The E-USA promotion committee is discussing what tools and resources are needed so that someone who finds out about Esperanto will one day become an active member of the Esperanto community and E-USA. One can think of this as a journey which has some, or all, of the following steps:

1. Finding out about Esperanto.
2. Searching on the web for information.
3. Deciding to learn it.
4. Finding language learning tools and resources.
5. Checking to see if there is a club or an Esperanto speaker close by.
6. Finishing the Duolingo tree or another course.
7. Attending NASK.
8. Joining E-USA.
9. Joining UEA.
10. Attending a world Esperanto congress
11. Getting more involved. For example, in a video or literature contest.

I’d like to speak to just a few of these steps. The main purpose of promotion is so the huge number of people who have not yet heard about Esperanto come to know it exists. The main way you, as an E-USA member, can help is to find ways in your local community to get the word out. The promotion committee is working on posters and presentations that will be made available when ready. If you are planning to attend an event where you would like to promote Esperanto, contact the committee and we will help with materials.

A basic question of the promotion committee is: what website(s) should be referenced in promotional materials to find information about Esperanto? We have not found the perfect website that, when visited, has the best chance of moving someone from finally knowing about Esperanto to deciding to learn it. Creating a webpage or website that is informative, engaging and visually appealing is, in the committee’s view, greatly needed. Think of it as a really well-done FAQ page.

The website needs to be in English since the target audience does not yet know Esperanto. If you have skills and interest in creating webpages and would like to work on a project to create such an FAQ website, please contact the promotion committee.

I would like to make an observation. Some people who learn about Esperanto are self-motivated and learn the language and become part of the community no matter what. Others start the journey and don’t ever become part of the Esperanto community because they don’t have access to the resources they need. Others will never join the Esperanto community no matter what resources are available.

It seems a good goal to make sure that good resources and tools are available to not lose those who, with a little help, will stick with their interest in Esperanto. A great web-based FAQ seems a good place to start.

Please send your ideas and offer to help to the promotion committee by emailing Karlo at cjgermany@gmail.com.