature, travel, blog in Esperanto, etc, and talk about it with non-Esperantists you know.

Personal contact with an Esperantist friend who actually knows Esperanto and has clear personal concrete benefits from it is far more interesting and convincing to someone than advertisements, pop songs, abstract slogans, websites, etc, or propaganda about "how easy and useful it is to learn Esperanto" spoken people who haven't actually learned it very well and don't do much with it.

Although it is great that you are interested in getting more people interested in the language, I have to say that if you're asking this question in the English forum, your Esperanto time and energy are probably better spent improving your own Esperanto than trying to create a website to convince other people to learn Esperanto. Otherwise in a sense it's like someone who's still learning the rules of chess trying to convince others to play chess. ridulo.gif

Also read "Esperanto sen mitoj" by Ziko Sikosek, an excellent book about informing people about Esperanto and avoiding many common traps. There are many lessons learned and wheels to avoid reinventing.

ceigered (Montri la profilon) 2009-septembro-16 17:26:08

How 'bout if we reverse engineer the wheels? lango.gif

(see comment above)

Tidalias (Montri la profilon) 2009-septembro-16 18:47:36

I agree with that being a fine basis for popularizing Esperanto, but I wouldn't say anyone who posts on the English forum is to be looked down on as obviously not proficient enough in Esperanto to feel just as comfortable communicating in it. Sometimes it's just faster and more natural to communicate yourself without worrying about anything being lost in translation. That said, I'm hardly claiming to be proficient enough. lango.gif

qwertz (Montri la profilon) 2009-septembro-20 11:21:43

russ:
Personal contact with an Esperantist friend who actually knows Esperanto and has clear personal concrete benefits from it is far more interesting and convincing to someone than advertisements, pop songs, abstract slogans, websites, etc, or propaganda about "how easy and useful it is to learn Esperanto" spoken people who haven't actually learned it very well and don't do much with it.
There excists some german subtitled esperanto karaokeo songs which are used to motivate esperanto beginner to dive into esperanto or just to get a glue how esperanto sounds and looks like. So in my opinion esperanto (karaokeo) music is very well suited to spread esperanto. And to put some new ideas into the esperantujo.

Dolchamar: La Fariseo | eo-de

LPG: Sub forte piano en Kiev' | eo-de

LPG: Amokanto | eo-de

I will try to promote translation into polish, too. There are some polish culture institutions onsite here. In result we would get a tree lingvojn Esperanto karaokeo well suited for presentation in Germany/Austria and Poland. With the bridge language esperanto in the middle.

Gbx,

Reen al la supro