Esperanto
Sir: Mr Albert Goodheir's letter about Esperanto was admirably logical and objective. The pupils who were taught Esperanto in the experimental scheme suggested by Mr Goodheir would reap other advantages to add to their more rapid progress than the pupils learning other modern languages.
Esperanto opens the door to contact not
with only one or two other cultures, as French, for example, does, but with the civilisation of up to eighty other countries of the world. This contact can be made on a personal level through letters or visits, by reading translations, often of works not available in English translations, or by reading the international Esperanto publications, like Herold() de Esperanto, which deal with life and letters in countries all over the world.
Some learners of Esperanto will also aspire to join people of many other countries at the annual Universal Esperanto Congress, to be held this year in Athens. Such an experience of international relations on the shared basis of a common language is enriching and, in these days of international tension at government level, does something to restore one's faith in the future of the world.
Sidney Fox 2, Cedar Close, Epsom, Surrey
Previous page
