Esperanto League for North America, Inc. • Box 1129, El Cerrito, CA 94530 • (510) 653-0998 Issue 4,1991 LANGUAGE & WORLD LA^pAGE PROBLEMS LOST IN TRANSLATION • A Joke taken from a special English-language edition of Slbirskaya Gazeta Weekly, July 1991: "The tenth year of perestrolka. A man Is standing In the long line for canine meat On his approaching the counter the shop assistant says loudly, 'Only the seventh sort of this meat remains on sale; the rest Is sold out.' Poor buyer utters a sigh and asks to weigh out two ldlograms, for there's nothing at home all the same. On his coming home his wife starts screaming, "What is it youVe brought? There are only wooden chips here!' Indignant, the man rushes back to the store. "What have ye sold me?' "Why, don't you know the seventh sort of canine meat Is cut with kennel only?" • Translations from Japanese Into English done In Japan every year cost $1 billion, a figure which is expected to double in the next two years. But most of these translations are made by Japanese who do not speak English as a native language and have little contact with native English speakers, which often leads to very poor translations. This is not unusual In Japan (or other countries), where people who have studied English think they speak it well, but are unable to communicate with native English speakers when they meet them. (Wall Street Journal, Sep. 25, 1991) ENGLISH NOT SPOKEN HERE An advertising agency found out that the number of Europeans who understand English Is lower than their most pessimistic estimates. Previous figures cited for the percentage of Europeans who speak or understand English have usually been higher, per- haps because people were simply asked If they under- stood English. The Llntas advertising agency tried something new—Instead of just asking people how well they thought they spoke English, they tested people on their comprehension of some English sen- tences. Research done by Llntas showed that "the real correct underetancfmg of English In all the (Eu- ropean) countries (examined) Is noticeably inferior to the most pessimistic existing evaluations and our own guesstimates." The agency carried out the re- search because it wanted to advertise to all of Europe by satellite television and using only English seemed the easiest way to do this. [Esperanto Teacher, Au- tumn, 1991) NIGERIA CUTS USE OF ENGLISH IN SCHOOLS Nigeria's new Minister of Education, Professor Fafunwa, is moving Nigerian students away from an education dominated by English. Nigeria was a Brit- ish colony, and English has been Nigeria's official language. But it is hardly anyone's first language there, since Nigerians speak a variety of African tongues. The new Minister of Education wants classes to be taught In Indigenous languages. For example, at Fafunwa's behest, nearly 100,000 elementary school students In Oyo, one of Nigeria's states, are being taught mostly In Yoruba, one of the country's three major languages. Many English school textbooks are now being translated Into the major languages of Nigeria: Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba Nupe, Ijaw, etc. {Sainton, from the Chicago Tribune, May 24, 1991) WHICH ENGLISH DO YOU SPEAK? George Bernard Shaw half-joklngly referred to En- glish and the U.S. as "two countries divided by a common language." This is still true today. Below are just a few examples of differences in vocabulary between British and American English. Of course there are also differences In spelling and pronuncia- tion. nappies courgettes inverted commas mac ronmonger jrisps pulses diapers Zucchini quotation marks raincoat hardware store potato chips beans Differences also exist between American and Aus- tralian English. Here are a few examples: "Just put your cases In the boot" Is Australian for "put your suitcases In the trunk of the car." "Well have to queue up for take away" = "line up for take-out food." "Milk bar" = "corner drugstore." (The Toastmaster, Sep. 1991, Nov. 1991) USE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES GROWING IN THE U.S.? Use of foreign languages appears to be increasing in the U.S., spurred by irnmlgratlon and tourism. But the use of foreign languages can lead to problems— as well as business opportunities, as the following news items, which all occurred in the same city, San Francisco, show. • Thousands of immigrants in California are on waiting lists for English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. In San Francisco 12,000 recent immigrants who don't speak English are on waiting lists to get into ESL classes; In Los Angeles the number Is 30,000. Educators say they are unable to meet the need because of budget cuts and the large number of immigrants who need to learn English. (San Fran- cisco Chronicle, Nov. 5, 1991) • When an organization recently wanted to build an AIDS hospice in a San Francisco neighborhood, language difficulties led to misunderstanding. An organizer for the hospice came to a neighborhood meeting to allay fears about the facility, but he was unable to communicate with the residents. Most of the local residents speak only Chinese; the organizer speaks only English, and the flyers he had about AIDS were all In English. Another hospice organizer later explained that there Is little information avail- able In Chinese about the disease, which led to fears among Chinese-speaidng residents that the disease can be spread by casual contact. (Compiled from television broadcasts) • TV stations In the San Francisco area now offer news broadcasts In Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnam- ese, Korean, Tagalog and Spanish. Other programs are available In at least three more languages— Greek, Italian and Farsi. (San Francisco Chronicle, Sep. 16, 1991) • Tourists who go on ferry tours of the San Fran- cisco Bay can now use headsets to hear recorded tour Information In four languages. Until now tours were given only in English, which sometimes led to com- plaints by foreign tourists. Now tourists will be able to listen to the guided tour in English, French, German and Japanese. (San Francisco Chronicle, July 12, 1991) NEW VATICAN LATIN DICTIONARY The Vatican recently published a new Latin dictio- nary. What makes this dictionary different is that it includes Latin terms for many modern concepts, such as "disco," "motorcycle," "cover girl" and "Am- nesty International." Work on the dictionary was done by the Vatican's Latin foundation, set up by Pope Paul VI to keep Latin a living language, at least in the church. But the declining role of Latin, even in the Catholic Church, Is highlighted by an increasing number of mistakes in Latin usage in documents written at the Vatican. (San Francisco Chronicle, Sep. 12, 1991) IllPiWlATIONAL ESPERANTO NEifc" TRAVELING AROUND THE WORLD WITH ESPERANTO A new edition of Pasporta Servo (Passport Service) was published on June 19th by the World Esperantlst Youth Organization (TEJO). This handbook lists the names and addresses of Esperanto speakers through- out the world who will provide fellow Esperantists with lodging in their houses or apartments overnight or for a few days, usually for a norninal fee or even free of charge. Travelers can select from any of 59 coun- tries. Users of the service are simply requested to write well in advance to their hosts to make sure that lodging will be available on the dates requested. Pasporta Servo has existed In Its presentform for 18 years. Little by little the service has become a famous and accepted institution in the Esperanto commu- nity, where anecdotes about experiences of hosts and guests abound. The low cost of the service has allowed many Esperantists to travel to foreign coun- tries for the first time. (Iniernaciaj novaĵoj, UEA, Bulteno 10, Jun. 26, 1991) NATIONAL ESPERANTO NEWS NUMBER OF COLLEGE CLASSES IN ESPERANTO GROWING The University of Hartford (CT) recently joined a growing list of American colleges and universities which offer Esperanto classes on a regular basis. The university offered beginning and intermediate courses in the International Language from Aug. 12 to Aug. 17. Classes were taught by WilliamF. Orr, aprofessor at Hofstra University, and John C. Wells, professor of phonetics at the University of London and president of the World Esperanto Association (UEA). The President of the University of Hartford, Humphrey Tonkin, is an Esperantlst himself. He is a former president of the World Esperanto Association, current president of the Esperantic Studies Founda- tion, and a member of the academy of Esperanto along with Prof. Wells. Other colleges and universities which now offer Esperanto courses Include the University of Califor- nia at Berkeley and San Diego, Stanford, San Fran- cisco State University, Hofstra, Western Michigan, Wllrnlngton and Gastonia. The annual three-week sessions at San Francisco State, which attract students from around the world, are still the most popular Esperanto courses for American students. 1991 marked the 22nd year that Esperanto has been offered at San Francisco State. (University of Hartford Observer, Aug. 29, 1991) PRONUNCIATION &*nranu s..i,nS P™n.*.a.ŭon j .....!r;g*r........ ..... I>t<'l??ff?ffin.. ..............Ka:......__ A Mi PbRm B> Da Cat c Ĉ ■Kb cSa. D "ftt r £o A» a a H at IM «a T%ĵ& i ■D s •* Maigu» E^anin» Sp*l"< ^r^ r--. ]£. CEO Unn o 1" £r ft VRUdt JS* 1 Mow MP* T ■" > VTJ 3p X » *w q. fw^ai guji'lag jqir "AJDCV i an >■••■•■■ ■••(•■UMMMtaaM * * aUntr* ta la Daf} TImh «■« 4 £g) 4 Pfflft JANUARO 1992 T=|—1= „..,T ''' "Kg'' TT t^^^^••;ĥbJ^ E^E^ESSJ3ESSIS3 ES^E^ESgEj T~ Features include ..v • Starts slow - builds in complexity as your knowledge grows. • "Word-a-day" to help you steadily increase your Esperanto word stock. • Each month focuses on a different aspect of the language. • Major U.S. and international Esperanto conventions, days of importance, etc. • U.S. Federal holidays noted. • Shipped via first class mail. • 11" x 17" format. Now Available - The 1992 Esperanto Wall Calendar!! Ideal for the beginner. Each month covers a different aspect of the language - supplementing your regular study and allowing you to progress at a steady pace. Topics include pronunciation, word parts, verb tenses, numbers, and more!! Each day teaches you a new word - handy word list in the back of the calendar makes looking up meanings simple! the experienced Esperantist. . . Help spread the word about Esperanto - this useful wall calendar is an excellent gift for friends, students, family, business associates and yourself. Display it in your home or office as a conversation starter! LIMITED QUANTITIES EXIST - ORDER TODAY TO ASSURE DELIVERY FOR THE NEW YEAR. i Order Form 1992 Esperanto Wall Calendar I Send___copies of the 1992 Esperanto wall I calendar to the address listed below! I Name: -------- Address:------- City/State/Zip:. Qty. Unit Cost Line Total 1992 Esperanto Calendar $6.25 1st Class shipping (per calendar) $1.00 Cal. Sales Ta X (for orders in California) AL ENCLOSED TOT Send check or money order payable to ELNA: ELNA, P.O. Box 1129, El Cerrito, CA 94530-1129 .J Esperanto League for North America P.O.Box 1129 El Cerrito, CA 94530 USA In this Issue»». ♦ Lost in Translation ♦ Lost in Europe ♦ Lost in Nigeria ♦ Lost in; The Vatican Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Berkeley, CA Permit No. 330 Learn Esperanto in the convenienc Study Program! »ur own home through ELNA's self-paced Home Each level of the Home Study Program is self-contained so that all you need is a tape recorder and some spare time. In addition, your course will be guided by a qualified instructor of Esperanto who will give you the personal attention you need. Levels One and Two of the program are designed to emphasize development of conversational skills with a focus on everyday expressions. Why wait? Start now on the road to genuine person-to-person communication through the International Language Esperanto by enrolling today! LEVEL ONE—Using the textbook and cassette tape for the popular Jen Nia Mondo 1 radio course, this twelve-lesson course will quickly guide you to mastery of basic Esperanto. COURSE MATERIALS: Jen Nia Mondo 1 book (66 pages), Jen Nia Mondo 1 audio cassette, and workbook. Course Number 101 $36.00* LEVEL TWO—As a continuation of Level One, this thirteen-lesson course focuses on a more detailed analysis of Esperanto as a language in Its own right. Tills course is recommended for the serious student as a follow-up to Level One. COURSE MATERIALS: Jen Ma Mondo 2 book (89 pages), Jen Nia Mondo 2 audio cassette, and workbook. Connie Number 201 $45.00** Note: Levels Three and Four are scheduled for release in 1992. *&*•: If you already have the book and tape set for JenNiaMondo I, you may subtract $12.00 from the price of the course; and similarly for Jen Nia Mondo 2, you may subtract $15.50. ETNA CORRESPONDENCE COURSE REGISTRATION FORM Retixm this form with check or money order payable to ELNA to: ELNA, P.O. Box 1129, El Cerrito, CA 94530-1129 Name: .Date:... Address: City/State/Zip Code:. Telephone #:________ Please enroll me in the correspondence course indicated below. I am enclosing $ payable to ELNA. . check or money order made [ J 101—LEVEL ONE... $36.00* I ] 201—LEVEL TWO... $45.00**