Re: Settling an Argument - Assembly *IS* a Language, Right?


Christopher Culver wrote:
"Raymond S. Wise" <mplsray@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
But the main point of an Esperanto convention is to speak Esperanto.

The main point of an Esperanto convention should be cultural exchange
(which mainly involves language exchange), with Esperanto as a handy
backup language in case two people can't otherwise
communicate. Instead, conventions unfortunately really exist just so
people can treat Zamenhof's creation as an onject of worship, superior
to all else.


By what reasoning should "[t]he main point of an Esperanto
convention...be cultural exchange (which mainly involves language
exchange), with Esperanto as a handy backup language"? The point of
Esperanto conventions is to encourage the use of Esperanto.

Think about it: If you had Esperanto conventions where most people
spoke in national languages most of the time, then you would find
critics criticizing Esperantists on *that* score!



In some cases, as in mine at that time, the convention (or other,
regional conventions) is the only opportunity an Esperantist gets to
speak the language. I was not until years later that an Esperanto
conversation group started here in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro
area... You get better at French by speaking it. You get better at
Esperanto by speaking it.

Yet even once Esperantists master Esperanto, they don't begin to
reserve it as a last resort and start practising national
languages. For example, there were Esperantists I knew for many years,
who used Esperanto in everyday life, who went to all the congresses,
who worked in the CO of UEA. After all that, we certainly had no need
to practise Esperanto together, as we spoke it fluently. At that point
we should have begun to exchange national languages, and I certainly
wanted to do that. However, I was told again and again that, if I was
among people who knew Esperanto, we should speak *only* Esperanto.

The movement is a cult, simple as that.


I could say "Linguistics is a cult, simple as that," and make as much
sense as that statement of yours. I would have the advantage of not
believing the nonsense I had just stated, however.


--
Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA

E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com

.

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