Aportes: 13
Idioma: English
RiotNrrd (Mostrar perfil) 24 de junio de 2011 05:23:51
I think the stages of learning Esperanto are more or less, in order:
1: Basics (the 16 rules)
2: Reading
3: Writing
4: Speaking
I think the above list shows the general order of things from easy to hard. It's easier to read than it is to write (everything is provided for you, and you just have to make sense of it), and it's easier to write than it is to speak (because you can take your time).
Of course, these all overlap in practice. As well they should. But I think they suggest a structure to the question of where you want to place your attention depending on your skill level.
It makes sense (to me) that at first you should learn the basic rules and focus on reading. Once you can read well enough, then it's time to focus on writing. Once you can write well enough, then it's time to focus on speaking.
You just have to know when you have reached "well enough" with your current focus, and then have enough courage to change focus to the next level of difficulty.
When you are working in one area, you don't want to eschew the other areas - practice anything you can and whatever you want. But if you can't read very well, trying to write is going to be difficult, and if you can't write, speaking will be even harder.
This is, of course, just my opinion as someone not trained or employed in education, and who has never taught Esperanto to anyone other than himself. So take it with as much salt as that implies.
1: Basics (the 16 rules)
2: Reading
3: Writing
4: Speaking
I think the above list shows the general order of things from easy to hard. It's easier to read than it is to write (everything is provided for you, and you just have to make sense of it), and it's easier to write than it is to speak (because you can take your time).
Of course, these all overlap in practice. As well they should. But I think they suggest a structure to the question of where you want to place your attention depending on your skill level.
It makes sense (to me) that at first you should learn the basic rules and focus on reading. Once you can read well enough, then it's time to focus on writing. Once you can write well enough, then it's time to focus on speaking.
You just have to know when you have reached "well enough" with your current focus, and then have enough courage to change focus to the next level of difficulty.
When you are working in one area, you don't want to eschew the other areas - practice anything you can and whatever you want. But if you can't read very well, trying to write is going to be difficult, and if you can't write, speaking will be even harder.
This is, of course, just my opinion as someone not trained or employed in education, and who has never taught Esperanto to anyone other than himself. So take it with as much salt as that implies.
Polaris (Mostrar perfil) 24 de junio de 2011 05:43:06
The gap between familiarity with basic grammar and the skill to handle full-blown, idiomatic Esperanto on an adult-level is very wide, and many people become frustrated. I just read an article that said 9 out of 10 people who become interested in Esperanto drop out without ever making it across that gap.
Monolinguals are especially prone to this. Many bought into the idea of Esperanto being easy. Being unfamiliar with the nature of languages, they don't realize that, even with Esperanto, there is so much to learn. Compounding this problem is the fact that most Esperantists are self-taught--but what if one doesn't know how to proceed past the basics? All they know is that when they try to read any normal book or article, they don't get it. Not only do they not know many of the words, but they also have a hard time deciphering even words that look familiar. This is a real problem in our movement--one I hope more of us will address. We've done really well with initiating beginners--but getting from second grade to high school is the challenge.
There is a FANTASTIC new web resource just for people who want to advance, but who just can't handle higher-level language yet. It's called Facila Vento, and you can find it at www.facila.org. You've really got to see this to believe it. They give you a basic version of the more advanced things out there, then tell you where you can look at the original. It's colorful and engaging, and it is a great resource for initiating people into more advanced reading after they have learned the basics.
Beyond that, I really do recommend what others have said about "just jump into the deep end." Download a novel, read Esperanto news, listen to Radio Verda---all this is available for free on the Internet. Read blogs, practice writing--remember that this is a marathon--and the journey is the fun part!
Monolinguals are especially prone to this. Many bought into the idea of Esperanto being easy. Being unfamiliar with the nature of languages, they don't realize that, even with Esperanto, there is so much to learn. Compounding this problem is the fact that most Esperantists are self-taught--but what if one doesn't know how to proceed past the basics? All they know is that when they try to read any normal book or article, they don't get it. Not only do they not know many of the words, but they also have a hard time deciphering even words that look familiar. This is a real problem in our movement--one I hope more of us will address. We've done really well with initiating beginners--but getting from second grade to high school is the challenge.
There is a FANTASTIC new web resource just for people who want to advance, but who just can't handle higher-level language yet. It's called Facila Vento, and you can find it at www.facila.org. You've really got to see this to believe it. They give you a basic version of the more advanced things out there, then tell you where you can look at the original. It's colorful and engaging, and it is a great resource for initiating people into more advanced reading after they have learned the basics.
Beyond that, I really do recommend what others have said about "just jump into the deep end." Download a novel, read Esperanto news, listen to Radio Verda---all this is available for free on the Internet. Read blogs, practice writing--remember that this is a marathon--and the journey is the fun part!
henma (Mostrar perfil) 24 de junio de 2011 06:01:48
Polaris:Beyond that, I really do recommend what others have said about "just jump into the deep end." Download a novel, read Esperanto news, listen to Radio Verda---all this is available for free on the Internet. Read blogs, practice writing--remember that this is a marathon--and the journey is the fun part!Besides Radio Verda, I would recommend Varsovia Vento... It's not easy at the beginning, but you get to hear several different accents. The program is from Poland (yes, Warsaw) but they normally interview people from different parts of the world... I have heard French, German, Spanish people... people from Hungary, Sweden, and even Argentina and Iran.
It's really good to improve your comprehension and also, you get to learn a lot of words and good pronunciation.
I would also recommend you to check Krokoloko... That is not a great podcast in the sense of diversity or excellent Experanto... but it's an example of what we are talking about... Those are a small group of young people who learned the language in a summer camp (here in Chile, summer is from December to March... this camp happened in February). They decided to do something to practice, and started by small challenges, like writing about something real each week... and later they decided to start this podcast... they had only two months of learning when they started... and when a Hungarian Esperantist came to Chile, they interviewed her (and I have to say, the interview was really good, you can see it in their site).
Just my two cents... Hope you get to advance in your learning.
Amike,
Daniel.