How can I learn Esperanto easily and quickly?
921587
If you really study and practice seriously, you should be proficient at Esperanto within a few months... the language is so simple (relative to traditional languages), the learning curve is a fraction of the time you are probably expecting!\n\nThe two best sites for learning Esperanto as an English speaker are "http://www.lernu.net/" (online courses) and "http://www.cursodeesperanto.com.br/" (course your download and install on your computer).  Both are free of cost.  If you are the type of person who is motivated by working with someone else, go to "http://pacujo.net/esperanto/course/" to sign up for a free email-based correspondence course where you're assigned a volunteer tutor.\n\nThe Project Gutenberg website has a number of free e-books in Esperanto.  As a beginner you should take a look at "The Esperanto Teacher", a basic grammar book (http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/8177), and their Esperanto Dictionary (http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/16967).\n\nHave fun!
904094
As far as the writing goes, just read, read, read, there is no better way. It doesn't matter what you read as long as it is correct English.\nFor spoken English, you need to immerse yourself in the language. You don't say if you are living in an English speaking country or not. If you're not, is there any chance you could get to one for a few weeks? The idea is to place yourself in a situation where you cannot use your own language. Once this happens you will be amazed at how fast your English comes along. \n\nI don't recommend TV for this purpose as the speed is too fast for a beginner. Real live people will slow down for you. \n\nIf you don't live in an English speaking country, can you get with some other people who are learning English and spend as much time as possible? Ideally also with native speakers. The basic thing is to not speak your own language at all, if you can arrange that for a few weeks, but it's difficult to do it by willpower along, social pressures and sheer loneliness will probably make you fall off the wagon. Best to get right away. The really ideal thing is to stay with an English speaking person and be with them all day every day, for a month or so.\n\nGood luck!
746909
Esperanto  (I speak English, Esperanto, Spanish, and German.  I've also studied Polish and Mandarin) Esperanto was far easier to learn than any of the others, and it opened the world to me. I've had conversations with people from every continent, and every country, and I only had to learn the easiest language on earth to do so.\n\nYou might ask, why is Esperanto easier to learn than any of the other languages? It's because it is a language designed to be simple to learn. Most of the time spent studying a foreign language is spent learning the irregularities and rule exceptions ("I before E except after C", " 'sheep' is both singular and plural", etc). Esperanto has only 16 gramatical rules, and no exceptions to any of the rules.\n\nAnd before you ask, yes you can travel with Esperanto. Read this article in Wikipedia about the Esperanto "Pasporta Servo" (Pasport Service)\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasporta_Servo\n\n\nI don't have a least favorie, so far I haven't found a language I didn't want to learn.
21651
I personally reccomend the Rosetta Stone language education software. It's specifically designed to teach people fast. My father was at conversational italian after an hour a day for six months, and was reading and writing it by the end of the year. I'm going to get a copy before I go to Japan. It comes in almost every language, too.
1088516
I studied this language when I was just 15 because of my mother's orders and its easy actually. Its like learning english minus the correct grammar. \n\nBut the thing is you have to practice or use it frequently or else you will be forgetting it. But don't worry, handouts are also provided. \n\nHave fun.
299940
Total Immersion!\n\nThe best way to learn a foreign language, as most people will tell you is to live in the country where the language is primarily spoken.\n\nIf that's not possible then you just need to be creative and find other ways to immerse yourself in the language. For example:\n\n - Get a subscription to a foreign news publication.\n\n - Use yahoo's foreign language search engines instead of the English ones. (e.g. http://www.yahoo.fr or http://www.yahoo.es)\n\n - Buy a pack of Post-It-Notes, write a foreign word on it and stick it to the object to which it refers (e.g. das fenster on the window)\n\n - Invade foreign chat rooms - if only to see how natives chat to each other, you can join in when you start to feel confident.\n\n - Listen to foreign radio stations. This is even easier now, with many radio stations broadcasting on the internet. (Check out http://www.radiotower.com/)\n\n - Watch DVD's in different languages (Lot's of your favourite DVD's will have the option to watch the movie dubbed in a variety languages.) I recommend watching 'Die Hard' in Spanish!\n\n - Watch foreign TV broadcasts. Again, this is readily available on the internet (Try http://wwitv.com/portal.htm)\n\nOf couse you still need to learn the basics. I recommend buying language software, and books to get you started. However, lessons are also readily available on the internet for free if you know where to look. Check out http://www.about.com and http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/ Both of which are very good for beginners!\n\nGood Luck!
704503
Mi parolas la internacian lingvon!\n\nEsperanto is a language, but not of any country or ethnic group: it is a neutral, international language.\n\n"it has enjoyed continuous usage by a community estimated at between 100,000 and 2 million speakers."\nAccording to Ethnologue.com, there are "200–2000 who speak Esperanto as a first language."\n\n"Esperanto is considerably easier to learn than national languages, since its design is far simpler and more regular. Also, unlike national languages, Esperanto allows communication on an equal footing between people, with neither having the usual cultural advantage favouring a native speaker.\n\nEsperanto's purpose is not to replace any other language, but to supplement them: Esperanto would be used as a neutral language when speaking with someone who doesn't know one's own language. The use of Esperanto would also protect minority languages, which would have a better chance of survival than in a world dominated by a few powerful languages."\n\n"Several research studies demonstrate that studying Esperanto before another foreign language speeds and improves learning the other language."\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaedeutic_value_of_Esperanto\n\nSee more esperanto speakers in Yahoo! Answers:\nhttp://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AgWI19WnhedFIT8ejoMKXhfg5gt.?qid=20061109075820AAbvSuL
263990
The fastest way is immersion.  Surround yourself with French speakers and only speak French.  Carry a translating book and dictionary, and look it up if you don't know it.\n\nI guess the French CD's at the bookstore are okay, but I don't know anyone who has learned a language that way.
136793
I'm fond of Scrabble.  The ESL site below has other suggestions.\n\nI also find that learning songs is a great way to learn the rhythms and patterns of a language.  When I was learning Spanish, French and later Hebrew - I sought out songs like "Eensy Weensy Spider."  It's amazing how indelible those songs are - even when I haven't sung them for years.
293166
Listen to radio and television programs - with American English if you want that, or British English - or the country of your choice.\n\nYou will be dealing with accents, idioms and the speed at which people speak, depending upon where they live.\n\nI learned a lot of Spanish and a bit of Russian by borrowing language tapes from my public library - and children's music and poems.\n\nThere's nothing more delightful than watching Sesame Street in another language - by getting a sense of the rhythm and sounds of the language, I was able to get the basics from these sources.\n\nOnce I was able to say a few phrases and be understood, then I went on to listen to and read more age-appropriate material.\n\nOne thing about listening to radio, TV, CD's or whatever you listen to - don't TRY to understand, just have it on in the background while you're making dinner or relaxing.\n\nI figured this out watching toddlers use and apply language.  When I did that myself- Spanish became easy very quickly.\n\nI hope you find this helpful.  English is a vague and contradictory language - often there are as many exceptions as there are rules.
883729
Take a holiday in a Spanish speaking country...  Try to go where people are not too busy and they willl be more helpful.   When you hear the sounds and have to speak the language you will soon forget to be tongue tied.\n\nOnce you begin speaking learning the language will be easier.
656739
No, it is not complicated.  You can start with a program how to learn it. it will help so much to practice with someone who understand it.  Watching french programs or movie is also a good source to help.\n\n'la bonne chance à vous, vous l'aimerez.'\nGood luck to you, you will love it
835677
I used to think that about myself.  As a matter of fact, I tried learning Spanish in High School when I was 16.  I failed first-year Spanish.  I thought I was not capable of learning a foreign language until I was about 40, and my oldest daughter began taking Spanish in High School.  At that time I realized that I still remembered quite a bit of Spanish, even though I failed the course, and there were 24 years between the two events.  \n\nI tried an experiment.  I began teaching myself Esperanto (I had heard it was the easiest language on earth to learn).  I'm now fluent in Esperanto, and have gone back and studied Spanish and German to the point of being, more-or-less conversational.\n\nAnyone can learn a foreign language, some just learn faster than others.  Different methods work with different people.  You may be someone who can only learn through immersion.  Keep looking at different course methods.  Go to your local public library and try out different types of courses.  You may find one that works for you.\n\nIf you "really want to learn French" don't give up.
1061821
I'm sure that with some determination and a lot of hard work, you can teach yourself just about anything, including basic conversational Italian.\n\nIf you can afford it, I've heard great things about the Rosetta Stone software and they are able to apparently teach you very quickly.\n\nLove as always,\n\nSebastian
246021
For an American, use the Rosetta Stone Software.\n\nExpensive, but perfect in choosing words and sentence structure.\n\nLink to purchase below.
788499
Immersion in the language, living in another culture is, hands-down, the best way.  It's also the most disruptive to your life, and few can do it.\n\nIf you're learning on your own, some general tips for learning languages:\n\n1. Look at people's reviews on Amazon to determine what are some of the best courses.\n\n2. Go to the library and check out different types of courses, and see what works for you best.\n\n3. Put aside 30 - 60 minutes per day and study some each day.\n\n4. If you get discouraged, take a couple of days off, but set your next time to study and stick to it. If you go too long (say a week) between study sessions, you'll start forgetting.\n\n5. Go into the experience realizing that you'll make lots of mistakes, don't worry about them and keep going.\n\n6. Try to find someone better than you in the language to speak with. You can't learn to speak a language without speaking it. If you're trying to learn with someone else who is also learning, you'll lead each other into learning errors.
484223
Pick something from a different family instead.  Russian or Greek.  It would be more challenging than any of the ones you mentioned because it isn't Germanic (like English) or Romance (like Spanish).\n\nBut if you want something easy, go for Italian.  If you speak Spanish, you will learn Italian in no time--assuming you don't get confused and start using words of one when you mean the other.