EL NA UPDA TE Quarterly newsletter published by the Esperanto league for north America 2/199? P.O. Box 1129 • El Cerrito CA 94530 • USA * ISSM 1081-6224 LANGUAGE-LEARNING VIA THE INTERNET Many small languages are becoming better represented on the World-Wide Web, reducing the juggernaut strangle- hold once held by English. The Lakota Sioux have a Web- page which features language lessons in addition to the normal plethora of information about their culture, history, current struggles, etc. Check it out at www.blackhills-info.com/lakota_sioux.Even the Cherokee language with its exotic syllabary can be studied atwww.powersource.com/cocinc. Of course, many non-American languages can be found on-line: look at the Sami people (often called Laplanders) of north Sweden who teach their language at www.itv.se/boreale/samieng.htm. To be sure, Esperanto is not lacking in internet presence: there are several kinds of Esperanto teaching programs available on-line. Look at ftp.cs.Chalmers.se:/pub/users/martinw/ esperanto/veb/lerni.html for a list. Of special interest is the Esperanto Hypercourse, once available only to Macintosh users. Thanks to the inter-platform language Java, the Hypercourse can now be used by any net-capable computer. Check it out at wwwtios.cs.utwente.nl/esperanto/hyperc ourse/index.html. There is also a handy guide to Esperanto grammar at www.dataphone.se/~bertilow/pmeg/index, html. Many studies of language acquisition have looked at how Esperanto fares in relation to other languages. Many of these studies are gathered at the site infoweb.magi.com/~mfettes/studies.html. Of course all of this and much more can be found by following links from ELNA's homepage www.esperanto-usa.org. EBONICS AND GULLAH With all of the recent discussion and confusion about "Black English" a.k.a. Ebonics, there has been little men- tion of the source of the many dialects in question and their history. The language called "Gullah" is spoken primarily in the coastal marshes of South Carolina, Georgia and northeast Florida and the adjacent Sea Islands, where it originated. Black slaves with similar language backgrounds were often separated while awaiting transport to America, and kept apart during the voyage and even after arriving to begin their lives of miserable servitude. Lacking the ability to communicate among themselves, slaves were less likely to rebel. Gullah is the language born of the slaves' need to communicate with each other and with their owners. Originally a pidgin, Gullah became a stable Creole as children grew up speaking this hybrid of English and several dozen African tongues. Many of the words and stock phrases of "Black English" were borrowed from Gullah, and some have even found their way into "stan- dard" English, such as gumbo, cola, yam, goober, okra, banana, jazz, banjo, ragtime, boogie-woogie, rap, hepcat (which begat "hippy"), zombie, square, geek, homeboy, soul brother, chill out, lighten up, right on, blow your top, etc. Although no one can say exactly whether two different ways of speaking are dialects or separate languages, it is clear that in its extreme forms, Gullah is different enough from standard American English to be totally incomprehen- sible to those who have not learned it. Several years ago, an excellent film called "Daughters of the Dust" was filmed in Gullah: the sub-titles were as necessary as they are for films in Dutch or Japanese. The profound influence of Gullah on Ebonics and standard American English is a cultural treasure which deserves to be recognized, appreci- ated and protected. GENDER-FREE PRONOUNS Although the English-language forms of address for women have traditionally displayed marital status, Ms. has won a respectably neutral place in recent years alongside of Mrs. and Miss. Some people want to carry this trend towards further neutrality, and therefore advocate the use of gender-ffee pronouns. They argue that when there is no need to specify the sex of a person, there should be a neutral pronoun to avoid sexist typecasting. "When a student completes the test, he or she may leave the room" is needlessly clumsy. This can be avoided sometimes by using plurals: "when students complete the test, they may leave the room." Yet others suggest that a separate pronoun is needed for many cases. "If you invite a friend, zie must bring zir own sleepingbag." "When you talk to the doctor, ask em if ey can prescribe some pain pills." There are in fact several dozen such proposals in circulation! For a lengthy list and a thorough analysis of the issue, look at www.eecis.udel.edu/~chao/gfp. In Esperanto, we already have access to two ways of addressing this thorny issue: one can use the relative pronoun "tiu" or the neuter pronoun "ĝi". "Kiam la ekzame- non finas studento, tiu rajtas eliri". "Se vi invitas amikon, ĝi kunportu propran dormsakon". UNIVERSAL CIVILIZATION? The historian Samuel Huntington has recently pooh- poohed the idea of a developing world-wide civilization, demonstrating how the various historical blocs of major civilizations are not blending together. But his thesis is based on looking closely at several trends, while com- pletely ignoring others. He writes: "The central elements of any civilization are language and religion. If a universal civilization is emerging, there should be signs of a univer- sal language and a universal religion developing. Nothing of the sort is occurring." Clearly he has not looked at the vibrantly thriving worldwide use of Esperanto! He goes on to say that "despite claims from Western business leaders that the world's language is English, no evidence exists to support this proposition, and the most reliable evidence that does exist shows just the opposite. English speakers dropped from 9.8 percent of the world's population in 1958 to 7.6 percent in 1992. Still, one can argue that English has become the world's lingua franca... the principle language of wider communication. Diplomats, business executives, tourists and the service professionals catering to them need some means of efficient communication, and right now that is largely in English. But this is a form of intercultural communication; it presupposes the existence of separate cultures. Adopting a lingua franca is a way of coping with linguistic and cultural differences, not eliminating them. It is a tool for communication, not a source of identity and community." Esperanto is able to serve both roles better than English can. One can communicate freely with Brazilians, Japanese, Russians, et al. while learning much about their various cultures and one can use Esperanto in the context of the international community of Esperantists, who are, in fact, creating a new culture with its own identity. There is no contradiction in their co-existence: Esperanto functions well both as an interlanguage and as the language of an emerging community. Huntington continues to use the old model of dominance—while he rightly opines that Western culture will not conquer Chinese, Islamic, Hindu, Orthodox, etc. cultures, he simply ignores the birth of a truly supranational culture, that which is being created by Esperantists. I suspect that Baha'is, Unitarians and followers of other "universal" religions would also accuse Huntington of ignoring the development of this other central element of international civilization. [Quoted material from S. Huntington: The Clash of Civili- zations and the Remaking of the World Order (Simon & Schuster 1997)] CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS The editor relies on readers for a steady supply of material for ELNA Update. If you spot an article which deals with language policy or related issues which you believe are appropriate for this humble journal, please send them to the address on the letterhead. Articles, suggestions for articles and all manner of comments are welcome at elna-update@esperanto-usa.org. VIDEO TO TEACH ESPERANTO TO BE FILMED IN SAN FRANCISCO Esperantists from 4 continents and 9 countries gathered in Oakland, CA this past spring to read through the first 4 lessons of the new video course Pasporto al la Tuta Mondo. It is designed not only for individual or classroom instructions but also for educational television. Based on the original concept of Prof. Edwin Grobe, Prof. Paul Gubbins of Manchester, England has adapted this interest- ing story of the adventures of the Bonvolo Family and its guests. The first 4 lessons will be filmed between the 23rd of June and the 9th of July, 1997; 5 more lessons are to be filmed in the summer of 1998, and the final 6 in the summer of! 999. The first 4 lessons will be usable on their own, but we hope to finish this project before the end of the century. We need to have attractive, modern teaching materials for the next century! The 15-lesson course will supply the equivalent of a full semester of college credit as well as introduce a little of the history, culture, and internal idea of Esperanto. The filming this summer has been enabled by more than $40,000 so far collected in donations and advance sales from many parts of the world. After completion of the filming, approximately $40,000 more will be needed for the final editing and technical production of the 4 lessons in the required formats for worldwide use (and later in CD-ROM format). A matching grant of $10,000 has been made by an anonymous Esperantist to help instigate the collection of the next $40,000. Through this matching grant, your donation before the end of 1997 will be automatically doubled. If you intend to help this worthwhile project, make your donation now, and it will produce an additional donation of the same amount. Send orders and/or donations to the video fund at ELNA, P.O. Box 1129, El Cerrito CA 94530, USA. Advance sale price of the entire 15-lesson series is $300, and the first 4 lessons can now be ordered for $85. Questions can be directed to the Commissioner for the Video Course at ELNA, or by e-mail to lusiharmon@aol.com. NEW FROM THE BOOK SERVICE AMERIKA SKIZLIBO, Retro BRAUN. 'litis collection of personal vignettes gives a rich look at life in the USA with special focus on the landscape and its influence. 1990. 59p. 205x140. Paper. USA-Denmark AME001 S8.907S8.45 ANTAL LA KL'LISOJ, Bernard GOL- DEN. A collection of one-act plays with amazing variety—tragicomedies, crime sto- ries, fantasies, comedies—something for everyone! 1994. I88p. 205x145. Paper. Hungary. ISBN 963 571 452 1 ANT007 S1I.40/SI0.85 ASTERIKS ĈE LA OLIMPIAJ LUDOJ, (Jderzo & Gosciiuiy. Trans. Jean-Francois COUSINEAU & Patrick LAGRANGE. As- terix and crew row to Greece where they outwit local athletes by means of Gaulish cunning. 1996. 48p. 290x220. Paper. Cro- atia. ISBN 953-6157-49-7 AST004 SI 1.20/510.65 ASTERIKS KAJ LA NORMANOJ, Uder- zo & Gosciiuiy. Trans. Nedeljko KORASIĈ. A boatload of Vikings attack Asterix's vil- lage with decidedly silly results. 1996. 48p. 290x220. Paper. Croatia. ISBN 953-6157- 25-X AST003 S11.20/S10.65 BAZA L1TERATLRA KRESTOMATIO, Vilmos BENCZIK, ed. A compendium of the most important prose and poetry written in Esperanto in the first 100 years. Third edi- tion 1986. 282p. 185x120. Paper. Hungary. ISBN 963 571 165 4 BAZ002 $9.70/59.20 BELA PETVETURANTINO, LA, Leopold VERMEIREN -Trans. Lode VAN DE VEL- DE. Six erotic stories from the author of "La nuda feino" and "La ludanta lumo". Sophisti- cated psychological insights. 1996. 76p. 200x140. Paper. Belgium. ISBN 90-71205- 67-3 BEL001 59.90/59.40 DEK PRELEGO.I, K. KALOCSA Y. Espe- ranto's most important poet lectures on many themes—literature, other writers, Hungary's place in world culture end history, and of course Zamenhof and Esperanto. 1985. I26p. 200x140. Paper. Hungary, ISBN 963 571 146 8 DEK001 $8.75/58.30 DICCIONARIO ESPERANTO-ESPA- NOL Y ESPANOL-ESPERANTO, Div. A small but amazingly rich dictionary— 25,000 words! New edition 1997. 383p. 135x80. Paper. Spain. ISBN 84-303-0148-8 DIC002 513.70/513.00 DOMAĈO, LA,ANSELMOPetro Exciting crime novella in the style of "Analiza skolo". A nice read in a fresh style. Fourth edition 1994. I9p. 210x145. Paper. Germany. ISBN 3-922570-57-7 DOM001 54.25/54.05 DL TL'REGOJ, LA, John Ronald Rene/ TOLKIEN Trans. William AUI.D. The second installment in the "Hobbit" trilogy in brilliant lively translation. A splendid fantasy talc. 1996. 431 p. 195x145. Bound. Russia. DLT001 524.05/522.80 ESPERANTO, Div. Many styles—Furopop, Classical, New Age—co-mingle in this inter- national project which features musicians from many parts of the world. lyrics in Esperanto, with printed translations in six other languages. CD• 12-page booklet. 1996. Spain. ESP010 525.60/524.30 HILELISMO, L. ZAMENHOF Trans Adolf HOI.ZHAUS. Russian-Esperanto text of ideas which were promulgated by L. L. Zamenhof. It has similar goals to Homaran- ismo but was aimed mainly at Jews. 1972. 86p. 210x145. Paper. Finland. ISBN 951- 9005-24-2 HIL001 59.05/58.60 HUMLRO LAŬ LA SKOTA MANIERO, Andrzej & Remigiusz PETTYN. Most of the classic jokes about the Scots, and many others about people who just happen to live in Scotland. 1985. 84p. 200x140. Paper. Belgium. ISBN 90-71205-60-6 HUM002 59.20/58.75 INĈENIA HIDALGO DON QOIJOTE DE LA MANCHA, Miguel DE CERVANTES Trans. Fernando DE DIEGO. One of the most read and important novels of Spain is translated into elegant prose which well reflects the excellence of the original. A beautiful book with 20 famous engravings by Dore. 1977. 820. 240x170. Bound. Spain. ISBN 84-400-3582-9 ING00I 542.20/540.10 INVERSA VORTARO DE ESPERANTO, Bernhard PABST. Words arranged by the last letter of the word instead of the first. Not only useful for poets, but also for linguists. Includes all roots from "Plena Ilustrita Vort- aro" and "Espcranta Bildvortaro". Detailed introduction. 1989. 91 p. 205x135. Paper. Germany. ISBN .3-922570-59-3 INV003 512.85/512.20 KAJTO-KANONOJ, Kajto. Ibis small col- lection of canons includes all of those which appear on Kajto's albums, plus a few more. They range in difficulty from simple to ex- pert level. All arc fun and clever. An excel- lent means to get groups singing together. 1995. 6p. 295x210. Paper. Netherlands. KA.I004 53.45/53.25 KAJTO-KANTLIBRO, Kajto. A must for all fans of Kajto who like to sing along with the albums! This book includes all songs on all three albums, and presents most of them in the same order in which they are heard. Slick, professionally done. Includes melo- dies, chords, lyrics and even some nice photos of the band at play. 1995. 72p. 295x210. Paper. Netherlands. KAJ005 524.75/523.50 KANTO.F DE L' POPOLO, Keeka & Cantica. Traditional Slovak songs in Espe- ranto translation. Half traditional arrange- ments with folk instruments, half choral settings. Lovely end exotic music. CD'4- page booklet. 1993. Czech Republic. KAN005 513.40/512.75 KVARTETO, Viktor ĈALDAJEV, Gafur GAZ1Z1, Nikolai LOZGKAĈEV, Alen KRIS. A collection of modern poems from the Russian Esperanto School of literature. 1996. 78p. 200x145. Paper. Russia. KVA005 56.85/56.50 MISTERO, Petro ANSELMO. Nice adven- ture-filled novella in the style of the "Analiza skolo". Third edition 1991. 27p. 210x145. Paper. Germany. ISBN 3-922570-53-4 MIS008 54.25/54.05 MONUMENTE PRI ESPERANTO, Hugo RĜLLINGER. A comprehensive catalog of streets, plazas, statues, monuments, ships, comets, etc. named after Zamenhof or Espe- ranto. Many photos and charts. 1997. 1 1 Ip. 235x155. Paper. Netherlands. ISBN 92- 9017-051-4 MON005 $11.40/510.85 NASKIĜO DE LA RUSTIMLNA ŜTAL- RATO, Harry HARRISON The first of the "Stainless Steel Rat" series, translated by a committee but well polished. All fans of sci- fi should have this! 1996. 222p. 195x145. Russia. NAS001 513.75/513.05 NEĜA BLOVADO, LA, Aleksandr PUS- KIN. 'Trans. Antoni GRABOWSKI. A short story from the pen of Russia's greatest poet. Romanticism, irony and a happy ending combine in this classic and inspiring tale. Reprint 1993. 16p. 195x145. Paper. Russia. NEG003 51.90/51.80 NIGRA INSULO, LA, Herge. Trans. Jope- tro DANVY. Tin "Tin and his trusty dog Milou have adventures in Scotland. Of course they defeat the bad guys in the end, meeting many strange characters along the way. Nice cartoon style. 1981. 63p, 295x220. Belgium. ISBN 2-907120-01-8 NTG004 SI 1.80/511.20 NOBLA KORANO, LA. Trans. Italo CTIIU- SS1. Esperanto version of the Holy Koran. Number 10 in the Last-West series. Second edition 1970. 665p. 210x145. Bound. Den- mark. NOB001 S48.20/S45.80 PLI OL HOMO, ESPERANTISTO!, Arnan TORRAS. "Underground" comic book full of vulgarity, depravity and weird- ncss. Fun for adolescents of all ages! 1996. 48p. 295x210. Paper. Croatia. ISBN 953- 96912-0-6 PLI001 S8.75/S8.30 POVLS ESTI SIMPLE, Persone. If you likes "Reĝoj de cindro" from "Vinilkosmo I" you'll like this CD. Good solid rock'n'roll in Esperanto from this excellent trio. CD+8- page booklet. 1996. Sweden. POV001 $18.90/$17.95 PRINCIDINO MARY, Mikail LERMON- TOV. Trans. Nikolaj DANOVSKJJ. This novella is tlie central part of a novel "Hero of Our Epoch" which completely captures the spirit of early-nineteenth-century Russia.' 1996. 71 p. 200x145. Paper. Russia. PRI008 S5.10/S4.85 ROMANTIKULO EN LA XX-A JAR- CENTO, LA, Arnan TORRAS. A collection of pornographic comix which proves that Esperanto is a living language, as capable of indecency as any national tongue. 1996. 48p. 295x210. Paper. Croatia. ISBN 953-96912- 1-4 ROM001 S8.75/S8.30 SENDEMANDAJ RESPONDOJ, A. KALOCSAY. Esperanto's greatest poet addresses many difficult issues of grammar & syntax. We could all benefit from this sage instruction. Good complement of "Lingvaj respondoj". Reprint 1992. 26p. 200x145. Paper. Russia SEN004 S2.55/S2.40 TAGLIBRO DE ANNE FRANK Trans. Nora BAR TEES. This text is more complete than earlier versions of the Diary, for the editors have restored sections previously delated because they dealt with sexual mat- ters or were considered too judgmental of Anne's mother. Good photos & floor plan. I 997. 299p. 2 I Ox 145. Paper. Japan. TAG001 S30.95/S29.40 TEMPO FLĜAS, Div. A collection of twenty five stories originally published in "Monato" selected and edited by William An Id. Great variety of theme and linguistic level. 1995. 159p. 200x140. Paper. Belgium. ISBN 90-71205-62-2 TEM002 $20.50/$19.45 TIELE PAROLIS ZARATLŜTRA, Fried- rich NIETZSCHE Trans. W. A. VERLO- REN VAN THEMAAT. Translation of one of modern philosophy's best known works. 1977. 366p. 210x145. Paper. Finland. ISBN 951-9005-40-4 TIE002 * $26.65/525.30 TRAVEL TALK7NI vYjJACU! This CD- ROM presents rdodel pronunciation of Espe- ranto while,t&cTfhhg>many phrases useful to travelers, Ahs7ijr(ciudes parallel lessons in Dutch and English«(for speakers of Espe- ranto and DtfflcTi). Includes Esperanto alpha- bets, so diacritical marks appear on the screen. CD'4-page brochure. 1996. England. NTV002 $50.05/547.55 TREZORO, Reto ROSSETTI & Henri VA- TRE, ed. Rich collection of prose works (short stories, chapters from novels etc.) from the first century of Esperanto literature. Includes biographical notes on authors. Together with "Esperanta antologio" it forms a set which should not be missing from any Esperantist's library. Two volumes. 1989. 984p. 210x145. Bound. Hungary. ISBN 963 571 105 0 TRE001 $48.05/545.65 TRIA KOLEKTO DA KRIMNOVELOJ, Ronald Cecil GATES. Gates again proves his mastery of the crime short story as the characters from his previous stories meet again in various combinations for new ad- ventures and encounters with crime. 1996. 84p. 205x145. Paper. Australia. ISBN 0 9586651 0 9 TRI008 $8.15/57.75 TLTA ESPERANTO, LA, Henrik SEP- PIK. Useful reference and exercise book for exploring difficult areas of grammar. De- tailed, yet easy to understand explanations for advanced student. Fourth edition 1987. 154p. 205x140. Paper. Hungary. ISBN 963 571 196 4 TUT001 510.45/59.90 VERDA KORO, LA, Julio BAGHY. Easy reader for beginners, with Esperanto-Hungar- ian vocabulary at tlie end, and grammatical notes for beginners. Reprint 1982. 91 p. 205x140. Paper. Hungary. ISBN 963 571 106 9 VER0T0 $8.35/57.95 VERKOJ DE HEINRICH HEINE, Adolf HOLZHAUS. Bilingual (German-Esperanto) collection from the works of Heine, with notes, photographs and an extensive list of Heine's works translated into Esperanto. 1973. 316p. 240x170. Bound. Israel. VER011 $12.00/$11.40 For a copy of our complete book catalog please send $2.00 to the address below. Those purchasing the catalog will receive a coupon worth $2.00 off their next order. Esperanto League for North America P.O.Box 1129 El Cerrito CA 94530 Tel. 510/653-0998; Fax: 510/653-1468 e-mail: elna@esperantci-usa.org In this issue... ♦ Languages & the Internet ♦ Ebonics & GuJlah ♦ Pronouns & Gender ♦ Languages & Civilization ♦ Esperanto & Video ♦ New Books toil i Ci. •'U. D Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Berkeley CA Permit No. 330 3A330/ \\33 3.3 .l.]...U.M...H.]lH.IM.IU„..I.H.UI.ii)