erinja:

bartlett22183:Whether there is an E-o group in my area for spoken practice I don't know

It seems from your profile that you live in NoVA, is that right? There is a DC group that used to meet monthly, now perhaps somewhat less than monthly, in a cafe on Capitol Hill. There is an annual Zamenhof banquet that many more people come to, with everyone (including me) who never shows up at the cafe meetings.

Yes, I do live near Washington. However, some years ago I made brief mail contact with the local group (I don't even remember what they are called), and the newsletter I got back was more in English than in E-o. Also, almost forty years ago I attended a few meetings of an E-o society in another part of the US. Most of the people there could put together a simple Esperanto sentence at the rate of about one word a second. So maybe I had poor experiences with local groups.

sudanglo:eternal beginners who will never speak Esperanto.

The word kabei was coined for these so-called "eternaj komencantoj." I believe many true Esperantists have at some point come across these bright-eyed, bushy-tailed disciples of the international language who seem so enamored with it yet drop all their studies a few months, weeks, or even days later.

Kraughne: ...these bright-eyed, bushy-tailed disciples of the international language who seem so enamored with it yet drop all their studies a few months, weeks, or even days later.

It's because they hear (out of context) that it's easy. No language is inherently "easy", just easy relative to other languages. Esperanto, despite its relative ease, is still difficult to learn.

Plus it's kind of a killjoy when you find out that the language actually does have some irregularity- that's why I never really continued with it.

razlem:It's because they hear (out of context) that it's easy. No language is inherently "easy", just easy relative to other languages. Esperanto, despite its relative ease, is still difficult to learn.

Plus it's kind of a killjoy when you find out that the language actually does have some irregularity- that's why I never really continued with it.

Hmm...we should start directing all these crazy kids to Ido instead. I'd like to see where they'd go with that.

Kraughne:

razlem:It's because they hear (out of context) that it's easy. No language is inherently "easy", just easy relative to other languages. Esperanto, despite its relative ease, is still difficult to learn.

Plus it's kind of a killjoy when you find out that the language actually does have some irregularity- that's why I never really continued with it.

Hmm...we should start directing all these crazy kids to Ido instead. I'd like to see where they'd go with that.

Blegh- even worse XD

razlem:

Kraughne: ...these bright-eyed, bushy-tailed disciples of the international language who seem so enamored with it yet drop all their studies a few months, weeks, or even days later.

It's because they hear (out of context) that it's easy. No language is inherently "easy", just easy relative to other languages. Esperanto, despite its relative ease, is still difficult to learn.

I agree, it's not as easy as one might gather when first hearing about it, but I don't think that's the main reason people quit. The main source of motivation (not the only!) for any human endeavour is self-interest. The ideology of EO is very attractive to many people, in fact I think it's more attractive than the ease of learning. But in terms of satisfying self-interest, EOs treasures are a little bit smaller and harder to uncover.

bartlett22183: the newsletter I got back was more in English than in E-o. Also, almost forty years ago I attended a few meetings of an E-o society in another part of the US. Most of the people there could put together a simple Esperanto sentence at the rate of about one word a second. So maybe I had poor experiences with local groups.

Good thing for you that the newsletter of the local group hasn't been published for years!

The main problem is that the experienced speakers often don't bother showing up at the meetings. The exception to this rule is Boston, which (as of a few years ago, when I last lived there) had a core group of experienced speakers who all regularly showed up at the monthly meetings.

The DC area does have some very talented speakers but usually you will only find them at the Zamenhof banquet, unless you make a point of meeting up with them individually.

The cafe meeting is beginner-heavy -- a prime reason, but not the only reason, why I stopped going, sorry to say. I do my part for beginners here at lernu.

razlem:

Kraughne:Hmm...we should start directing all these crazy kids to Ido instead. I'd like to see where they'd go with that.

Blegh- even worse XD

Probably to Interlingua, that's where my interest in Ido lead me. EO's good, Interlingua's good, but Ido sits awkwardly in the middle between schematicism and naturalism. I believe the same can be said for EO too, so maybe some who aren't put off the idea of conlangs altogether dabble into things like Lojban.

ceigered: so maybe some who aren't put off the idea of conlangs altogether dabble into things like Lojban.

Or create their own languages altogether

razlem:

ceigered: so maybe some who aren't put off the idea of conlangs altogether dabble into things like Lojban.

Or create their own languages altogether

I wonder who might have tried that... *hides in a large octagonal box covered with alfoil* (quick razlem, enskatoliĝu! The thought-police will never find us!)