PRONUNCIATION OF FOREIGN NAMES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 30, Issue 759, 5 February 1954, Page 5

PRONUNCIATION OF FOREIGN NAMES

Sir-As an Esperantist I cannot leave unchallenged "Student’s" statement that "there will be no need for Esperanto, as English is becoming the international language." I am _ afraid "Student" is overlooking some important points. English is probably the finest of the national languages, but any hope that it may be generally accepted as the international] language is frustrated by two factors: first, the difficulty of mastering it (or -any national language) quickly, and sufficiently well to think in it; and second, the prejudices and jealousies of other nations. Has "Student" forgotten that English has already been rejected, or has lost ground, in Eire, India, Israel, the Philippines and Egypt (where it has been replaced in the school curricula by French) and that speakers at UN conferences still use their own languages, if official, rather than yield to English? Esperanto avoids both these objections. Its mastery takes approximately a month for each year needed to master_a national language; it meets with ease all the requirements of language; it has been international and neutral from its inception, and has been further moulded and polished by a considerable international usage. It is a keen and efficient tool, ready to the world’s hand. Since the war I have met a number of foreign Esperantists who, knowing several European languages, confess that English defeated them. They said (in the course of easy Esperanto conversation) that it was the pronunciation and spelling of English that held them up. Most of them were university graduates so, apart from a few bread-and-butter

phrases, what hope is there for the foreign man in the street? We Britons tend to think of all "international" communications as being between a Briton and a foreigner; but does "Student" seriously insist that if a Turk, a Finn and a Chinese wish to’ discuss business together, they must all learn English? Why? How? Truth usually lies between extremes. Esperanto does not seek to replace any language, but to supplement them all. There may conceivably be room in this world for both English and Esperanto, not to mention French, Portuguese, Swedish, Arabic and the rest. But only Esperanto will be. essentially inter-

national,

BRENDON

CLARK

(Auckland).

(Abridged.-Ed. )

Sir,-May I say "Thank you" to I. R. Maxwell-Stewart for his "brief" reply to my letter? His statements have afforded me a good deal of amusement.

R.

F.

(Wellington)