Posts from October 2009

Articles on Teaching

Posted by Transparent Language No Comments
Oct 31 2009

Do you speak Esperanto, but have some qualms about teaching it in schools? No? Well, I figured. Esperantists recognize the potential benefits of teaching Esperanto, but some people are a bit skeptical about the whole thing. I suppose I can understand the initial reluctance. Language is a deeply personal matter, and closely tied to one’s cultural identity. (Nevermind that the United States does not yet have an official national language!)

If, however, you’re a proponent of Esperanto teaching, I have a few links that you might find interesting. The first is an opinion paper from the Education Resources Information Center. It argues for all the usual benefits, but makes for a good brush-up. You can also find its PDF version, though the site links to it, as well. Secondly, Esperanto USA has yet another great blog entry that argues for the current US administration to take another look at Esperanto. Lastly, a movement on Change.org pushes for the teaching of Esperanto in public schools.

Educate yourself, and educate others! Gxis!

More Recent/Obscure Esperanto Cinema

Posted by Transparent Language 4 Comments
Oct 30 2009

I’d wager that most Esperantists know of Inkubo. Unfortunately, other Esperanto films don’t as readily come to mind. In my search for Esperanto films, I’ve come across a more recent short film that looks like it could be interesting: Ne Plu Pikniko.

Given that its title translates to “No More Picnic,” I’m not inclined to think it’s a particularly upbeat movie. It follows the “adventures” of a woman who plunges chaotically through a corporate nightmare, encountering all sorts of soul-breaking revelations and mind-wrenching thought processes. It’s been labeled an “art film,” so I wouldn’t recommend it for casual viewing. However, if you want a film to provoke your thoughts, or to add another curiosity to your DVD collection, Ne Plu Pikniko may well be worth a look.

You can buy the film here, or read a press release for it here.

Translation Tool – Traduku

Posted by Transparent Language 5 Comments
Oct 28 2009

Since I’m usually averse to Internet translations, I’ve been somewhat reluctant to mention a tool called Traduku. If you’ve ever had experience with Babelfish, it functions much like the (in)famous web translator. Insert some text, or a URL, into the appropriate field, click a button for the desired language, and check the results. The page where it translates for you has a neat feature where you can run your mouse over the given text for a list of synonyms or other possible translations.

After playing with a few sentences, I’m not entirely disappointed with Traduku. Like all translation tools, however, I strongly caution you to proofread what it gives you…Who knows what its algorithm might be giving you! Here are a few sample translations of sentences I tried, so you can judge for yourself. Of course, a firsthand check might be the best course of action!

“I doubt that this works.” – “Mi dubas ke ĉi tiu labor.” (Probably should be “laboras,” or “laborus.”)
“Do you mind if I test?” – “Ĉu vi permes-as, ke mi ..u testas?” (Interesting hyphenation there.)
“Splendid.” – “Grandioza.” (One-word translations seem more reliable.)

Looking for a read?

Posted by Transparent Language 4 Comments
Oct 27 2009

Esperanto strikes me as an inherently literary language. I find that I learn the most about it by reading. Of course, I am a student of literature, so forgive me if this clouds my judgment! In any case, since your local library probably lacks solid Esperanto reads, you might need to drop a few dolaroj in order to procure yourself a book. Once again, the Internet comes to our aid!

I’ve had the most luck with Amazon.com in my online shopping experiences. Since they purvey goods from all over the world, the website is a good repository for Esperanto books, especially since you can buy them used. I recommend searching for “Esperanto books” in the little search bar at the top. However, if you’re feeling less adventurous, two conscientious users have assembled lists of worthwhile books. One is by someone named akompano. While I haven’t heard of him or her, that person has heard of Halldor Laxness, so I’m a fan! The other list is compiled by the talented Tim Westover, author of the short story collection Marvirinstrato. The man knows his stuff.

Bonan sxancon, and happy reading!

An Internet Curiosity…

Posted by Transparent Language No Comments
Oct 26 2009

In hopes of procuring some good Halloween reading for the lot of you, I went on a search for an Esperanto copy of Bram Stoker’s Dracula online. I wasn’t successful…Perhaps a translation of the classic Victorian horror is order? However, I did stumble across a curious Esperanto document that nobody would have expected to appear on Project Gutenberg – U.S. President Barack Obama’s inaugural address!

I remember witnessing the speech on television, and admiring its message and presentation. From what I can tell, the Esperanto translation has tried to preserve the mood of the speech. It also reads like a transcript, and so it indicates via stage directions where there were breaks for audience applause. Give it a read – if only to know that people are still actively translating into Esperanto for the present day!

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