Peter Jackson column

May 4 2006 By Peter Jackson, The Journal

Last weekend saw Scarborough playing host to the 87th British Esperanto Congress.

Now that's a fact which probably doesn't resonate much with you, but I must admit that any mention of the international language invented by the Pole LL Zamenhof in 1887 always makes me sit up.

That's because one of my primary school teachers, Mr Wellock, was an enthusiast and persuaded the headmaster to allow us weekly lessons.

This was surprising at a school which was not otherwise forward-looking. Most of the teachers - apart from old Wellock, of course - were mini-skirted Amazons who prided themselves on their ability to beat us.

Predictably, they left a greater impression on me than Esperanto, but I do recall, I hope correctly, that the Esperanto word for dog is hundo and that for milk lakto.

I was also left with the knowledge that Esperanto speakers are an idealistic bunch, firmly believing that their language is the key to international understanding and co-operation. It was, for instance, no surprise to me to learn that the 81st Congress, held in the Cumbrian town of Appleby, resulted in the naming of Esperanto Way, on a small industrial estate.

In her inaugural speech to the conference Dr Marjorie Boulton, the eminent Esperanto author, said she liked the term "way", for Esperanto is a way to international understanding.

The 89th International Esperanto Conference was in Beijing, or - to revert briefly to the English language - Peking. There, Dr Lee Chong-Yeong, vice president of the Universal Esperanto Association, noted that the language problem in the UN is the status of English, which will result in the linguistic hegemony. He believed Esperanto might make a useful alternative.

Well, I don't want to discourage Dr Chong-Yeong, but it's just not going to happen is it? Esperanto is logical, high-minded, an all-round good thing. But for all kinds of reasons - political, historical, cultural and linguistic - it won't catch on.

Its continued existence should remind us, however, what a powerful thing language is and what a powerful weapon the English language is for business people in this country.

Let us hope its hegemony doesn't blind us to the need to learn foreign languages, among which, sadly, I don't include Esperanto.