Beginner's Esperanto (Hippocrene Beginner's) (Paperback)

by Joseph F. Conroy (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
An introduction to the language in 15 lessons. Helpful appendices include a list of national and international addresses for Esperanto organizations and sample letters, examples of word building, and a list of prepositions and affixes.

About the Author
Joseph F Conroy

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Hippocrene Books (June 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078180230X
• ISBN-13: 978-0781802307
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #721,168 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overall, pretty good, but two criticisms, December 26, 1999

By A Customer

Overall, this book provides lots of great exercises and a lot of information about the Esperanto movement itself. My only criticisms are: (1) The format of the book is a little difficult to read (the publishers use almost no white space to separate one exercise from another, so everything just runs together. This gives it the appearance of not being well organized and certainly not easy on the eyes), and (2) The English translations of the Esperanto texts are word-for-word. This was probably done intentionally, to give the student a literal translation of Esperanto's word-building rules, but it can also make the translations seem stilted and unnatural. However, if you can overlook the less than ideal textual formatting of the book (the publisher's fault, not the author's!) and don't mind literal, word-for-word translations, then you'll certainly benefit from the lessons, readings and detailed information (including addresses) of various organizations in the Esperanto movement.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As observed used by the author in a university class., August 15, 1999

By A Customer

This book was effectively used in an Esperanto Workshop (credit available)at University of Hartford,CT, a very few years ago. The author was obviously a talented teacher, and his experience at teaching shows in the book. It may not be ideal for the absolute beginner self teaching, but it is not easy to fault. The references and examples interspersed add greatly to understanding the language, its purpose,and its functions. As a college professor emeritus (University Of Connecticut) I have read this book and seen it "in action" although I have not directly used it in my limited teaching of Esperanto. I truly like Conroy's book. (I've been familiar with the language for many years, and have used it a few times outide the United States. )

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable reading for current or potential Esperanto students, August 13, 1999

By A Customer

Studying Esperanto is most enjoyable and a relatively easy language to learn. However, gathering information relating to this international culture was a daunting task until I discovered Beginner's ESPERANTO by J.F. Conroy. It was like finding 'gold'! Not only is it a comprehensive text book, but also an inspirational reference guide into the world of Esperanto. My only criticism is that, while each of the lessons has its own helpful word list, a dictionary at the end of the book would have been extremely useful.