Website of Dmitrii Dotsenko

Defects of Esperanto

2012-03-02T05:56:00.000Z

The structure of Esperanto is much better than the structure of usual "national' languages. Nevertheless nothing is perfect and Esperanto also has some defects. You can ask, why not to eliminate them, why not to release a new version of Esperanto. The problem is that very many years ago it was decided at a big meeting of the main Esperantists that Esperanto has fundamental rules (Fundamento de Esperanto) which cannot be changed ever. If anyone wants to change a fundamental rule of Esperanto, he has to give to the resulting language a new name. It was done to protect Esperanto from too often and too radical changes and
to preserve the literature that had been written in Esperanto by that time.
But the defects of Esperanto have negatively influenced its spreading. Therefore there have been many attempts to create a better language. The problem of all those attempts has been absence of focus on eliminating defects of Esperanto. Instead creators invented something new, not related to elimination of defects of Esperanto. And often this new was not so good as the creators thought. Therefore their projects have become mixture of improvements and deteriorations. And the presence of deteriorations has been decisive for people not to transfer to a project.

Here are some of the defects of Esperanto:
- Article (la)
- Letters absent on standard keyboard
- Ambiguous difference between the letter "h" and the letter "hx"
- Presence of accusative case
- Adjectives, participles, ordinal numbers have number
- The pronoun "ci" is recommended not to be used though it is useful
- Pronunciation of the letter "ux" is similar to the pronunciation of the letter "v"
- It is difficult to know which words must be spelled with the 1st letter capital (proper names)
- Many full synonyms
- Many homonyms
- The rule that all nouns must have postfix "o" is sometimes broken (names of people, names of vowels, initialisms, nouns in poems)
- "gxi" cannot be applied to an individual even if his/her sex is unknown

If you know other defects of Esperanto or have ideas how to eliminate them, write a comment.

Google Translate now supports Esperanto

2012-02-24T07:35:00.001Z

Today, we are adding Esperanto to Google Translate, making it our 64th supported language.

Ludovic Lazarus Zamenhof started his quest for an easy-to-learn language shared by all people in the 1870s and first published the ideas in 1887 with his book Unua Libro. The concept of a common language spread quickly, and initial reactions to Esperanto have ranged from suppression to enthusiastic embrace. Now, 125 years later, Esperanto has hundreds of thousands of active speakers, millions of people with some knowledge of the language, and even a few hundred people who learned it from birth, taught by their parents.

Esperanto and Google Translate share the goal of helping people understand each other, this connection has been made even in this blog post. Therefore, we are very excited that we can now offer translation for this language as well.

The Google Translate team was actually surprised about the high quality of machine translation for Esperanto. As we know from many experiments, more training data (which in our case means more existing translations) tends to yield better translations. For Esperanto, the number of existing translations is comparatively small. German or Spanish, for example, have more than 100 times the data; other languages on which we focus our research efforts have similar amounts of data as Esperanto but don’t achieve comparable quality yet. Esperanto was constructed such that it is easy to learn for humans, and this seems to help automatic translation as well.

Although the system is still far from perfect, we hope that our latest addition helps you to learn more about Esperanto’s history and culture. Translation to and from Esperanto will soon be available on translate.google.com, in our mobile web app, and in the Google Translate app for Android and iOS.

Thorsten Brants, Research Scientist, Google Translate

http://googletranslate.blogspot.com/2012/02/tutmonda-helplingvo-por-ciuj-homoj.html

Hiriko CityCar - new concept of urban transport

2012-02-16T04:23:00.001Z

The CityCar or MIT CityCar is an urban all-electric concept car designed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab. The project was conceived by the late William J. Mitchell and his Smart Cities Research Group. It is now led by Kent Larson, Director of the Changing Places Research Group at the Media Lab. The project came into conception in 2003 under the support of General Motors and a team led by ]. The CityCar weighs less than 1,000 pounds (450 kg), is 60% the size of a Smart Car, and its lithium-ion battery pack is expected to deliver the equivalent of 150 to 200 mpg_-us (1.2 to 1.6 L/100 km; 180 to 240 mpg_-imp) with no tailpipe emissions.

Time Magazine selected the CityCar as one of the "Best Inventions of 2007." Hiriko, a Spanish consortium, is building prototypes for testing in Boston, Singapore, Taiwan and Florence by mid 2011, and commercialization is scheduled for late 2012.

Mobility on demand

The CityCar concept was developed as the cleanest, economical and sustainable solution to meet the demand for personal urban mobility in densely populated cities, and was designed for cities as opposed to the conventional automobile, which shaped the city layout and landscape during the 20th century. The main purpose of the car is to supplement public transportation systems, providing mobility for the first and last part of a trip, which means that ideal deployment would be in urban car sharing fleets located near public transport hubs. This operational scheme is called “Mobility on Demand” system. The CityCar could also be used for short trips in government and corporate urban fleets to provide services such as mail and commercial deliveries, police patrolling, etc.

Design concept

The CityCar concept was designed as an all-electric four-wheel ultra-small vehicle (USV) for two passengers, and drive-by-wire driver interface. Each wheel is independently digitally controlled, with its own wheel motor, which enables them to move in different direction and speed, and allows the wheels to rotate up to 360 degrees, giving the vehicle more precise maneuverability. This feature makes the CityCar suitable for urban conditions, as it can perform sideways motions for parallel parking, and O-turns instead of the conventional three-point turns.
This wheel arrangement allows entry and exit at four points around the vehicle's perimeter. The CityCar was designed for front entry, which is feasible because there is no engine in the way. Baggage and emergency entry and exit are at the rear, and there is no side entry and exit. This configuration allows nose-in parking to the curb, and passenger embarkation from the sidewalk rather than from the road, which allows the elimination of the need for side clearance between parked vehicles. It also simplifies the vehicle, which does not need to accommodate door openings.
The CityCar was designed with a collapsible frame through a four-bar linkage that enables the vehicle to fold up for more compact parking, making possible to stack three or four CityCars in the length of a traditional parking bay, a particularly efficient feature in crowded urban settings. Safety systems operate at multiple levels. The car's folding mechanism also provides space for crash-deceleration systems. Its electronic sensing and wireless communications contribute to reduce the likelihood of crashes. And if a crash occurs, the low mass and relatively low speed reduce the energy involved in a crash with a similar vehicle. Seat belts and airbags will still be needed.

Specifications

The CityCar will be driven with a joystick or optionally an electronic steering wheel. The prototype is 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) long and folds to 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) when parked, and weighs less than 1,000 pounds (450 kg). The top speed is 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph) and to which it can accelerate from rest in 3 seconds. The all-electric range is 120 kilometres (75 mi). The lithium-ion battery pack is located in the floor and can be recharged in 12 minutes. The electric car will be capable of climbing grades up to 20 percent.

Field testing

The 1st prototype was presented in January 2012. The first units to come out of the plant at Vitoria-Gasteiz will be homologated before July 2012 as a previous step towards industrial production and commercialization, which is foreseen for 2013. Several European and American cities will be the scenes for the initial trials in autumn 2012 of the first cars.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CityCar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiriko
www.hiriko.com

Censo de esperantistoj en Kirgizio

2012-01-25T06:54:00.000Z

Rezultoj de censo:
http://kwiksurveys.com/results-overview.php?surveyID=OBNEGJ_4954035a&mode=4
Censo:

Best survey websites

2012-01-20T04:57:00.003Z

Using survey websites you can conduct a survey asking questions and collecting answers on interested for you topics.
This post could also be called: online survey tools, poll services, survey services, online census, census tools.

1st place) www.kwiksurveys.com

Features:

General:
- Gratis (free)
- Help (online)

Creating survey:

- Your own questions
- Unlimited number of questions
- Unlimited number of surveys
- Unlimited number of responses
- No time restrictions

- Survey title
- Survey description
- Change order of questions
- Change name of a survey
- Any language support
- Customize the look of the survey
- Duplicate response protection
- Embed survey into your website
- All text, messages and buttons can be customized or translated
- Rename survey
- Fields can be mandatory
- Insert images
- Insert videos

Types of questions:
- Text box (enter free text)
- Multiple choice (single answer)
- Multiple choice (multiple answers possible)
- Drag and drop ranking (participant can drag items into a specific order)
- Star rating (rate a single or multiple items using stars)
- Matrix one answer per row (radio buttons) (a set or series of questions that share answer choices) (e.g. which of these languages do you speak and at what level)
- Matrix multiple answers per row (check boxes) (participant selects all answer choices that apply for each question in the matrix) (e.g. which of these languages you can speak and/or write)
- Ranking (rank each item with a different choice)
- One question can have several text boxes, each of them having its name

Results:
- Survey owner can receive by email notifications of new participants

- View answers of a specific individual

- Survey results can be public
- Link to survey results
- Participant can automatically be directed to survey results after he answered questions
- Any internet user can see answers of any specific participant
- It is possible for survey owner to view only participants with a specific answer (by creating filters)
- Survey owner can mark forms of specific users as seen
- Survey owner can change answers of participants
- Survey owner can delete specific participants
- Export results to XLS and CSV

Киргизстан теряет связь с внешним миром - перестаёт говорить по-русски

2012-01-09T11:18:00.001Z

Источник: http://www.paruskg.info/2012/01/09/55407

Для большинства образованных людей в Бишкеке, таких как эта тусующаяся в клубе молодежь, русский по-прежнему является главным языком общения. Но с притоком в Бишкек все большего и большего количества мигрантов из сельской местности и повсеместным падением уровня образования в регионе ситуация меняется. Данные переписи населения в Кыргызстане свидетельствует о катастрофическом упадке русского языка в Центральной Азии. Согласно данным последней переписи населения от 2009 года, русским языком как родным владеют 9 процентов населения в возрасте старше 18 лет, а 50 процентов населения страны той же возрастной категории назвали русский своим вторым языком. По данным же переписи 1999 года, своим родным языком русский считали 14,9 процентов населения, а вторым – 75 процентов населения.

Спустя двадцать лет после распада СССР Россия по-прежнему пользуется значительным политико-экономическим влиянием на территории Центральной Азии. В культурном же плане ее значение быстро сходит на нет.
Особенно заметна эта тенденция в языковой области. Ежегодно все больше и больше граждан пяти центральноазиатских государств – Казахстана, Кыргызстана, Таджикистана, Туркменистана и Узбекистана – утрачивают связь с русским языком. Согласно демографическим данным, представители молодого поколения, особенно проживающие за пределами пяти столиц, практически не говорят на русском.
Причиной подобного явления является невыделение государственного финансирования на цели обучения русскому языку. В стремлении укрепить свои позиции во власти руководство республик перенаправило ресурсы на обучение родному языку и укрепление местных культурных традиций. Свою роль играют и другие факторы. Так, например, в постсоветскую эпоху стало возможным сделать карьеру и не владея русским языком. «В советские времена, чтобы быть членом КПСС, надо было знать русский язык. Даже в сельской местности русским владели хотя бы представители элиты. Сегодня все по-другому», – говорит директор программы по Центральной Азии и Кавказу Гарвардского университета, специалист по Узбекистану, Лаура Адамс (Laura Adams).
Данные переписи населения в Кыргызстане свидетельствует о катастрофическом упадке русского языка в Центральной Азии. Согласно данным последней переписи населения от 2009 года, русским языком как родным владеют 9 процентов населения в возрасте старше 18 лет, а 50 процентов населения страны той же возрастной категории назвали русский своим вторым языком. По данным же переписи 1999 года, своим родным языком русский считали 14,9 процентов населения, а вторым – 75 процентов населения.
Особенно мрачная картина для русского языка вырисовывается применительно к кыргызской молодежи. Среди детей в возрасте от 7 до 15 лет русскоязычными являются лишь пять процентов и всего 26 процентов владеют русским в достаточной степени, чтобы считать его вторым языком. Падение знания русского языка является тем более тревожным явлением, что этот язык наделен статусом государственного языка.
В остальных странах Центральной Азии ситуация с русским языком еще более печальна. В Узбекистане, например, молодые жители Ферганской долины, похоже, практически вообще не владеют русским. Официальной статистики на этот предмет не ведется, но согласно данным журнала «Демоскоп», издаваемым московским Институтом демографии Государственного университета – Высшей школы экономики, по состоянию на 2004 год кое-как изъясниться на русском могли 60 процентов жителей Узбекистана и лишь 20 процентов могли сказать, что владеют им хорошо.
«Русский был средством общения с внешним миром, – говорит специалист по российским и евразийским делам Центра стратегических и международных исследований Джеффри Манкофф (Jeffrey Mankoff). – Сейчас, когда употребление русского языка сходит на нет, а на его место не приходит ни английский, ни один из других мировых языков, жители Центральной Азии оказываются в невыгодном положении».
Последствия этого явления уже ощутили на себе беднейшие слои жителей Центральной Азии – те самые люди, что в основном и составляют ряды трудовых мигрантов, отправляющихся на заработки в Россию. Согласно последним данным, многие центральноазиатские гастарбайтеры практически не владеют русским языком, что ставит их в уязвимое положение, так как они все чаще и чаще становятся жертвами преследования и злоупотреблений. Согласно выводам Федеральной миграционной службы, почти каждый пятый центральноазиатский гастарбайтер не говорит по-русски, а половина не может самостоятельно заполнить простой бланк. Россия выделяет средства на обучение потенциальных трудовых мигрантов русскому языку, но пока подобные занятия не пользуются особой популярностью.
Помимо проблемы трудовой миграции, закат русского языка затрудняет общение с народами Центральной Азии для представителей Запада. Западные ученые, проводящие исследования в Центральной Азии, обнаруживают, что знания русского языка уже недостаточно для эффективного общения и взаимопонимания. В крупных городах представители западных стран не испытывают особых сложностей. За пределами же городов русский оказывается практически бесполезным.
«В таких пригородных новостройках, как Ак-Жар и Ак-Ордо, я веду свои исследования чаще на кыргызском. Это означает, что в своей исследовательской работе мне приходится полагаться на переводчика, – поясняет аспирант Цюрихского университета Крейг Хатчер (Craig Hatcher), изучающий в Кыргызстане гуманитарную географию. – Это затрудняет мои исследования. Незнание кыргызского языка усложняет процесс установления контакта с опрашиваемыми, и это проблема, которую мне постоянно приходится преодолевать».
Крейг Хатчер и другие представители академических кругов признают необходимость изучения центральноазиатских языков, но отмечают наличие на пути к этому определенных практических и финансовых препятствий. «Просто у меня на родине русский выучить легче. Если вы работаете в целом ряде центральноазиатских стран или других стран постсоветского пространства, то русский является языком общения на всей территории, которое охватывает ваше исследование», – подчеркивает Крейг Хатчер.
Лаура Адамс, занимающаяся изучением проблем узбекской национальной идентичности, пришла к выводу, что для проведения интервью в Узбекистане ей надо учить узбекский язык. «В 1990-х годах в Ташкенте практически все говорили на русском, – отмечает она. – Когда же люди переходили на узбекский, это делалось для подчеркивания местного значения того, о чем шла речь. Подобный переход исключал из круга общения русскоговорящих, а мне как исследователю нужно было не терять нить разговора».
Перед началом работы над диссертацией Адамс посвятила два с лишним года интенсивному обучению узбекскому языку. «Когда ваша научная работа зависит от понимания того, как люди в этих странах воспринимают мир, нужно иметь возможность понимать их как можно лучше. Я знала: чтобы меня приняли тепло, мне нужно знать язык», – рассказывает ученая.
Как и Крейг Хатчер, Лаура Адамс отдавала себе отчет, что учить центральноазиатские языки на Западе гораздо сложнее, чем русский. Из-за урезания бюджета в Гарварде можно теперь изучать лишь один центральноазиатский язык – узбекский, объяснила она. Те, кто хочет, как Хатчер, учить кыргызский, сталкиваются с большими сложностями.
Между тем английский язык не заполняет вакуум, создавшийся в результате отступления русского языка. Похоже, знание английского является замещением для русского в регионе лишь для немногочисленных избранных его представителей. «Английский признается важным языком лишь для тех, кто избирает для себя международную карьеру. Местные жители, работающие в международных НПО в Бишкеке, зачастую прекрасно владеют английским», – говорит Крейг Хатчер.
По мнению Лауры Адамс, русский язык останется языком, который будут изучать представители центральноазиатских стран, ставящие перед собой амбициозные задачи. «Большинство людей, имеющих возможность выбора, по-прежнему считают необходимым учить русский язык, – говорит она. – Если хочешь двигаться вперед, нужно знать русский». (EurasiaNet).

Nombro de esperantistoj en Ruslando

2011-12-20T09:29:00.000Z

Kiom da esperantistoj en Ruslando? Ne malpli ol 992

Fonto: La Balta Ondo http://sezonoj.ru/2011/12/censo/
Awtoro: Aleksander Korjxenkov
Ekstrakto

Laŭ la rezulto de la censo je la 14a de oktobro 2011 la nombro de la konstanta Ruslanda loĝantaro estis 142,9 milionoj da homoj je 2,3 mln malpli multe ol registris la antaŭa censo – 145,2 mln en la 2002a jaro.

Lingvoj
Esperanton indikis 992 personoj. Ĝi estas en la 120a loko inter la lingvoj gundziba (1012) kaj teleŭta (975).

Inter la kvin elekteblaj planlingvoj en la resuma tabelo krom Esperanto (992) estas ankaŭ Ido kun 9 personoj kaj Edo kun nur 1 scianto. Slovio kaj Intelingua tute ne estis menciitaj.

Kvankam probable ne ĉiuj konantoj de Esperanto estis censitaj, kaj inter la sciantoj eble ne ĉiuj indikis Esperanton, la nombro 992 ŝajnas sufiĉe realisma. Do, almenaŭ unu ruslandano inter ĉ. 150 mil scias Esperanton, aŭ inter unu miliono da ruslandanoj estas 7 esperantistoj.

Ni komparu kun alilandaj censoj:

Ekzemple, en 2001 en Hungario 4 mil 565 personoj indikis Esperanton. Ĝi estas en la 18a loko en la lingvolisto kun averaĝe 445 esperantoparolantoj por unu miliono da hungarianoj.

La censo en Litovio (2001) montris 844 personojn, kiuj scias Esperanton, kiu estas je la 16a loko en la lingvolisto kun averaĝe 245 esperantoparolantoj por unu miliono da litovianoj.

En 2006 la Novzelanda censo evidentigis 123 esperantoparolantojn, aŭ ĉ. 30 parolantojn por unu miliono da novzelandanoj. Esperanto en Novzelando estas, same kiel en Ruslando, en la 120a loko en la lingvolisto.

Eblas kompari ankaŭ kun la socia reto “Вконтакте” en kiu estas registritaj 4 mil 468 esperantoparolantoj en Ruslando. Sed mia esploreto en du urboj montris, ke pluraj personoj notis tie Esperanton ŝerce, aŭ kiel ekzotikaĵon, aŭ kiel lernointencon, kaj ke nur ĉ. 15-20% efektive konas Esperanton almenaŭ je tre primitiva nivelo.

2 weeks of Esperanto

2011-12-17T08:16:00.002Z

Source: http://www.fluentin3months.com/2-weeks-of-esperanto/
This article was written by Benny Lewis (polyglot)
Just 2 weeks learning Esperanto can get you months ahead in your target language

Whenever I meet new people and try to help them with their language learning missions, when they hear that I have already learned to speak a few languages and ask me to list them, the one that always gets their attention the most is Esperanto.

Most people have never even heard of it, but occasionally they say that they thought it was dead and that maybe I learned it as an alternative to Klingon or Na’vi just for the hell of it, since “nobody actually speaks it”.

Well, today I am going to make a suggestion that I included as one of many other language hacks in the Language Hacking Guide, and it has nothing to do with saving the world, or peace and love between all races with a universal language. I don’t learn Esperanto to aim for a better world some day – to me it has very practical uses right now to me and to many learners.

Even if it had no speakers, it would still be very useful

In fact, let’s pretend that nobody actually speaks Esperanto.

In this hypothetical universe, there is just material online to learn it and one guy on Skype in Yemen who is willing to chat to you in it. Even in this situation, I still say that if you aren’t speaking your target language yet (Spanish, Japanese, Russian or whatever it may be), then devoting two weeks to Esperanto can get you months ahead in that language.

If you already speak several languages then this particular language hack will be lost on you, but for those of you still behind the “barrier” of actually conversing, this may be just what the doctor ordered!

One big criticism I have for many traditional learning systems is the obsession with studying (a.k.a. input if you like thinking of humans as the same as robots) because they see a language as nothing more than pure information and totally ignore the social aspect of it. You need to get over the barrier of feeling embarrassed, and simply not used to a foreign language. This is the strangest part of learning any language.
“Skip” the hardest first foreign language bit

Why should you learn Esperanto? Because it’s easy.

I don’t actually like using the word “hard” with languages – I think it’s counterproductive to randomly assign negativity, which will do absolutely nothing to actually help you learn a language. But anyway, if you are curious (I do get asked this a lit) the “hardest” language I ever learned and ever will learn was… Spanish. Yep – no matter what language you suggest in the world, Spanish will always have been the hardest one for me.

Not because of the subjunctive, or tables of conjugations or any of the other things that pessimists drool over when they get ready to compile a list of reasons to discourage people. It’s because it was the first foreign language that I ever tried to speak. It doesn’t matter about the grammar and vocabulary so much when you just are not used to any foreign language coming out of your mouth. This barrier is a tough nut to crack and extra work of needing to worry about conjugations, cases, word genders etc. are generally going to add to this pressure.

The reason I’m suggesting Esperanto for 2 weeks is because it is very easy (no word genders, no conjugation, perfectly phonetic, no random rule exceptions, easy consistent vocabulary). If you are truly devoted and have a lot less to randomly whine about, then in just a couple of weeks you can focus entirely on communication with way less study. You will recognise thousands of words already since most of the vocabulary is based on European languages like French, but there is some English in there too! For example, Yes is pronounced exactly the same (spelled as “jes”).

If you are fully devoted for two weeks, and in the second week do genuinely try to speak it in a chatroom or on Skype, you will be forced to use what you have learned, but you won’t have to think too hard to do it. If you are dedicated enough (and use some hacks to make sure you are speaking quicker) you could do this in a very short time. You will get over this speaking barrier and be communicating in a foreign language! You would need more than 2 weeks to speak fluently, but you can indeed speak it and get by in this time.

And then something amazing happens – that target language, the one you really want to speak (for moving to France, trying to rediscover your Chinese roots etc.) suddenly becomes your second foreign language! You already “speak” one, so you have gained this confidence that seemed so unobtainable before, and now you will have that extra edge where you actually want it.
The polyglot edge

It won’t surprise you to hear that the more languages you learn, the easier it is to learn the next one. If both me and a monoglot decide to take on language x at the same time, I’ll very likely learn it quicker than he will. This isn’t because I’m smarter, or because of mysterious reconfigurations within my brain. It’s because of techniques, familiarity and confidence. As far as I’m concerned these 3 aspects are the only things that separate me from people still speaking just one language as far as taking on a new language is concerned.

There are plenty of techniques, and familiarity plays a big part too, but the confidence to actually speak will hold you back if you don’t have it, even if you know a language inside out. If you can use Esperanto to hack your way towards this confidence quicker, then you will have it for your “second” foreign language; the priority language you definitely want to speak. You will know that you can communicate in a foreign language. You’ll have the polyglot edge.

This isn’t just my opinion. Several studies have shown that learning Esperanto first will give you that edge. For example, students learned Esperanto for six months and then French for a year and a half. Another control group studied just French for two years – so they had several months more studies in that language. And yet the first group that got “side-tracked” to learn Esperanto had significantly better command of French.

They needed to do it over the long term since this would have been done using the academic approach. As a language hacker, you would only need two weeks (maybe more if you can’t be very committed).

This post isn’t to convince the world that we all need a universal language. The point is that learning a language that is easy will get you miles ahead. Your actual target language will likely have some tricky things to learn that you will have to master if you are to speak it confidently. But simple confidence in itself won’t come to you unless you start speaking a language. It’s a vicious circle.

One way I get out of this circle myself is to speak as often as possible as early as possible. But it’s easy for me to say this because I have done it already before. Once you do it once, every time after that becomes so much easier.

So why not make the “first” time you do it all about communication with almost no technical grammar etc. to worry about so you can get over this barrier once and for all?
Oh yeah, the language itself is cool

Esperanto fits the bill because it was designed to be easy and material to learn it is very easy to come across. As well as this there are a lot of speakers who will be happy to help you, both online and in lots of places in person.

As I said at the start, even if there was just one guy to talk to and the material available to study, it would still work for the purposes described here. What is actually true is that there are millions of Esperanto speakers all over the world. I’ve met up with them many times and had lots of fun (click the last link to see me trying out my pathetic skills as an actor in the language).

I’m not looking for an ideal utopian society when I go to these week-long events where everything (karaokes, dinner menus, games, tours…) is in Esperanto. I go to find people I get along with really well, since there are a surprisingly large number of other polyglots, travellers, vegetarians, Linŭ users, non-drinkers and many open-minded people there.

There are lots of large events all around the world, or you can just find some speakers in your city to practise with, although you can already do a lot online. The Internet has plenty of Esperanto content; the Esperanto Wikipedia has more than 130,000 entries (more than Arabic). You can find an active forum and a fantastic free learning resource (with a great language learning course, a dictionary, a chat room etc.) on Lernu.net (the entire website is available in several languages).

The language sounds pleasant to listen to and has lots of easy to recognise words similar to English, French/Spanish/Italian and German. In fact, the content (not just the confidence) of Esperanto will help you in learning a lot of European languages! When I tried to learn German in school, the Accusative seemed very complicated. Even the name sounds like you are blaming someone. The accusative exists in Esperanto (it’s one of the very few bits of grammar, there only so you can have any word order you like), but its use is a lot clearer. Getting used to it there meant that it wasn’t so weird to add an -n in German either.

When I tried to learn Czech, the writing system of having “hats” on a letter like s and c didn’t seem strange at all, since Esperanto does this to make the language phonetic (s = s but ŝ = sh for example).

Even if you are learning a non-European language, the confidence you would gain in being able to communicate would bring you miles ahead. As I said, this lack of confidence in speaking a language is one of the main reasons people simply don’t.

If you can start communicating basically in one language for the investment of just a few weeks, then you wouldn’t have to wait the months you would have to otherwise with your target language. I think Esperanto is worth checking out beyond that, but even if all you are interested in is reaching spoken confidence in your actual target language – this small investment could make a big difference.

So what do you think? If you have not been able to speak your target language yet, do you think that this injection of confidence of becoming multilingual in a short time will make a difference? Would you care to continue with Esperanto after that to make sure you were communicating much better? Think Esperanto sounds interesting enough to check out?

Best personal finance management software

2011-11-15T08:52:00.007Z

Personal finance management software is necessary to track your incomes and expenses, calculate your profit, identify your assets (profit sources) and liabilities (loss sources), find out where you lose your money (tracking categories of wasteful expenses) etc.

Best software for smartphones:

1 place)
Cash Organizer for Windows Mobile, v.11.0.3 (2011 Premium)

Features:

Recording transactions
History of transactions
Accounts (for different currencies, bank accounts etc.)
Categories of transactions (food, study, work etc.)
Automatic transactions (planned transactions)
Notes inside of transactions
You can specify type of income (earned, portfolio, passive) (using field "Payee")
Customs reports
The same category can be used for income transactions and expense transactions
Groups of accounts
Balance for an account
Balance for a group of accounts
Identify assets (profit sources) and liabilities (loss sources)
Balance for each category
Report for any period
Data synchronization with MS Money and Intuit Quicken
Import data from Money and Quicken files
Export data to Money and Quicken files
Synchronization via ActiveSync
Multiple currencies
Currency exchange rates
See how much money each payee received (in my case, see how much money you received in each type of income (earned, portfolio, passive))
Back up data in file of Money and Quicken format
Password protected access
Interface in English
Incomes and expenses for any category
Unlimited number of categories
Back up to one file
Automatic conversion between different currencies
Different color for incomes and expenses in the log of transactions
Big buttons with digits for entering transaction amount
Transfer money from one account to another

Missing features:

Embedded help in English
Interface in Esperanto
Help in Esperanto
Automatic download of currency exchange rates from the internet
Automatic scheduled backup
Freeware
Open source

Questions:

Does it have hierarchical categories? If yes, is the depth of hierarchy unlimited?

Best audio file joiner

2011-10-02T17:52:00.003Z

Many audiobooks consist of many small audio files. Maybe the authors care of people whose communicator's memory is not enough to place there the whole audiobook at once. Or they try to facilitate listening to audiobooks using primitive devices, such as audio player or DVD player, where it is difficult to go to a needed place in an audio file. But if you use a desktop computer or a communicator it is not a problem. The problem is to give the command to a software audio player to play back all files sequentially and to remember in which folder, on which file and at what time you paused to go to this place next time. Of course, software audio players on communicators usually remember where you paused but in case of soft reset they forget. That is why it is easier to have one file for one audiobook - size is not a problem in modern communicators. In this case you can simply write down the time in hours and minutes where you paused in a note taking software. So, here is the rating of best programs for joining audio files.

Place 1)
- MP3DirectCut 2.13 www.mpesch3.de
Features:
- Freeware
- Interface in English
- Fast joining of files
- The size of the resulting file is almost the same as the sum of sizes of small files
- No quality loss
- No decompressing and then re-encoding the original MP3 files, which would cause a (slight) loss in quality

Problems / wanted features:

- Open source
- Difficult to find the function of joining audio files (see "Instructions" below). This function shall be visible on the main page.
- Maximum 50 files can be joined in one operation. Solution: if you need to join more than 50 files you can first join first 50 original files to file 1, then join remaining original files to file 2 and then join file 1 and file 2 to resulting file 3.
- During the joining the window of the program blinks above open windows of other program.
Instructions:
- File > Batch processing...
- Browse to folder with original files
- Select no more than 50 files in the opened list of files. You can use "Ctrl + Left mouse button" and/or "Shift + Left mouse button".
- Select action "Join to file"
- Specify name of the resulting file
- Click "Start"

Bad programs:
- Media MP3 Joiner 1.2
Some sets of files are joined into big file correctly but in most cases the resulting file is damaged and audio players cannot define its duration correctly (for instance, they show 15 min. instead of 10 hours) and do not show time correctly when playing back the file. Due to this it is impossible to start playing back from a specific time.
- All Free MP3 Joiner 3.9.1
Awful interface. The resulting file is twice as big as the total volume of the set of small files. Quality of sound gets worse. Some audio players can play back only a part of the big file correctly, then the sound distorts, playing back stops and the slider goes to the beginning of the file.
- FormatFactory 2.70
Bad interface. Bad help. Maximum 50 files can be joined in one operation. Slow joining. MP3 files are first decoded to WAV and then coded back to MP3 which most likely results in slight loss of quality. The program often fails to create the resulting file.
- MP3 Multiplexer 4.0
Awful interface. Cannot join many files.

To try:
MP3 Cutter & Joiner (paid), AlbumWrap (paid), Easy MP3 Joiner (http://www.mymusictools.com/articles/how-to-join-mp3-files.htm), Sony Sound Forge (paid).

Alternative names of this article (for search engines):
best mp3 joining program, best mp3 merging program, best mp3 joining software, best mp3 merging software, mp3 file joiner, mp3 merger, mp3 joiner, mp3 file merger, best software for joining audio files, best program for joining audio files, best software for merging audio files.

Best dictionary software

2011-09-25T05:51:00.007Z

1 place)
GoldenDict Desktop 1.0.1 (build 145-gc5693df-updated-1Sep2011) for Windows

www.goldendict.org
Download the latest version: https://github.com/goldendict/goldendict/wiki/Early-Access-Builds-for-Windows

Open-source cost-free dictionary software. Includes only dictionary shell, dictionaries are not provided but can be found on other websites. The software can read dictionaries of several formats: .dsl (not-yet-compiled text dictionary for ABBYY Lingvo or illegally decompiled .lsd dictionary of ABBYY Lingvo), Babylon, StarDict, DictD. So, more than 4 000 dictionaries for tens of languages can be used with this software, including English into Russian dictionaries (e.g. Multitran dictionary of July 2009), Russian into English dictionaries, Russian into Russian explanatory dictionaries (e.g. Russian Wikipedia without pictures of July 2007, Big Soviet Encyclopedia and Big Encyclopedic Dictionary) and English into English explanatory dictionaries.

Almost all existing dictionaries: www.lingvodics.com

Features:
- Freeware
- Open source
- Rich formatting in articles (transcriptions, stress, colors, links, pictures)
- Look up words in online dictionaries (such as Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Multitran, bab.la)
- Spelling suggestions when incorrectly typing word for look-up
- No need to switch languages and directions of translation
- Interface in English
- The program will understand your typing no matter how you do it - forget about diacritics, case or punctuation
- List of dictionaries in which a word was found
- Unicode support (dictionaries for any language)
- Working with several articles simultaneously (tabs)
- Buttons "Back" and "Forward"
- Groups of dictionaries (for example, English-Russian, English, Russian, English grammar)
- Can be portable
- Change the order of dictionaries
- History of lookups
- Create own dictionaries (using other software)
- Select a word in another application, press a keyboard shortcut (for example, Ctrl+C+C) and see translation in the main window opened
- Press a keyboard shortcut, move the cursor over a word (in different programs, even menu titles, button titles but not words on pictures) to see the main window open with translation

Wanted features:

- It takes very long for the list of dictionaries in the panel on the right to appear if online dictionaries are also checked (because the list appears when everything is fully loaded). So, one has to use the old method of opening context menu with the list of dictionaries where the word was found. This list is available at once. The suggestion is to display offline dictionaries fast and a rotating disk for online dictionaries meaning that they are being checked. When they are available, to show them too.
- Own dictionaries of the software (one for each language direction)
They shall be stored online. The software shall be able to download needed online dictionaries and then automatically update downloaded dictionaries from the internet regularly (like Multitran)
- Users shall be able to add individual words into own dictionaries of the software (like Multitran)
- Users shall be able to correct translations of own dictionaries of the software (like Multitran)
- Users shall be able to import their own dictionaries (in a special format) into own dictionaries of the software. Only those words shall be imported which are absent in own dictionaries of the software (Multitran partially has such feature, users just send their dictionaries to the author of Multitran to be added in the dictionary)
- Users shall be able to specify topic of the word when adding translations into own dictionaries of the software (like multitran.ru)
- Users shall be able to specify part of speech of the word when adding translations into own dictionaries of the software (like multitran.ru)
- Users shall be able to suggest topic of the word when adding translations into own dictionaries of the software (like multitran.ru)
- Users shall be able to specify Notes (link to source, explanation) when adding translations into own dictionaries of the software (like multitran.ru)
- When looking up a word in Wikipedia links must be preserved to other language versions of the same article.
- When looking up a word in online Multitran, it must be possible to add a word using interface of online Multitran.
- Program for converting Anki deck to dictionary (this would allow using Anki as program for creating dictionaries for the software)
- Optical text recognition (to look up a word under cursor if it is on a picture)
- Infected forms of a word (like ABBYY Lingvo)
- Full text search (like ABBYY Lingvo)
- Wildcard search using ? and * (like ABBYY Lingvo)
- A website where users would be able to suggest features and vote for them, such as www.uservoice.com. See an example on www.anki.uservoice.com. Then developers of the program will know what features are most needed (popular) among users. When a user is trying to add a new feature, the website shows to him already existing similar features to avoid duplicates. The service is cost-free. Now users of GoldenDict have to use forum of the software to suggest features, but it is difficult to check whether somebody has already suggested such feature. And after a feature is added, it gets hidden behind new topics and new users cannot comment on it.
- Good forum with possibility to subscribe to all updates (as forum of Anki which is a Google group). There you can subscribe to all updates and receive an email every day with all new topics and topics that received new replies.
- When a word is being looked up, the frame on the right with the list of dictionaries where the word was found still shows the list of dictionaries where the word of the previous request was found. New list of dictionaries appears only after all information from online dictionaries is loaded.
- When I want to see translation in a certain dictionary, I click on this dictionary in the bar on the right with the list of dictionaries in which the word was found. After I do this text in the main frame (where dictionaries entries are shown) scrolls up (slider goes down) to this dictionary heading and the heading is placed on the top of the frame.
But if I click on the last dictionary in the list, its heading is placed not on the top of the frame with entries because there is no enough empty space under word entry of the last dictionary to put its heading on the top of the frame.
This issue is not a big deal but it is inconvenient to expect to see the dictionary heading on the top but to find it somewhere at the bottom.
- Highlighting heading of the selected dictionary in the main frame (where dictionary entries are shown).

Email newsletter of Dmitrii Dotsenko and www.discoverfuture.blogspot.com

2011-02-12T13:36:00.004Z

To use the form below is the only way you can subscribe and follow Dmitrii Dotsenko and new posts on his website www.discoverfuture.blogspot.com.
The newsletter can contain information on the following topics:
Dmitrii Dotsenko, best software, investing, Esperanto, running competitions in Bishkek etc.

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Эсперанто в Киргизстане

2010-12-08T11:49:00.004Z

Если вы эсперантист, находящийся в Киргизстане, или человек, желающий помочь движению эсперантистов в Киргизстане, то участвуйте в группе "Esperanto en Kirgizio".

Если вы уже пользуетесь языком эсперанто и живёте в Киргизстане, то участвуйте в "перепись эсперантистов в Киргизстане": http://discoverfuture.blogspot.com/2010/01/censo-de-esperantistoj-en-kirgizio.html

Grupo Esperanto en Kirgizio

2010-11-04T07:53:00.013Z

Tio estas priskribo de Gugla interreta grupo "Esperanto en Kirgizio" kun adreso http://groups.google.com/group/esperanto-en-kirgizio

Esperanto en Kirgizio

Visit this group

Esperanto estas facila por lerni, logika kaj demokrata monda lingvo.
Cxi tiu grupo estas por esperantistoj en Kirgizio kaj tiuj kiuj volas helpi Esperantan movadon en Kirgizio.
En grupo oni diskusas nur temojn ligintajn kun Esperanto en Kirgizio kaj/aw kun cxi tiu grupo. Aliaj temoj oni diskusas en forumo de pagxaro www.lernu.net.
Sola lingvo de grupo estas Esperanto. Mesagxoj en aliaj lingvoj forigitos.

Partopreno en grupo:
1) Aligxu datumbazon de esperantistoj de tuta mondo, registrinte uze realan nomon (FAMILIA NOMO kaj Nomo en Esperanto, ekzemple: DOCENKO Dmitrijo) en pagxaro www.lernu.net.

2) Aldonu tiel multe informajxojn pri ci (enige fotografion) en cia profilo en retpagxaro www.lernu.net.
3) Sendu leteron kun indiko de cia reala nomo kaj lando en retpagxaro www.lernu.net kaj peto enigi cin en cxi tiun grupon al administranto de grupo DOCENKO Dmitrijo al dmitry-dotsenkoSURmailPUNKTOru.
4) Ricevinte invito aligxi grupon, iru je ligilo en invito por registri je Guglo kaj igxi partoprenanto de cxi tiu grupo.
5) Iru je ligilo http://groups.google.com/group/esperanto-en-kirgizio/subscribe, sxangxu speco de abono al "Resuma retposxto" (Digest Email, Дайджест сообщений), sxangxu cia psewdonimo uze realan nomon (FAMILIA NOMO kaj Nomo en Esperanto, ekzemple: DOCENKO Dmitrijo) kaj klaku Konservi (Save, Сохранить).
6) Iru al http://www.google.com/profiles/me/editprofile?hl=en&edit=a kaj skribu en kampo "Mallonga biografio" (Short bio, Краткая биография) ligilon al cia pagxo en retpagxaro www.lernu.net, ekzemple http://eo.lernu.net/komunikado/uzantoj/prezento.php?id=26942. Cxi tiu estas mia Gugla profilo: http://www.google.com/profiles/mynewway2.
7) Legu cxiujn diskusiojn en grupo.
Gratuloj! Nun ci estas partoprenanto de Gugla grupo "Esperanto en Kirgizio". Ci ne devos ofte eniri grupon kaj eksameni cxu io interesa aperis, cxar ci abonis grupon je retposxto kaj ci ricevos cxiujn sxangxojn en grupo en cia retposxto. Se ci redecidos ricevi leterojn el grupo, ci povos aboli abonon el ajna letero veninta al ci.

En grupo uzu cx, gx, hx, jx, sx, w.
Rekomenda retpagxaro pri Esperanto: www.discoverfuture.blogspot.com (domajno blogspot.com estis blokita de certaj interretdisponigantoj. Tial, se ci ne povas malfermi cxi tiun retpagxaron, uzu anonimilo www.anonymizer.nntime.com).
Adreso de grupo: http://groups.google.com/group/esperanto-en-kirgizio
Kreanto, posedanto kaj administranto de grupo: DOCENKO Dmitrijo (retposxto dmitry-dotsenkoSURmailPUNKTOru).
Se ci scias servicon de interretaj grupoj (komunumoj) kiu estas pli bona ke cxi tiu servico de Guglo (kien cxi tiu grupo povus transveturi), skribu gxian adreson kaj priskribu gxiajn avantajxojn.
Se ci volas sxangxi cxi tiu priskribo de grupo, skribu pri tio.
Nur partoprenantoj de grupo povas trarigardi enhavo de cxi tiu retpagxaro. Nur partoprenantoj de grupo povas krei mesagxojn, vidi liston de partoprenantoj de grupo, krei kaj sxangxi pagxarojn, alsxuti dosierojn.

Konsiloj kiuj ne estas devigaj por realigo:
- Rakontu pri Esperanto kaj cxi tiu grupo al ciaj konatoj.
- Loku sur ciaj interretaj pagxoj ligilon al cxi tiu grupo.

Kreanto, posedanto kaj administranto de grupo ne estas respondeca je enhavo de informajxoj kaj materialoj lokantaj de aliaj partoprenantoj de grupo. Lokinte dosierojn kaj aliajn informajxojn, ne rompu awtorajn rajtojn.

Дмитрий Доценко

2010-10-26T15:29:00.010Z

Имя:
   эсперанто: DOCENKO Dmitrij
   английский: Dmitrii Dotsenko
   русский: Доценко Дмитрий
Город: Бишкек
Страна: Киргизстан
Занятие: переводчик (английский – русский)
Семейное положение: холост
Языки:
   русский (свободно, родной)
   английский (почти свободно, первый иностранный)
   эсперанто (базовый уровень, всемирный интернациональный)
Религиозные взгляды: атеист
Год рождения: 1986
Имейл: dmitrii [DO-T] dotsenko [A-T] gmail [DO-T] com
Сайт: www.discoverfuture.blogspot.com
Социальная сеть: http://vk.com/id9506560
Хобби: английский, эсперанто, программное обеспечение, бег, сад и огород, инвестирование.
Любимая музыка: музыку почти не слушаю.
Любимые фильмы на русском: Дух времени (Zeitgeist), Дух времени - приложение (Zeitgeist: Addendum), Бесценный доллар, Деньги как долг (Money as Debt), Осторожно - еда, 9/11 расследование с нуля, 911 по Фаренгейту (фильм Майкла Мура), США - завоевание востока, Боулинг для Колумбины (фильм Майкла Мура), Паразиты, Оружейный барон, Числа, Америка без грима, Общее дело - за трезвость, Правда о прививках, Как стать счастливым, Автомобиль будущего (Future Car), База (фильм Аркадия Мамонтова из цикла Специальный корреспондент), Что мы знаем - Вниз по кроличьей норе, Пермакультура Зепа Хольцера, Обыкновенный фашизм, Выжить любой ценой (Ultimate Survival), Героин - ветер с юга, Оккупация 101 (Occupation 101), Агротехника природного земледелия, Великая депрессия, Здравозахоронение (фильм Майкла Мура), Дорога к счастью (The Way to Happiness), Большое американское шоу, Большое американское шоу 2, Бесценный доллар 2, Заработать легко, Корень всех зол? (обе части) (The Root of All Evil?)
Любимые телепередачи: О самом главном, Общее дело (за трезвость), Среда обитания, Выжить любой ценой (Ultimate Survival).
Любимые книги на русском: Наполеон Хилл "Думай и богатей", Николаус Энкельманн "Преуспевать с радостью", Бетджер "Вчера неудачник, сегодня преуспевающий коммерсант", Дейл Карнеги "Как перестать беспокоиться и начать жить", Кеннеди "Деньги без процентов и инфляции", Пасечник "За охрану и развитие природных ресурсов Киргизии", Эмиль Шукуров "Птицы Киргизии", "Любите, охраняйте природу Киргизии", "Птицы - наши друзья", Эмиль Шукуров «Дикие млекопитающие Киргизии», Сад и огород любителя, Анненков "Не мешай огороду лопатой и плугом - путь к плодородию", Николай Курдюмов "Умный сад и хитрый огород", Роберт Кийосаки "Богатый папа, бедный папа", Роберт Кийосаки "Квадрант денежного потока", Роберт Кийосаки "Руководство богатого папы по инвестированию".
Любимые игры: баскетбол.
Любимые цитаты:
- Кто не курит и не пьёт - тот настоящий патриот.
- Говорить, что религиозный человек счастливее атеиста - это всё равно, что говорить, что пьяный счастливее трезвого.
- Нет большей тюрьмы для человека, чем его собственный ум.
Употребление алкоголя, табака и других наркотиков: нет.
Рост: 184 см.
Вес: 70 кг.
Дети: нет.

Следить за Дмитрием Доценко по электронной почте.

Best software to learn words

2010-09-02T17:21:00.011Z

Here are descriptions of best flashcard programs

(programs for memorizing information).

best flashcard software for Windows,
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best words memorizing programs for Windows,

Best offline flashcard programs for Windows

(considering possibility to memorize thousands of entries and not to spend much time repeating them, as well as possibility to learn words of several languages simultaneously, as well as the need to spell words):

Place 1

Anki 1.0.1 www.ichi2.net/anki

Anki can be used for memorizing words, names, telephone numbers, facts of a book, facts of your image in the future, as well as terminology management system for translators (instead of SDL Multiterm), own dictionary for translators (where all new words are kept and can be easily found).
Anki is the best program for memorizing information in the world. It is also program which combines words learning, dictionary and dictionary creation.

You create your own dictionary of any structure and begin learning it.
You see a word, recollects translation, press button "Show translation" and choose grade according to correctness of your answer.
The lower is the grade, the sooner the program will ask the word again. Gradually grade gets higher and the program asks word more seldom (finally once in several years).
So you do not lose your time repeating words you remember well.
Using this method of learning, you can bear in mind thousands of words without spending much time repeating them.

The program is freeware.

Implemented features:

- interface in English
- graded review mode
- creating own dictionaries
- spaced repetition (interval study)
- variable automatically adjusting to learner's abilities time between repetitions
- Unicode support (support for any languages)
- creating custom fields
- categorization of words
- each word can belong to many categories
- dictionary lookup by typing word in text field
- multilingual dictionary support (to learn several languages simultaneously)
- editing the dictionary being learned without losing statistics

- statistics cleaning
- possibility to edit words while reviewing
- suspension of words from learning (they are not to be learned now)
- interval between asking different cards of the same entry
- cram mode (memorize a group of words for exam)
- setting the number of words to be learned daily (here the number of cards is set which is OK)
- transcription entering
- freeware
- open source
- stats: number of entries in a dictionary
- stats: number of cards in a dictionary
- stats: the number of new (not yet asked) cards in the dictionary
- stats: the number of not-well-memorized (here: young) cards in the dictionary
- stats: how far in the future the card will be asked again
- stats: on what date the dictionary was created
- stats: the number of suspended entries in dictionary
- stats: time spent memorizing cards today
- export of entries to .txt
- individual settings for each dictionary
- graded spell mode

Partially implemented features:

- interface in Esperanto (not everything translated)
- help in English (only online and not complete)
- reminder that it's time to memorize cards (implemented by a plugin)
- stats: number of learned entries (learned, here mature, cards instead of entries
- portable software (can be made portable by user, but instructions how to do that are bad)
- automatic switch of keyboard layout when switching fields (feature is not stable, non-reaction is often)
- setting the number of entries to be learned daily (you can see the number of cards you've seen today)
- stats: number of entries learned today (you can see the number of cards you've seen today)
- suspension of entries (exclusion from learning) (you can suspend a card (but not entry) or entries by selecting categories (if an entry belongs to several categories, this does not work well))
- stats: number & percent of learned entries in the dictionary (you can see number and percent of learned (here mature) cards in dictionary
- easily remove duplicates from dictionary (works while filling new fields if option of preventing duplicates is chosen and while importing entries, but hard to look for duplicates in already created dictionary)
- export of entries with categories and scheduling information to .txt (scheduling can’t be exported)

Non-implemented features:

- help in Esperanto
- TTS slideshow mode (without pressing any button) with command "Learned" - you do morning exercises or cleaning and simultaneously memorize cards by listening to them. The mode can use 3rd party text-to-speech engine, such as eSpeak. You will have to indicate which fields you would like to be voiced. When you feel that you already remember a card, you press the button "Learned"
- on-screen keyboard to type unusual characters (maybe can be implemented by third-party application?)
- customized by user onscreen keyboard for typing unusual characters (maybe can be implemented by third-party application?)
- highlight a word or phrase in any application, press shortcut keys and see the corresponding entries (as in ABBYY Lingvo dictionary and Babylon dictionary)
- move mouse pointer to a word in any application, press shortcut, the program scans text below the mouse pointer and shows corresponding entries (as in Babylon dictionary)
- no spell check (maybe can be implemented by a third-party application?)
- many users memorize common dictionary (each has own statistics)
- some users can edit dictionary and others cannot
- individual settings for each user
- autocompletion of transcription (you do not have to type transcription) with possibility to correct
- stats: plot of number of learned entries (day scale)
- stats: time spent memorizing cards daily (graph)
- Simple toolbar should have the following buttons: Add items, Edit items, Deck statistics.
- Browser of entries
- to add the possibility to make some fields unique and then to get the message: you have repetitions and a window for correcting all repetitions. When importing new entries, they should all be imported and then a window should appear: You have repetitions and a window opens for correcting all repetitions.
- changes made in Edit facts window should immediately update Card list
- possibility to attach any files to entries
- possibility to cross-link entries
- scrollbars in fields (needed if a field contains a lot of text or pictures)
- possibility to see entry with empty fields hidden and non-empty fields expanded (to quickly and easily get understanding what the entry contains)

Bugs:

- When I change the size of toolbar icons in Edit => Preferences => Advanced => Toolbar icons size their size changes only after restarting Anki
- When I check/decheck Simple toolbar in Edit => Preferences => Advanced it changes only after Anki is restarted
- during import of a list of facts with many fields the window of import gets too high and does not fill to the monitor screen: scroll bar should appear
- why not to place Toolbar buttons in line with main menu?
- card list in Edit entries window shows names of fields in line with their contents, for example: Rus: Rus explanation: Eng: plant (2 fields are empty, the 3rd field contains information)
- blank sign in the end of a field is preserved and the fields differing only with a blank (for example:computerANDcomputer ) are considered by the program to be not identical.

Questions:

- Is it possible to use Anki for memorizing objects by seeing their pictures, for example, to learn to recollect name of people by seeing their photos?

Place 2

BX Language Acquisition www.bxmemo.narod.ru (in Russian only)

Implemented features (different from features of the program at place 1):

- reminder that it's time to learn entries
- TTS slideshow mode (without pressing any button) with command "Learned" - you do morning exercises or cleaning and simultaneously memorize cards by listening to them. The mode can use 3rd party text-to-speech engine, such as eSpeak. You will have to indicate which fields you would like to be voiced. When you feel that you already remember a card, you press the button "Learned"
- showing the number of learned entries in dictionary
- many users mode (common dictionary, separate statistics)
- automatic swith of keyboard layout while swithcing fields

Best offline flashcard programs for Windows (considering possibility to mark words as learned during listening to flashcards)

Place 1

BX Language Acquisition

Description see above.

Flashcard programs I did not like (alphabetically):

Exdictionary 1.0
Memorize-It 4
MemoryLifter 1.6
Studycard Studio Lite 2.5 - mac and palm
Ultimate Vocabulary 2006
Vocabulary Wizard 6.7
VTrain 5.2
WinFlash Educator 10
WordPal 1.14
WordQuiz 5.4

Язык эсперанто

2009-12-29T10:16:00.009Z

Эсперанто - это простой для изучения, логичный и демократичный всемирный язык.
Общественно создаваемая статья об эсперанто в Википедии.
Сайт об эсперанто: www.discoverfuture.blogspot.com.
Статьи об эсперанто на русском с сайта www.discoverfuture.blogspot.com.
Статьи об эсперанто на эсперанто с сайта www.discoverfuture.blogspot.com.
Статьи об эсперанто на английском с сайта www.discoverfuture.blogspot.com.
Статьи (на русском) об эсперанто-движении в Киргизстане с сайта www.discoverfuture.blogspot.com.
Статьи (на эсперанто) об эсперанто-движении в Киргизии с сайта www.discoverfuture.blogspot.com.

Portal into Esperanto

2009-12-29T10:15:00.008Z

Esperanto is an easy to learn, logical and democratic world language.

Neutral article about Esperanto in Wikipedia
Portal into Esperanto
Promotion article about Esperanto
Esperantists
Interesting facts about Esperanto
Esperanto textbooks
Esperanto learning software
Esperanto dictionaries and encyclopedias
Memorizing Esperanto words
Teaching e-books in Esperanto
Code of Esperantist
Esperanto forum
Esperanto instant messaging
News related to Esperanto
Audiobooks in Esperanto
Esperanto radios
Esperanto TV
Websites about Esperanto
Esperanto books
Esperanto online courses
Esperanto speech recognition
Esperanto text-to-speech
Esperanto in politics
Esperanto grammar checker
Esperanto spellchecker
Esperanto future events
Esperanto organizations
Esperanto quotations
Esperanto translation software
Esperanto translators (people)
Esperanto films
Esperanto pictures
Esperanto music
Esperanto chat
Esperanto souvenirs
How to help to spread Esperanto

Зарегистрируйтесь эсперантистом

2009-12-06T14:43:00.001Z

Если вы интересуетесь эсперанто, вам следует зарегистрироваться эсперантистом на www.lernu.net и максимально подробно там себя охарактеризовать. Вы попадёте в базу данных по эсперантистам всего мира.

Эсперанто ресурсы

2009-12-06T14:41:00.003Z

об эсперанто в общем

- www.discoverfuture.blogspot.com сайт Доценко Дмитрия на En, Eo, Ru

электронные самоучители на русском

- Анна и Мати Пентус Самоучитель эсперанто для полиглотов www.lpcs.math.msu.su/~pentus/eti.htm#eti_lern кратчайший самоучитель на Ru

- Колкер Б. Г. Учебник языка эсперанто. Основной курс. www.esperanto.mv.ru/Lernolibro большой самоучитель на Ru

курсы в инете

www.lernu.net на многих языках

off-line курсы

- Kurso de esperanto www.cursodeesperanto.com.br на многих языках

off-line электронные словари и энциклопедии

- eVortaro www.eVortaro.ru

Программная оболочка для словарей эсперанто.

Файлы словарей вам следует поместить в папку с установленной прогой (по умолчанию C:\Program Files\eVortaro). Если они в виде архивов, то разархивируйте в ту же папку.

Нужный словарь вы сможете выбирать из запущенной проги (иконка зелёная книга-загрузить словарь).

Загружаемые словари:

словарь Бокарёва v. 8.6.1

Esp ↔ Rus

ок. 30 500 слов

словарь комповых терминов kompleks

Esp → Rus, Eng

Rus → Esp, Eng

Eng → Esp, Rus

ок. 2 900 слов

- словарь „revo“ (reta vortaro, словарь, создаваемый публично в инете)

ок. 20 100 words

Esp → Rus, Bel, Eng + толкования Esp слов на Esp

Rus → Esp, Bel, Eng + толкования Esp слов на Esp

Вы можете создать один словарь из этих 3-х, используя прогу “Объединение словарей для eVortaro”.

- La vortaro www.la-vortaro.net

Словарная оболочка La vortaro.

Сначала установите словарную оболочку, потом словари

Esp ↔ Eng

Esp ↔ Ger.

Установка словарной оболочки:

Запустите La vortaro.exe. Кликните Start один раз чтобы установить прогу. Кликните Farite (Сделано).

- offline Википедия на Eo для разных платформ без картинок, подключаемая к программе TomeRaider www.TomeRaider.com. Википедия - лучшая и крупнейшая энциклопедия в мире.

проги для изучения слов

- BX Language Acquisition www.BXmemo.narod.ru

обучающие электронные книги на Esp

- Claude Piron “Gerda malaperis” Клод Пирон “Герда исчезла” www.alumni.aitec.edu.au/~bwechner/Documents/Esperanto/gerda.htm

- Claude Piron “Lasu min paroli plu” Клод Пирон “Позвольте рассказать больше” www.esperantorama.free.fr/lingvo/lasu_eo/lasu.htm

базы данных эсперантистов

- www.lernu.net мировая база данных, сайт на многих языках.

сайты

- www.lernu.net

- www.discoverfuture.blogspot.com сайт Доценко Дмитрия на Eo, En, Ru

email курсы для русскоговорящих

- www.ikso.net/esperanto-kurso на базе самоучителя Колкера "Основной курс эсперанто".

Статьи, объясняющие необходимость общего языка

- www.mi.anihost.ru/marsiane.htm Правда ли, что Эсперанто придумали марсиане?

Форумы

- www.e-novosti.info/forumo главный форум на эсперанто и на русском (смешанно) об эсперанто и других вещах

Новости

- www.e-novosti.info/blog новости на русском об эсперанто движении в мире (особенно в России)

Занимательные факты об эсперанто

2009-12-06T14:38:00.003Z

- Венгры могут выбирать между несколькими языками, сдавая вступительные экзамены в вузы. 4-ый язык в списке - эсперанто.

(из www.wikipedia.org)

- Википедия (крупнейшая энциклопедия в мире) на эсперанто - это один из немногих разделов Википедии, включающих более 10 000 статей.

(из www.wikipedia.org)

- Некоторые русские слова были заимствованы из эсперанто: эсперанто (esperanto), интергельпо (interhelpo, говоря точнее, - из идо), хомаранизм (homaranismo), Лингво (Lingvo, название электронного словаря).

- Некоторые английские слова были заимствованы из эсперанто: Esperanto (esperanto), homaranism (homaranismo), Lingvo (Lingvo, название электронного словаря).

- Изучение эсперанто ускоряет изучение других языков.

Зачем учить эсперанто?

2009-12-06T14:36:00.002Z

Вы хотите...?

- стать гражданином виртуальной страны эсперанто в Интернете и свободно общаться и дружить с тысячами людей почти во всех странах, чего вы не могли ранее из-за незнания их языков?

- получить ключ к сердцам высокообразованных, талантливых, интересных и прогрессивных людей, концентрация которых среди эсперантистов намного выше, чем среди общей массы людей?

- получить доступ к сокровищам мировой культуры?

- легче и быстрее наладить свой бизнес на международном уровне?

- путешествовать по всему миру, имея возможность останавливаться у своих друзей-эсперантистов?

- при достаточном усердии уже через несколько месяцев владеть ещё одним языком?

- при необходимости легче и быстрее изучить другие языки, приобретя интернациональный базовый словарный запас, натренировав ум и выработав языковое "чутьё"?

Тогда найдите в Интернете и прочитайте статью об эсперанто, самом простом для изучения и логичном языке из всех существующих. Вы обязательно заинтересуетесь им, начнёте изучать и полюбите его.

С вашей помощью эсперанто быстрее станет всемирно признанным основным интернациональным языком, а вы станете человеком будущего, ведь будущее - за эсперанто!

Что такое эсперанто

2009-12-06T14:35:00.003Z

Разноязычие всегда мешало людям общаться друг с другом, поэтому с древнейших времён они мечтали о языке, понятном для всех. Он имел бы огромное значение в деле сближения людей в разных сферах деятельности: в науке, коммерции, туризме, спорте и т. д. Введение общего языка для всего человечества изменило бы наш мир до неузнаваемости, ускорило прогресс и вывело человечество на новый этап развития. Каждому человеку достаточно было бы освоить лишь один язык, чтобы общаться с кем угодно в любой точке мира.

Мы пытаемся переводить сочинения каждого этноса на языки остальных, но это очень трудоёмкое и дорогостоящее дело. К тому же, мы можем перевести только малую часть мировой литературы, всё остальное остаётся недоступным для нас. Но если бы существовал признанный во всём мире интернациональный язык, тогда все произведения нужно было бы перевести лишь на один этот язык, а множество из них было бы написано уже на нём, и все достижения человеческой мысли стали бы доступными для каждого.

Мы тратим огромное количество времени, денег и сил на изучение языков. Но большинство так и не осваивает ни одного иностранного языка так, чтобы свободно пользоваться им. Все бы выиграли, если бы, благодаря существованию признанного всеми интернационального языка, могли посвятить это время изучению других полезных вещей. Только представьте: вместо того, чтобы учить разные языки, все изучили бы один единственный и могли бы понимать друг друга.

Если бы для общения со всем миром нужно было бы изучить лишь один язык - везде появилось бы много учителей этого языка, обучающих курсов, люди выучили бы этот язык с большим удовольствием и усердием, и, в конце концов, все родители приучали бы своих детей к этому языку с рождения.

Какой же из языков нужно принять в качестве основного интернационального языка для всего человечества? Им может стать или один из мёртвых языков, или один из живых этнических языков, или язык, специально созданный для этого.

Среди мёртвых языков внимания заслуживает лишь латинский. Он уже давно используется в качестве интернационального языка для научной терминологии, однако он очень сложен, и в нём нет современных понятий. К тому же даже в свои лучшие времена он использовался только элитой на ограниченной территории.

Среди естественных языков сейчас больше шансов стать единым для всего человечества у английского. Но если он когда-нибудь и станет всемирно признанным основным интернациональным языком, то точно не скоро, даже не в этом веке. Потому что большинство людей не знает английского, а большинство тех, кто его знает (как иностранный), владеют им плохо. Изучает английский в основном молодежь. Выучивает - лишь малая её часть. Возможность изучать английский есть только у достаточно обеспеченных людей. Бедные люди, которых в мире сотни миллионов, его не изучают, потому что у них нет возможности тратить годы времени, много труда и денег.

Кроме того, нет гарантии, что английский долгое время будет популярен. Когда-то популярным был латинский, потом французский, в ближайшем будущем ещё больше окрепнет китайский. Сравните: английским владеют около 330 млн. человек, китайским - около 1,1 млрд. То есть, в 3 раза больше.

К тому же, использование английского в качестве интернационального является дискриминацией людей, говорящих на других языках. Жители англоговорящих стран получают огромное преимущество по сравнению с остальными: они ведь не должны учить английский как иностранный!

Человечеству нужен нейтральный язык, не принадлежащий ни одной стране и очень лёгкий для изучения, чтобы даже бедные люди во всём мире могли освоить его в короткие сроки.

Таким языком может стать язык, специально созданный логичным и лёгким для изучения. Было предложено много таких языков, но абсолютным лидером среди них стал эсперанто. Дело в том, что он за многие годы уже опробован в разных сферах деятельности и замечательно выполняет всё, что мы можем ожидать от интернационального языка. В чём же его преимущества? Дело в том, что в любом этническом языке много сложностей и исключений. Эсперанто же вобрал в себя лучшее из разных языков. Он не уступает им в богатстве, красоте, гибкости и выразительности. Эсперанто во много раз легче для изучения. Основные языки-источники эсперанто - это французский, английский, немецкий и русский. Вклад русского языка в эсперанто значителен, поэтому оба языка близки друг другу.

У эсперанто один недостаток - его знает мало людей. По разным оценкам - от 10 тыс. до 2 млн. Но это легко исправить. В случае его официального мирового признания и поддержки, им могли бы овладеть во всём мире не только интеллигентные и богатые, но даже бедные и необразованные люди.

Книги об эсперанто и на эсперанто есть в библиотеках. В Интернете сотни сайтов на эсперанто. Там вы найдёте всё необходимое для его изучения и использования: самоучители, обучающие программы, бесплатные курсы, электронные словари. А также песни, художественную и научную литературу, фильмы. В крупнейшей энциклопедии мира - Википедии - есть раздел на эсперанто, имеющий более 60 000 статей. В on-line словаре Traperko 135 000 слов эсперанто. На этом языке выходят газеты, вещают радиостанции. В Интернете есть телевидение на эсперанто. В 2000 г. в продажу поступило около 300 наименований книг и брошюр на эсперанто, включая учебники. Ежегодно в разных странах проводятся всемирные конгрессы эсперантистов (Universala Kongreso). В среднем в конгрессе участвует около 2 000 человек из 60 государств. В Китае, Венгрии, Болгарии и некоторых других странах эсперанто преподаётся в школах и вузах, а в России обсуждается вопрос включения эсперанто в обязательную программу школ и вузов.

Эсперантисты есть почти во всех странах. Л. Н. Толстой, И. Б. Тито, Жюль Верн, Иоанн Павел II и другие известные люди были поклонниками эсперанто.

Алфавит эсперанто построен на основе латинского. В отличие от английского, каждая буква читается всегда одинаково, независимо от места в слове и сочетания с другими буквами. Ударение в словах падает на предпоследний гласный звук. Таким образом, даже впервые увидев слово, вы не ошибётесь в произношении. Эсперанто очень благозвучен и похож на итальянский. Лексика большей частью интернациональная, поэтому значение многих слов вы сможете угадать. Например: studento, direktoro, lampo. Для приличного уровня владения эсперанто достаточно знать около 700-800 корней, а многие другие понятия создаются при помощи окончаний, приставок, суффиксов и соединения корней. Так, приставка mal- придает слову противоположный смысл, например: bona - хороший, malbona - плохой; varma - теплый, malvarma - холодный. Суффикс -in- означает женский род: patrino - мать; studentino - студентка. Суффикс -il- означает орудие: flugi - лететь, flugilo - крыло. Все существительные имеют окончание -o (sporto), прилагательные -a (sporta), наречия -e (bone). У глаголов всего 3 времени. Отсутствуют склонения, роды, спряжения, неправильные глаголы.
Может возникнуть вопрос: почему эсперанто до сих пор не стал популярным? Причина в том, что мало кто верит, что эсперанто не уступает естественным языкам в красоте, гибкости и выразительности. Да и не все знают об эсперанто, потому что ни в одной стране он не является официальным языком.
Эсперантистов тысячи, но они разбросаны по всему миру. Раньше им было трудно взаимодействовать. Но мир изменился. Теперь эсперантисты могут общаться не только при личной встрече, на интернациональных конгрессах, по почте и телефону, но и через Интернет. И хотя нет стран с эсперанто в качестве официального языка, есть виртуальная страна эсперанто в Интернете. Любой желающий может стать ее гражданином. Сейчас благодаря Интернету сообщество эсперантистов растёт, развивается и крепнет.

P.S.

Статья создана с использованием www и Лингвистического энциклопедического словаря (Ярцева, 1990)

Автор: Доценко Дмитрий (Dmitry Dotsenko, DOCENKO Dmitrijo, www.discoverfuture.blogspot.com).
Бишкек, Киргизия
Apr 2007
Текст статьи можно найти на www.discoverfuture.blogspot.com.
Вы можете распространять эту статью, но ссылаясь на сайт и имя автора.
Шлите предложения на dmitry-dotsenko [AT] mail [DOT] ru.

Dmitry Dotsenko

2009-12-06T14:11:00.007Z

Name:
   Esperanto: DOCENKO Dmitrij
   English: Dmitrii Dotsenko
   Russian: Доценко Дмитрий
City: Bishkek
Nation: Kirgizstan
Occupation: translator-interpreter (English-Russian)

Relationship status: single.
Languages:
   Russian (freely, native language)
   English (almost freely, 1st foreign language)
   Esperanto (basic level, worldwide international)
Religious views: atheist.
Born: 1986
Email: dmitrii [DOT] dotsenko [AT] gmail [DOT] com
Website: www.discoverfuture.blogspot.com
Social network: http://vk.com/id9506560
Hobbies: investment, English, software, Esperanto, running, agriculture.
Favorite music: listen to music very little.
Favorite films in English: Zeitgeist, Zeitgeist: Addendum, Ultimate Survival (Man vs Wild), Money as Debt, Numbers, Future Car, Occupation 101, The Way to Happiness.
Favorite books in English:Guide to investing by Robert Kiyosaki, Increase your financial IQ by Robert Kiyosaki, Retire young retire rich by Robert Kiyosaki.
Favorite games: basketball.
Alcohol, tobacco, gambling and other drugs: no.
Height: 184 cm.
Weight: 70 kg.
Children: no.

Follow Dmitrii Dotsenko by email

Holidays in Kyrgyzstan

2009-12-06T14:07:00.001Z

Some holidays (or just days) in Kyrgyzstan

The list has ecological orientation. Official holidays are marked with "-".

- 1 Jan New Year's Day
- 7 Jan Xmas
31 Jan Day of giving up smoking

14 Feb Universal day of lovers
- 23 Feb Day of defender of fatherland

- 8 Mar Universal day of women
- 21 Mar Kirgiz New year Nooruz
22 Mar Day of clean water
last Saturday Mar Day of planting trees

7 Apr Universal day of health
22 Apr Earth Day

- 1 May Day of solidarity of workers
- 5 May Day of constitution
- 9 May Victory day, victory of the USSR in Great Patriotic War
last Sunday May Day of chemist

5 Jun Universal day of defending environment

11 Jul Day of population

- 31 Aug Independence day, independence of Kirgizia from nobody knows what, what to celebrate?

27 Sep Universal day of tourism
3-d Sunday Sep Day of gardeners

4 Oct Universal day of animals
10 Oct Day of nature of Central Asia
24 Oct The United Nations Day
2-d Sunday Oct Day of agricultureres

- 7 Nov Consent & reconciliation day, what to celebrate?

8 Dec Day of purity of environment
11 Dec Universal day of mountains, since 2002
15 Dec Universal day of Esperanto (birth of Zamenhof - creator of Esperanto)
24 Dec Adoption of the law fixing in Kirgizia's constitution Russian as official language, in 2001
29 Dec Universal day of biodiversity

Esperanto dictionaries and encyclopedias

2009-09-13T08:44:00.047Z

This post is about any dictionaries and encyclopedias related to Esperanto.

Best dictionary software
Biggest collection of dictionaries (including Esperanto dictionaries) in .dsl and .lsd formats (for GoldenDict, ABBYY Lingvo etc.) (website in Russian): www.lingvodics.com
Collaborative online free biggest-in-the-world Esperanto encyclopedia: Wikipedia in Esperanto
Article about Esperanto dictionaries in Esperanto Wikipedia
Collaborative online dictionaries of Esperanto Vikivortaro and Reta Vortaro

Register as an esperantist

2009-06-19T10:37:00.005Z

If you are interested in Esperanto, you should register as an Esperantist on http://www.lernu.net/ and to leave there as much information about you as possible. You’ll get into database of Esperantists worldwide.

Esperanto resources

2009-06-16T10:49:00.005Z

About Esperanto in general

- www.discoverfuture.blogspot.com site of Dmitry Dotsenko in En, Eo, Ru

E-textbooks in Rus

- Анна и Мати Пентус Самоучитель эсперанто для полиглотов
http://www.lpcs.math.msu.su/~pentus/eti.htm#eti_lern/ very brief textbook in Rus

- Колкер Б. Г. Учебник языка эсперанто. Основной курс. http://www.esperanto.mv.ru/Lernolibro/ big textbook in Ru

On-line courses

- http://www.lernu.net/ in many langs

Off-line courses

- Kurso de esperanto http://www.cursodeesperanto.com.br/ in many langs

Off-line electronic dictionaries and encyclopedias

- eVortaro http://www.eVortaro.ru/
Software shell for Esperanto dics.
Dic files you should place into folder with installed software (as default C:\Program Files\eVortaro). If they are archives, decompress them into the same folder.
A necessary dic you will be able to choose from started software shell (icon green book-download dic).
Attachable dics:
dic of Bokaryov v. 8.6.1
Esp ↔ Rus
ab. 30 500 words
computer terms dic kompleks
Esp → Rus, Eng
Rus → Esp, Eng
Eng → Esp, Rus
ab. 2 900 words
- dic „revo“ (reta vortaro, dic created publicly in inet)
ab. 20 100 words
Esp → Rus, Bel, Eng + word meanings of Esp words in Esp
Rus → Esp, Bel, Eng + word meanings of Esp words in Esp
You can create 1 dic from these 3 dics using software “Объединение словарей для eVortaro” (Combining dics for eVortaro).

- La vortaro http://www.la-vortaro.net/
Software shell La vortaro.
First install the software, then dics
Esp ↔ Eng
Esp ↔ Ger.
Installation of the software:
Start La vortaro.exe. Click Start once to install the software. Click Farite (Done).

- offline Wikipedia in Eo for different platforms without pictures used with program TomeRaider http://www.TomeRaider.com/. Wikipedia is the best and biggest encyclopedia in the world.

Software to learn words

- BX Language Acquisition http://www.BXmemo.narod.ru/

Teaching e-books in Esp

- Claude Piron “Gerda malaperis” Claude Piron “Gerda disappeared” http://www.alumni.aitec.edu.au/~bwechner/Documents/Esperanto/gerda.htm/
- Claude Piron “Lasu min paroli plu” Claude Piron “Let me tell more” http://www.esperantorama.free.fr/lingvo/lasu_eo/lasu.htm/

Database of esperantists

- http://www.lernu.net/ world data base, the site is in many langs

Websites

- http://www.lernu.net/ the best site i know

- www.discoverfuture.blogspot.com site of Dmitry Dotsenko in Eng, Eo, Ru

Email courses for Russian-speaking people

- http://www.ikso.net/esperanto-kurso/ on the base of the textbook of Kolker "Osnovnoj kurs Esperanto" ("Basic course of Esperanto")

Articles explaining the necessity of a common language

- http://www.mi.anihost.ru/marsiane.htm/ Is it true that Esperanto was created by the Martians? (in Russian)

Forums

- http://www.e-novosti.info/forumo/ main forum in Esperanto and Russian (mixed) about Esperanto and other things

News

- http://www.e-novosti.info/blog/ news in Russian about Esperanto movement in the world (especially in Russia)

Interesting facts about Esperanto

2009-06-16T10:46:00.003Z

- Hungarians may elect between several languages when taking their university entrance exam and that Esperanto is the fourth language on the list?
(from http://www.wikipedia.org/)

- Wikipedia in Esperanto (Vikipedio) is one of the few Wikipedias with over 10,000 articles.
(from http://www.wikipedia.org/)

- Some Russian words were taken from Esperanto: эсперанто (esperanto), интергельпо (interhelpo, to say more exactly - from ido), хомаранизм (homaranismo), Лингво (Lingvo, name of a computer dictionary).

- Some English words were taken from Esperanto: Esperanto (esperanto), homaranism (homaranismo), Lingvo (Lingvo, name of a computer dictionary).

- Learning of Esperanto speeds up learning other languages.

- Online dictionary Traperko has about 135 000 Esperanto words.

What is Esperanto?

2009-06-12T10:59:00.003Z

A great number of languages has always disturbed communication between different peoples. Therefore people from ancient time have dreamed about a language understandable by everyone. It would be very useful to unite people, especially in the sphere of science, commerce, tourism, sport. The introduction of a language common to all mankind will change our world beyond recognition, will bring the humanity to the next stage of development. The progress will speed up significantly. Just think: any man will be able to communicate with anyone in any spot of the world. Everyone will have to learn only one language.

We try to translate works of every people into the languages of others, but it's nonproductive, laborious, expensive. And we can translate only small part of world literature. The most of it is still inaccessible for us. But if the only international language existed every literary work in the world would be translated into this language and many works would be written in it already. So all intellectual wealth would be accessible for everyone.Our life is too short. We must learn and study all the time. Alas! We spend a great part of our time nonproductively learning languages. We would benefit if thanks to existing of common language we would be able to pay attention to more important things. Instead of learning different languages people would be able to learn only one understandable by everyone.

We must understand that if all people knew that it's enough to learn only one language to communicate with the whole world, a lot of good teachers, teaching courses would appear, everyone would learn this language with great pleasure and eagerness. Finally all parents would bring up their children speaking this language.

The international language for all people can be one of the dead languages (for example, Latin) or one of the national languages (for example, English) or a specially constructed artificial language.

Among dead languages only Latin deserves attention. Latin has been used as international for long. Students in many countries are obliged to learn Latin. But have you ever met people speaking Latin well? No, because Latin is too difficult to learn and does not have modern notions. By the way, even during the prosperity of Latin only elite could speak it.

Among national languages only English has a chance to become really international. But even if it happens so it will be in many years from now, even not in this century. Because more than 5.5 billion people don't know English. And most of those who know English as foreign can not speak it well. Mainly young people learn English. Only some of them take it seriously. And there are hundreds of millions of poor people in the world. They do not learn English because they do not have possibilities to waist years, to put great efforts into it and to spend much money.

Moreover there is no guarantee that English will be popular for long. Once French was very popular, soon Chinese will become stronger.Furthermore usage of English as the only international language will subject other languages to discrimination. English-speaking nations get great advantage in comparison with others, because they have not to learn English as a foreign language!

The humanity needs a neutral language not belonging to any nation and very simple to learn.Esperanto can be such a language. Why Esperanto and not another constructed language? Because Esperanto happened to be the most successful among all constructed languages. It has been tested in different situations for many years and has proved its ability to become a language common to all mankind. But why is Esperanto so suitable for international communication? English has a plenty of difficulties and exceptions. Esperanto has taken the best features of many languages. It is not inferior to English in the beauty, flexibility and expressiveness. Esperanto is much easier than English. The main languages used to construct Esperanto are French, German, English and Russian. Contribution of Russian is significant therefore the structures of both languages are similar.

Esperanto has one disadvantage: only about 2 million people know it. But it is easy to change. If it is accepted as the main international language, already in a few months not only rich and well-educated people but also poor and uneducated people all over the world would be able to speak it.

I'll introduce to you the structure of Esperanto.

The alphabet of Esperanto is based on the Latin alphabet. Every letter is always read the same. One letter – one sound. So it's easy to read and to write a new word correctly. The stress is fixed and is always on the last but one vowel sound. For example: absoluta, adreso, aero, aktiva, aktuale. Esperanto is very euphonic and resembles Italian.

The vocabulary consists of international words. So many words will be familiar to you. For example: akvo, akurata, analizi. It is enough to know 1200 roots to speak Esperanto, because a speaker can knowingly construct other words adding to a root prefixes, suffixes and endings every of which has its certain meaning. For example the prefix mal- gives an opposite meaning: bona – malbona; varma – malvarma. The suffix –in- denotes females: patro – patrino; onklo – onklino. The suffix –il- denotes a tool: flugi – flugilo.

The grammar of Esperanto is amazingly simple in comparison with grammars of national languages. Only 11 endings are used:
-o noun: sporto
-a adjective: sporta
-j plural: studentoj
-n accusative: Mi amas cin.
-e adverb: bone
-i infinitive: sporti
-is past tense: sportis
-as present tense: sportas
-os future tense: sportos
-u imperative mood: sportu
-us conditional mood: sportus.

There are no genders, conjugations, declinations and irregular verbs. There are only two cases: nominative and accusative. Meanings of other cases are expressed with the help of prepositions. There are only 3 tenses: past, present and future.

More than 100 novels have been written in Esperanto. Esperanto has literature translated from more than 50 languages; there is special and scientific literature. There are radio stations broadcasting in Esperanto. There are hundreds of sites in The Internet. Textbooks of Esperanto have been published in more than 50 languages.

There are Esperanto associations in tens of nations on all continents. From time to time Esperanto is used as a working language during international scientific congresses.

Maybe you have a question, why has not Esperanto become popular yet? It is because some people do not know what Esperanto is because yet there is no country with Esperanto being an official language. And the UN does not consider the problem of multilinguism. Also few people believe that Esperanto is not inferior to national languages in the beauty, flexibility and expressiveness. Instead of opposing they should read something about Esperanto in The Internet, to look through its textbook.

There are many, hundreds of thousands and even millions of Esperantists. But their movement was weak because they did not have one center. Esperantists are spread all over the world. It was difficult for them to cooperate and to communicate.

But the world has changed. Now one geographic center is not necessary. Any Esperantist can communicate to any another one via The Internet. Yes, now there is no country with Esperanto being an official language. But a virtual country of Esperanto exists in The Internet. Anyone wishing can become a citizen of the country of Esperanto. Thanks to The Internet the number of Esperantists grows rapidly.

P.S.

The article was made using information from: www and "Лингвистический энциклопедический словарь" (Ярцева, 1990).

Author: Dmitry Dotsenko (Доценко Дмитрий, DOCENKO Dmitrijo, www.discoverfuture.blogspot.com).
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
2005
The text of this article can be found on www.discoverfuture.blogspot.com.
You can spread this article, but you must refer to the name and the site of the author.
Send your suggestions to dmitry-dotsenko [AT] mail [DOT] ru.