"speak Interlingua with non-Interlingua folks"

[bartlett]

Here in the USA it might be difficult, inasmuch as there are probably very few fluent, or even competent, Interlingua speakers who could present such a mini-camp. However, I have read that there have been presentation / learning sessions in the incontros in Europe. The idea is a godd one, though. One issue would be arranging a meeting place and publicising it adequately.

[carlosedepaula]

I am sorry my last post was completely in interlingua, I hadn't even realised it until now. I hope no one minds.

This still doesn't happen because we still have to create a speakers community big enough. I think this should be the main objective of the whole "movement" right now. We have to achieve a number of speakers at least as big as the esperanto community's.

However, it has to be noted that interlingua is not just "another conlang". It can be used with speakers of others languages with multiple purposes.

So, even if the "summer camp" idea is really good, we must remark that it can be done with any language, eg. latin, esperanto, yiddish, etc. We could find more creative purposes for the use of interlingua, explore it's particular features and it's potential.

[carlosedepaula]

I am not taking the idea for granted. It would be really awesome to make that happen. And,as bartlett said, it has already happened a few times, and in proportions not as small as we might think.

But my point is: I think we can find ideas to use interlingua not as an end, but as a means. That potential is what sets interlingua apart from all the others.

[esra]

I have to achieve a number of speakers at least as big as the esperanto community's.

How many active speaker do you think they are? In my opinion there are not more than 20,000 active speaker of E-o worldwide. Big question is how many people Interlingua could "docking" to. That means people speak Interlingua, others understand Interlingua, but their spoken non-Interlingua response is not understandable straight forward for Interlingua folks. So, always Interlingua has political aim. In detail spoken Interlingua can motivate speakers of IA source languages to learn and use (simplified) Interlingua "dialect".

So, even if the "summer camp" idea is really good, we must remark that it can be done with any language, eg. latin, esperanto, yiddish, etc.

Yes, for sure. So you wanna create some artifical "conlang circles"?

We could find more creative purposes for the use of interlingua, explore it's particular features and it's potential.

Could you explain that more in detail? Mainly Interlingua is naturalistic conlang, not schematic ones. Interlingua were intented to be geared with language usage by native speakers of regarding source languages who blended their native languages like as is today. Interlingua is not E-o.

[carlosedepaula]

I noticed there are some logical and language mistakes in my comment that may have rendered it hard to understand.

20 000 active speakers is a huge number if we consider it is an artificial language. This is more than many minority languages around the world. Even though we can already use interlingua with non-interlinguists, having an active speakers base is fundamental for new things to appear in the language, for learners to have someone to practice with and for people from outside the community to see it is alive and worth learning.

What I wanted to say in the summer camp part is that this kind of thing actually already exists. Like esperanto in Gresillon, which several people already attend.

With the my last sentence you quoted, my intention was to bring up how interlingua, due to its geniality and inifinte possibilities in practice, since many people already understand it, can be used in ways we can't even imagine. For example, if you are a computer programmer, you can come up with a incredibly good useful purpose for the language, if you are a teacher, you can find ways to use it with teaching its source languages, etc... Same goes for whatever you can think of.

And you can actually take advantage of these projects, their primary intention is not just "spread interlingua".

That is what can make the difference, compared to esperanto. Esperanto can't be used for much with non-speakers. And the general mentality I see in their movemente is "spread spread spread" so they can, maybe, one day, used.

Interlingua is useful already, but a speakers base of 20 000 would be more than enough people to find a lot of good uses to the language.

[esra]

20 000 active speakers is a huge number if we consider it is an artificial language.

In my opinion thats quite positive estimation. These E-o folks are more keen to hold "keep alive" status than bulking number of E-o speakers.

Even though we can already use interlingua with non-interlinguists, having an active speakers base is fundamental for new things to appear in the language, for learners to have someone to practice with and for people from outside the community to see it is alive and worth learning.

Definitely.

What I wanted to say in the summer camp part is that this kind of thing actually already exists. Like esperanto in Gresillon, which several people already attend.

Eventoj.hu claims to list most E-o events worldwide. What I have seen is that lists of pre-enrolled participants are puplished only for E-o youth events. Finaly one quarter of fourth who pre-enrolled this are participants who will not show up. I don't know situation with political E-o events i.e. SAT etc. Could be different there.

For example, if you are a computer programmer, you can come up with a incredibly good useful purpose for the language, if you are a teacher, you can find ways to use it with teaching its source languages, etc... Same goes for whatever you can think of.

Biggest showstopper is situation that there doesn't excists minimalistic multi-language translated schoolbook of Interlingua. I.e. something like compilation of Ingvar Stenström's and André Schild's teaching course with lots of exercises. My personal dream is to suceed for subtitle translation of some creative commons licence movie with some controversial topic, modifying spoken parts of it to get dubbing material, creation of karaoke-like ("syllable-triggered") dialog instructions, later competition to dub that movie into spoken Interlingua.

And you can actually take advantage of these projects, their primary intention is not just "spread interlingua".

I agree, mainly motivation to use Interlingua should lie within Interlingua. Motivation should not lie only inside ambition to spread something.

That is what can make the difference, compared to esperanto. Esperanto can't be used for much with non-speakers.

I agree. Its quite disappointing.

And the general mentality I see in their movemente is "spread spread spread" so they can, maybe, one day, used.

Well, I didn't attend at political orientated E-o events. I only visited non-political orientated European youth E-o events. So, for sure there show up some political radicals but definitely they are minority. But most participants are user of E-o, even not interested to help much with organization of E-o events. Leaning to consume E-o events offers only, that mentality also arrived at E-o (youth) events. I don't know why it is so, but simply "spread, spread, spread" requests will be ignored by majority of E-o youth event participants.

Interlingua is useful already, but a speakers base of 20 000 would be more than enough people to find a lot of good uses to the language.

For sure. But 300 - 500 keen of travel active speakers of Interlingua would be enough to get it running first. In my opinion its more realistic to focus on high active 300-500 "show-runner" of Interlingua than XX,000 early adopter.

[esra]

Firefox 34 has in-built WebRTC which is voice or video conferencing feature inside browser without any need to install some add-on software.

Now its feature name is "Firefox Hello". It is still marked development status Beta. But often Beta versions work very well. Search Youtube to find some tutorials. Its really very easy to use.

[esra]

This still doesn't happen because we still have to create a speakers community big enough. I think this should be the main objective of the whole "movement" right now. We have to achieve a number of speakers at least as big as the esperanto community's.

Even current prezident of UEA doesn't know (1:38') numbers of E-o speakers worldwide. Contrary prezidento de german DEB knows or better - sorry about - "fakes" (3:58') it up to 10 million speakers worldwide. I further stay with my sympathetically guess of 20,000 E-o speakers worldwide.

[carlosedepaula]

I agree. I think it is so hard to estimate because it is wrapped up in too much passion. Be it from people who hate the language for any reason, be it from phanatics inside the movemente, both of whom refuse to see the truth and assume the most appealing number for their own beliefs.

[esra]

I agree. I think it is so hard to estimate because it is wrapped up in too much passion. Be it from people who hate the language for any reason, be it from phanatics inside the movemente, both of whom refuse to see the truth and assume the most appealing number for their own beliefs.

I met lot of nice people at E-o youth events. I think some benefits of membership of some E-o organisation are gone. I.e. Internet offers lot of oportunities to bybass costly membership of E-o organisations. Furthermore nowadays travelling is much more cheaper than it was in the beginning of E-o movement florescence. So, assuming that participation at E-o events could show very strong commitment, participation numbers at E-o event could give some kind of statistical glue how much person are involved.

Libera Folio list UEA member numbers of 2011, 2012a, 2012b.