Spanish

The questions.

PRELIMINARY NOTICE.- Some of the readers of this FAQ have complained they have seen an arrogant tendency in some of the explanations which are given. Of course, this was not intended nor conscious on my part, when I was writing the document, and I am really sorry the rotundity of some of the sentences I have used have given such an impression. Though I have tried to keep this text as simple as possible so that it is understood easily -and in this way I would be most grateful for any constructive criticism which helps improve the style-, it is possible that I was not aware of any unconscious trend from my being esperantist for over twenty years, and also an English teacher for the same amount of time...

However, what should be done is analyze whether my arguments stick or not, and why, rather than the slant they were said or understood.

SOME FREQUENT QUESTIONS AND OBJECTIONS ON ESPERANTO

by Jesuo de las Heras, Murcia, 1995

  1. What is Esperanto?
  2. If Esperanto is so marvelous, why hasn't it been adopted all over the world?
  3. Esperanto is null!
  4. Esperanto is a West Europe language, as well as English. Are they not equally difficult for a national of an Eastern country?
  5. Esperanto is an artificial language.
  6. A language has to be natural to be able to work well. That is to say, it has to have come about in a given country with a given culture.
  7. Esperanto is a funny little code with no ambition, which is OK as a children's game, but which is unable to support a true and vast literature, such as the English or Spanish ones, for example.
  8. Esperanto is a language which does not evolve.
  9. If Esperanto evolves, different dialects will be formed, and so after a few years there will be several different languages and the linguistic barrier will stand up again.
  10. Esperanto is a language with no culture.
  11. Nobody speaks Esperanto. It is a failure.
  12. Esperanto is a utopia.
  13. Where can I learn Esperanto?
  14. Esperantist sounds much the same as adventist or spiritualist..., is Esperanto a sect?
  15. Who are the esperantists? What are they?
  16. Do you think Esperanto will be inforced all over the world?
  17. Who are the enemies of Esperanto?
  18. If the enemies of Esperanto are so powerful and have made things so difficult for it, why should we be worried about a a language which will never be adopted all over the world?
  19. I would learn it, but since plain people do not speak it, what good will that be?
  20. If everybody disapproves the idea of Esperanto, they must be right...
  21. Why are most esperantists veterans?
  22. How many people can speak Esperanto all over the world?
  23. English is the XXth century Latin. Esperanto is not needed at all.
  24. Circumflexed signs (^) are an unnecessary difficulty which is specially noticed when using the modern communication means, such as the Internet.
  25. The sounds of H and ¦ are difficult to pronounce, as well as the groups sc and nkc.
  26. You are right in everything you say, and Esperanto should be implemented all over the planet. Unfortunately, there are too many interests and we who think like this can do nothing to change crude reality: English is being inforced and there is nothing we can do.
  27. I am English and whenever I go abroad I find that airport and hotel English you are referring to is more than enough. Why should I learn Esperanto?
  28. Esperanto is but a mixture of words from different languages.
  29. You say that Esperanto has no dialects, but I have heard the way it is spoken by a Frenchman, an Englishman and a Spaniard, and they did not speak it in the same way.
  30. Esperanto? Do you mean that thing nobody speaks because it is not interesting?
  31. Esperanto is a language with no soul.
  32. It is impossible that English stops being the world language.
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Questions... ~ Esperanto Spain ~ Fernando Sor ~ Yepes