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From: rte@elmo.lz.att.com (Ralph T. Edwards)
Subject: Re: anti-anti-Esperanto
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References: <elnaDGnn0E.6u3@netcom.com> <rte-1910951107530001@mac-118.lz.att.com> <elnaDGq01y.7F8@netcom.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Oct 1995 19:18:41 GMT
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In article <elnaDGq01y.7F8@netcom.com>, elna@netcom.com (Esperanto League
N America) wrote:

> In the FAQ for this newsgroup (sci.lang) there are several mentions of subsets
> of linguistics called "sociolinguistics" and "psycholinguistics". I hope that
> you can accept these fields' validity.
> Many Esperanto speakers who contribute to this forum have posted articles 
> dealing with these issues (among others):
> ***Translation services in the United Nations and European Union and their
>    waste of resources, with Esperanto as a possible solution to that waste
> ***Citizen diplomacy and its linguistic barriers, with Esp. etc.
> ***Education aiming at polylingualism, with Esp. etc.

These are economic or political issues.  The prime issue of relevance is "will 
people learn a language that has little history or few speakers except as
a hobby?"  To 
that the answer is "only a few."  It also is basically a political issue, not a 
scientific one.  In any case your approach to these is straight forward 
advocacy.  And advocacy in the face of facts.  

If you want me to believe esp is something beyond a hobby answer these
questions.

1. Are you payed to be Direktoro?  Is it your main activity?  World wide,
how many esp enthusiasts earn a living from esp?

2. How many esp original works (not translations) were released last years
as commercial ventures, not vanity runs, or ftp documents.  Were any on
topics other than esp?  Name a few, and give some one line descriptions. 
What were the press runs?  How has this changed in the last twenty years,
last 50 years?

3. Are any commercial magazines (ie supported by subscriptions or
advertising, not membership fees in organizations) published in esp.  What
is the subject matter?  i.e. is it anything other than a newsletter for
esp organizations?

4. How many organizations conduct their business in esp, other than esp
organizations.

5. How many government or world organizations recognize esp as a language
for business and release documents in this language?

6. How many conferences (other than esp organized conferences) use esp?

7. How many people are professional translators to or from esp?
how many earn more than half their income doing so.

8. Is there any idepedently verified (i.e. not by espists) data on the
number of speakers?  Any way to verify their competency?  any historical
data on the trends?

> 
> I believe that efficiency in diplomatic communication, success in everyday
> speech acts and rationally planned language instruction are *all* worthy
> subjects for sci.lang and by extension, for alt.politics.ec.

Why not ask for a vote then?  (to be mailed to you and posted only in sci.lang).

> BTW another intiguing facet of psycholinguistics is the question "What
> makes the opponents of planned languages so rabid and hysterical?"

I don't oppose planned languages.  In fact I designed one myself as a kid.
I grew out of it.  I oppose advocacy in a sci. group.  It would be
commercial exploitation of a newsgroup, if it weren't advocacy of a hobby.

-- 
R.T.Edwards rte@elmo.att.com 908 576-3031
