[GB/Eo] Esperanto

I am currently learning Esperanto* online and it is quite fascinating. apparently most people are fluent after a few weeks-months and some master the language in a few days! Esperanto is one of about 25 communication media I intend to know and use in my life-time and I think it would be a good idea for everyone to learn it. So if you are an esperantist (speaker thereof) here is a forum to talk in and/or about esperanto and help others learn. If you would like to learn then may I suggest www.lernu.net? it's free and you are referred to a real life correspondant who will send their corections and comment back within 24hr. it also has way more members than we do and would be a great way to make new friends (mainly europeans). However one of the most valued reasons for esperanto, indeed the sole reason for some people learning it is the pastorta-servo which is a servis for esperantists whereby esperantists put thier names on a list which is published regularly and they are then entitled to offen a visiting esperantist at least one night's logings. often there are some restrictions but more often than not people are happy to offer a group logogs and food for some days and it is in this way possible to travel around the world cheaper (most are in europe...in 2004, there were more such people in france than all of south america or africa. "As of 2005, there are 1364 hosts in 89 countries." www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasporta_Servo

*"Esperanto is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. The name derives from Doktoro Esperanto, the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof first published the Unua Libro in 1887. The word itself means 'one who hopes'. Zamenhof's goal was to create an easy and flexible language as a universal second language to foster peace and international understanding.

Although no country has adopted the language officially, it has enjoyed continuous usage by a community estimated at between 100,000 and 2 million speakers. By some estimates, there are about a thousand native speakers.

Today, Esperanto is employed in world travel, correspondence, cultural exchange, conventions, literature, language instruction, television (Internacia Televido) and radio broadcasting. Some state education systems offer elective courses in Esperanto, and there is evidence that learning Esperanto is a useful preparation for later language learning." -www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esperanto