3. What is Esperanto
Esperanto is a language initiated in a Polish town and published 120 years ago, on July 26, 1887. Due to the form in which it was initiated, it is the easiest language to learn, and not only for people that speak European languages.
There are enough people who speak Esperanto in China, Japan, Korea, and also in some countries of Africa. I am not mentioning countries that speak European languages, like, for example, Brazil. Esperanto is spoken in other 180 countries, but you will not find a lot of users in any one place. The way words are formed in Esperanto makes it very similar to the Chinese language...
One of the more informative pages exists in 62 languages (Select English):
How did Esperanto begin?
Esperanto was born in the mind of a child.
When did it start?
It was published in July 1887, but it already existed in its initiator's mind during at least 15 years..
How does Esperanto look like?
Even if Esperanto grammar is very simple, it is necessary to know some grammar to explain it. Certainly any language can be spoken without studying its grammar, or even know what the word "grammar" means ... as every 4-year-old child does in any language, including Esperanto.
A little bit about grammar:
Esperanto is based on roots, prefixes (word beginnings), suffixes (at the end of words), and endings. These units of meaning are invariable, without conjugations, and can be joined any way, as long as they result in something logical.
Its simple grammar, without exceptions, makes possible for the language to be learned in much less time than other languages, and at the same time, gives more flexibility and easiness of expression.
How Esperanto is used
Other ways to use Esperanto:
There are many organizations which, among other things, organize meetings. A world-wide meeting is made every year, every time in a different country. I participated in the meeting at Beijing, China, in July 2004, along with other 2030 people from 51 countries.
In 2006 about 2300 people met in Florence, Italy. In 2007 the World Convention was in Yokohama, Japan. You may participate in the 2008 Convention in Rotterdam, Netherlands, if you start to learn Esperanto now. There is sufficient time to learn it. The meeting is on the first week in August 2008.
In Europe, in some countries in Asia, in Brazil, more than 600 people get together at some meetings. In Europe there are four meetings for young people every year.
Speaking Esperanto from birth:
In some of those meetings young people met similar people from other countries. Some of them like each other and they marry. The only language they can use for communication is Esperanto. Therefore, the children learn Esperanto from birth along with the language of their parents, and later they learn the language of the place where they live. It is common to find young Esperantists that speak several languages from infancy.
I am creating a web page to learn Esperanto. Start listening to Esperanto from the beginning, even if you don't understand it, while you study the basic course. Listening to Esperanto (or any other language while studying it) accustoms the ear to the sound of Esperanto and accustoms the brain to the structure of Esperanto.
Even if this page is still under construction, you may use it. From that page you can listen or you can download the whole book "Gerda Malaperis" that later will be used as textbook for the intermediate level of Esperanto. In the beginning, I recommend to listen to the first chapters, many, many times, while studying the basic course.
Make sure that you finish a basic course. Afterward, you can always learn more Esperanto and learn more about Esperanto ... in Esperanto.
Links to other web pages:1. To learn Esperanto
2. The best way to study
3. What is Esperanto
4. Esperanto isn't that easy
Updated by Enrique, November 6 2007
3. What is