Briefly on Esperanto

Worldwide Number of Esperanto Users

It’s hard to say even approximately how many people use Esperanto. Universal Esperanto Association speaks of about 2 million. This doesn’t, though, reflect vast number of speakers not related at all to Universal Esperanto Association group of organizations. Sources, like, Baha’i Faith, having as one of its religious principles the support for idea of the mutual for all humankind international language, speaks of 10 to 15 million Esperanto users worldwide. Baha’is’ use mainly English – besides, Farsi (Iranian), and Arabic. Although, Esperanto is very popular with Baha’is and they teach it, too. Claim by Baha’is seems to be proven true by present “Esperanto”s strong presence at Internet, where Esperanto is one of the most popular languages. Just type “Esperanto” in any browser to see nearly two million results, and this keeps growing fast. Other sources claim even more Esperanto users since the time of rapid worldwide spread and vast use of the digital Multimedia and Internet Technologies.

At present. One of the most popular Polish newspapers “Dziennik Powszechny” planes to issue, within some 6 month time, CD with Multimedia course in Esperanto, together with some other materials in this language, in one of its 400 000 per day daily issues as part of preparation to July 2009 Universal Esperanto Congress in Bjalystok – Poland the city of birth of an author of Esperanto.

Some truth must be in it if so popular browsers like, Mozilla Firefox, the most serious competitor to Internet Explorer, decided on adopting Esperanto in answer to intensive and expansive use of Internet by Esperanto users. Why such wide discrepancies of the data, then?

Very likely this happens as many people acquire Esperanto self-learning it, mainly by Internet. They tend to use it also directly with other similar users of this language, by-passing any organizations which could know of them. This is caused in great extend by the easiness and neutrality of this language empowering studying it person to master it fast by self-study. Esperanto is cheap, often entirely free to learn. The same conditions apply in further spread and teaching. Similar to Esperanto, motivations, conditions and easiness of study are unknown in relation to any of the languages internationalised by political and economic colonisation, or outright conquering and colonisation of other lands and parts of the world.

Easy to Learn and Teach Others

What’s needed in Esperanto is the motivation and determination, since an Internet sites like: Curso de Esperanto (Course of Esperanto) from Brazil and other, offer very easy to follow and great to use multimedia software; songs films and programs for Esperanto study, all for free.

All this is downloadable, genuinely free, as in payless, in some 34 languages till now. All comes also in the package with initial contacts. Other great for beginners sites like: Edukadot and Lernu, offer online courses and information in and on Esperanto. There are several youth sites: forums, chat-rooms, growing number of social sites, portals, like GXangalo etc. Some of the presented here are just few examples of the growing number of similar sides, portals and services. And one ought to know, too. All I present here represents only small fraction of the fraction of what happens in this greatly diversified, rich, genuinely neutral federative worldwide movement.

Similar spread is rarely met, especially in case of so highly complex language like English. Contrary, Esperanto is being learned very often that way, in comparably very short time and with great success all over the world.

Largest Esperanto organization is at present, Universal Esperanto Association. There are also several other separate organizations. For example: International Catholic Union of Esperantists” (Internacia Katolika Unuiĝo Esperantista) , or the Protestant Christianity like: Kristana Esperanto Ligo Internacia International Christian Esperanto League, or even such as radical leftist political workers party: “World Anationalist Association” (Sennacia Asocio Tutmonda), further info in English on Anationalism, Although the last one’s not overly popular with Esperantists, it is separate from Esperantism radical political leftist worker movement. Despite small in numbers it is, though, quite active.

Presently, one of the newest, still in process of organizing is other rising entity of the independent federative Esperanto users’ movement: “Universal Federation” (Universala Federacio). There are present numerous faith based organizations, environmental groups, scientific organizations, well known universities and other academic and educational, institutions, religions, political parties, etc.