Actually, since Esperanto is based primarily on Indo-European languages, its grammar is simple for speakers of other IE languages to pick up but it's not necessarily that easy for those coming from other language families. The big problem that Esperanto has is that there are few concentrations of speakers. People learn in classes or independently, but have little contact with other students or speakers outside class or on a day-to-day basis (a must for creating a robust speakers' community).

There is also little in the way of books, especially popular literature. When I took Esperanto, all we could get were cheaply printed pamphlets in the way of reading material. Once I got interested ...

Actually, since Esperanto is based primarily on Indo-European languages, its grammar is simple for speakers of other IE languages to pick up but it's not necessarily that easy for those coming from other language families. The big problem that Esperanto has is that there are few concentrations of speakers. People learn in classes or independently, but have little contact with other students or speakers outside class or on a day-to-day basis (a must for creating a robust speakers' community).

There is also little in the way of books, especially popular literature. When I took Esperanto, all we could get were cheaply printed pamphlets in the way of reading material. Once I got interested in a language and learned the basics, the way I worked on fluency was to get a foreign edition of Lord of the Rings. Since I was very familiar with the English version, I was able to get meaning from context without having to have a dictionary at my elbow. So far, I’ve read LotR in German and Swedish. For Icelandic, I only have The Hobbit, but that worked out, too. However, there just isn’t a market for Esperanto translations.

For me, Esperanto will always remain a curiosity I investigated while on my way to a linguistics degree. Without a community to practice with outside your lessons, or at least a dedicated friend who will learn with you, that’s probably all it’ll ever be for you. Most of the languages I've studied have deteriorated because I don't have the opportunity to practice.

Actually, since Esperanto is based primarily on Indo-European
languages, its grammar is simple for speakers of other IE languages to
pick up but it's not necessarily that easy for those coming from other
language families.

For me, Esperanto will always remain a curiosity I investigated while
on my way to a linguistics degree. Without a community to practice with
outside your lessons, or at least a dedicated friend who will learn
with you, that’s probably all it’ll ever be for you.

Thank you for your insight, jorjor.
What i find fascinating about the concept of Esperanto as a language is precisely the fact THAT it is so artificial and im...

Actually, since Esperanto is based primarily on Indo-European
languages, its grammar is simple for speakers of other IE languages to
pick up but it's not necessarily that easy for those coming from other
language families.

For me, Esperanto will always remain a curiosity I investigated while
on my way to a linguistics degree. Without a community to practice with
outside your lessons, or at least a dedicated friend who will learn
with you, that’s probably all it’ll ever be for you.

Thank you for your insight, jorjor.
What i find fascinating about the concept of Esperanto as a language is precisely the fact THAT it is so artificial and impracticable...and yet it's not just another one of those gibberish languages we used to make up at school (or was that just me and my friends???), but an actual experiment that has been unleased on "real" peopel to play with.

However, there just isn’t a market for Esperanto translations.

That is a real pity! Maybe those of you who have learned the language should get together and do something about that for those of us who are just in their raw beginnings

Most of the languages I've studied have deteriorated because I don't have the opportunity to practice.

I don't think any aspect of language is ever 'lost'...i have found in my own experience that travelling/returning to a country whose language i used to be much more proficient in was perhaps frustrtating for the inital few days, but once i was immersed in the particular linguistic environment, things came back to me in a flash.

Ah - interesting stuff.....why didn't i study linguistics?

And if you want to hear what Esperanto sounds like in actual use, try listening to one of the daily radio brodcasts from Radio Polonia:
http://www.polskieradio.pl/eo/
There are also others from Radio China International, Radio Vaticana and RAI/Italy - direct links to all of them can be found here:
http://esperanto.memlink.ca

And to m-o-n-a and jorjor:
In addition to listening to on-line Esperanto broadcasts every day, you can use it in the 100+ Yahoo discussion groups in Esperanto, or (contrary to what Jorjor stated!) read the truly vast amount of literature (original and translated) available in Esperanto (not all of it still in print though), or talk via Skype, or use it when travelling. ...

And if you want to hear what Esperanto sounds like in actual use, try listening to one of the daily radio brodcasts from Radio Polonia:
http://www.polskieradio.pl/eo/
There are also others from Radio China International, Radio Vaticana and RAI/Italy - direct links to all of them can be found here:
http://esperanto.memlink.ca

And to m-o-n-a and jorjor:
In addition to listening to on-line Esperanto broadcasts every day, you can use it in the 100+ Yahoo discussion groups in Esperanto, or (contrary to what Jorjor stated!) read the truly vast amount of literature (original and translated) available in Esperanto (not all of it still in print though), or talk via Skype, or use it when travelling. Every day, somewhere in the world, there is something going on in Esperanto:
http://www.eventoj.hu/2007.htm
The language is as practically useful as you want to make it.

The Prague Manifesto gives seven good reasons for learning and using Esperanto:
http://lingvo.org/2/3