February 01, 2006
So what happened to Esperanto??
The following is my answer to a question on our Japanese site:
Esperanto was a good idea when it was created in 1887 at the height of European influence. It never really caught on, though, for several reasons;
(i) It's cultural base was very limited.
One thing that makes studying a foreign language enjoyable is learning about the culture of the country where it is used. When stydying the Japanese language, for example, I doubt that I could have continued for long without Japanese food, onsen, matsuri, origami, etc. as added motivation. Without a clear interest in a language's culture it is very difficult to maintain the commitment required for learning it.
(ii) English has become the defacto language for international communication.
During the last 60 years the United States has had a strong influence on world affairs (as have had other countries through out world history) but during this time communication between peoples has become extremely widespread. Esperanto was taking root among the elite or highly educated but was quickly overtaken by English. The American connection was a driving force among the masses the world over. Whether it be the "American Dream" or desire to do business with the US English has naturally become the language of choice for most.
(iii) Do not forget the Chinese.
"China is a sleeping giant. When she wakes up we should be prepared!" - Napoleon
As momentum is quickly turning towards Asia more and more people are compelled to learn Chinese. Even though it may be possible to communicate in English (many Chinese want to learn from Uncle Sam) it is always nice to understand what others around us are saying. And, for added motivation there is always Chinese food! :-)
Esperanto was a good idea when it was created in 1887 at the height of European influence. It never really caught on, though, for several reasons;
(i) It's cultural base was very limited.
One thing that makes studying a foreign language enjoyable is learning about the culture of the country where it is used. When stydying the Japanese language, for example, I doubt that I could have continued for long without Japanese food, onsen, matsuri, origami, etc. as added motivation. Without a clear interest in a language's culture it is very difficult to maintain the commitment required for learning it.
(ii) English has become the defacto language for international communication.
During the last 60 years the United States has had a strong influence on world affairs (as have had other countries through out world history) but during this time communication between peoples has become extremely widespread. Esperanto was taking root among the elite or highly educated but was quickly overtaken by English. The American connection was a driving force among the masses the world over. Whether it be the "American Dream" or desire to do business with the US English has naturally become the language of choice for most.
(iii) Do not forget the Chinese.
"China is a sleeping giant. When she wakes up we should be prepared!" - Napoleon
As momentum is quickly turning towards Asia more and more people are compelled to learn Chinese. Even though it may be possible to communicate in English (many Chinese want to learn from Uncle Sam) it is always nice to understand what others around us are saying. And, for added motivation there is always Chinese food! :-)
