Last month, the German Esperanto Association held a communal national Esperanto conference at the same time as the Danish and Polish Esperanto Associations. I think this is brilliant, because the whole point of Esperanto is to speak to people of other languages, so this is a great way to bring people together internationally. In any case, this time I’d like to present Tristan Foy, who attended this as his first Esperanto conference. Learn more about his experience in his own words below.

Tristan Foy

Attending the Komuna Esperanto-Kongreso (KEK) in Berlin from the 25th to the 27th of May helped me finally realize a long-held dream: After years upon years of teaching myself Esperanto and reading it, I was finally going to be able to meet a group of fellow speakers, and maybe even some native speakers of the language, which has interested me since I was 14.

Upon arriving in Berlin I got myself promptly lost, as I have all the sense of direction of a broken chair. While wandering up and down the street looking for the Orangerie, I was approached by two individuals looking for some place I didn’t understand. But I noticed that their print out was in Esperanto and quickly I changed from a mixture of English and German (not sure which language they’d understand better) to the language we more or less all understood, although mine was probably the weakest, not having hardly ever used it with another soul.

I helped them find their hostels and even was able to translate for one and then we finally made it to the KEK in a taxi. I was surprised by how many people showed up: I had been expecting something around fifty, but as I recall, they could have been something up to four times that number.

What surprised me even more though was that I was actually able to converse with people and understand most of what they said to me. Even though it felt like my jaw was made of metal as my brain tried to adapt into Esperanto-mode, I could express much of what I wanted, and noted down several new words and expressions to study later.

In addition to attending the KEK itself, I also joined a small group in the Ekzotika Renkontiĝo (Exotic Meeting); a group in the KEK which focused on some of the more culturally diverse parts of Berlin. I visited two delicious Asian restaurants and spent a healthy part of my time at the Carnival of Cultures, which showcased examples of food, music, beer, clothing and gifts from the dozens of cultures that call Berlin their home.

But of course the best part was being able to finally meet other people, including even that rare breed of native Esperantists, with whom I could speak and stay in touch with after the KEK.

It was quite inspiring to finally see other people, both young and old, use Esperanto, and I definitely plan on participating in future Esperanto events.

Today I am here with Ashleigh Lincoln, Marketing and Communications Coordinator from Ultralingua. They have just released a new Esperanto-English dictionary app for the iPhone and iPad! Learn more in our interview below.

Why did you choose to create an Esperanto-English dictionary? Does it work in both directions?

It does work both ways, and the dictionary itself has 30,000 headwords with 50,000 translations. So even if you do get stuck on a word, you’ll be able to figure it out right quick with the app.

At Ultralingua, we make apps for people who love languages and language-learning. It only seemed right that we made an app for one of the most passionate language-learning communities out there… Esperantists!

What have been reactions to it so far?

So far, we’ve had a really positive reaction and a lot of interest. The Ultralingua Esperanto-English dictionary is the most comprehensive dictionary out there, so people seem to be into that.

What are the advantages of using your dictionary over a traditional dictionary made of paper?

There are definitely a lot of advantages. The biggest advantage I think of is quick, easy searching. Imagine you’re at conversation club, and you’re having this great conversation, but then you get stuck on a word. Instead of lugging out your big paper dictionary, you can just whip out your iPhone or iPad and look it up right then and there. You don’t have to struggle to find the word.

Ultralingua dictionaries make it easier for language learners because you have all the information you could ever need at your fingertips-and you don’t even need an Internet connection. Oh, and another thing to note is that when you buy an Ultralingua dictionary, you help the environment. It takes a lot of paper to make a dictionary!

Do you have any future plans for other Esperanto products?

We already have a Mac and Windows version of Esperanto-English dictionary available here and we’re always working on improving our iOS apps, so iPhone and iPad users have a lot to look forward to!

We also have some cool online tools coming out soon, but we’re trying to keep it a surprise for our users (it’s just more fun that way!) And we love user requests, so if you love Esperanto and want something we don’t have yet, shoot me an email at lincoln@ultralingua.com.

The Ultralingua team

In which other languages do you have dictionaries? Which have sold best for you?

We have dictionaries in 13 different languages that include Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Norwegian… and Klingon (that one’s fun!) in a bunch of different combinations. They’re all extremely comprehensive and detailed. Our most popular apps tend to be the Spanish-English dictionary, the French-English dictionary and the German-English dictionary, but they all do pretty well.

Thanks for the interview and I’ve enjoyed using your app on my iPhone and iPad. Best of luck to you! Our readers can learn more about your app on Apple’s App Store.

Today, I’m with Rogener Pavinski, who you might already know as the editor of Kontakto or who was the person responsible for post-production of Esperanto Is. He’s now planning to make a documentary about the Esperanto Cultural Festival. This festival is the place to listen to the best Esperanto concerts in the world. He’ll take you back to 2005 to help you get a feel for this event, whether you want to reminisce about your time there or never had the opportunity to go. He’s already collected the $2,500 he needed to reach his $2,500 goal, but you can still help!

Why do you want to make a film about KEF 2005? Wouldn’t it be better to make a film about a more recent event?

For two reasons: first, because I’ve already recorded a lot of material, and second, because no more recent event was as interesting. It was very well organized and the program brought together many musicians, authors and actors, who were never in the same place again so brilliantly. Among other things, there was a unique concert by La porkoj, the next-to-last concert by Esperanto Desperado with Amir in the group. There were also many different enjoyable and interesting workshops and presentations.

How long do you plan the film to be?

I don’t suppose it will be longer than 40 minutes, however I’m not sure. I want the film to be dynamic, so that it will hold the viewers interest from start to finish. I will probably use only the very best parts of my film stock in the final video.

What is the target audience for this movie?

I believe every Esperanto speaker, but mostly for fans of Esperanto culture.

How much did the film cost to make?

The whole cost of the project was set at $2,500 (€1,910), because that is what, Indiegogo, our crowdfunding website accepted, since they are hosting the collection of money for this project. 4% will go to the website and 5% as a donation to Filmoj sen Limoj. The rest of the money will go to pay the costs of editing, scenes, voice recording, DVD creation, copies, graphics, and for the backer rewards of Indiegogo.

How is your experience working with Indiegogo? Did you have any problems, because your project is in Esperanto? Do you think that crowdsourcing is an interesting financial model for other Esperanto projects? What kinds?

Until now, my experience has only been good. I believed that I wouldn’t be able to launch it, because the most famous website of that kind, Kickstarter doesn’t allow others, who do not live in the USA, to host projects. You can contribute there, but not collect money yourself. Then I discovered Indiegogo, which is much more flexible about that among other issues. The website really helps out with a lot of information on their blog, on how to make a project succeed. Despite the fact that almost all their projects are in English, I had no problem with my Esperanto project. I even asked them on Twitter what they thought of an Esperanto project on their website, and they were curious what it was about, because that was really unique!

Crowdsourcing is an interesting model to me. In fact, many other Esperanto projects were created on this foundation. Remember the unsuccessful ITV project and the current successful online PIV. However, the difference between those and “La Plejpleja festivalo” is that I’m using an official webpage for it. That means that anyone can immediately see how much money I’ve collected and how much is still needed. In addition, there is a set deadline for contributions. In summary, the whole thing is clearer and more trustworthy.

I remember a project a few years ago, “RatMan in Esperanto”, which collected pre-orders to publish it. Other similar projects, like book and CD publications have really profited from crowdfunding. In fact, it’s so full of promise, that I might make such a website in Esperanto.

In what languages will it be available?

I’m not sure. The subtitles, if any, will come from people working with us. But, in the meantime, I can’t think about subtitles, because that will only happen once the whole film is ready.

How can one use the film after it’s ready?

You can watch and download it freely online and also present it in public for non-profit. The contributors will, however, get a DVD and can watch it two months before its public launch.

Even though you’ve already reached your goal, can people still contribute?

Certainly! I welcome further contributors. Also note that this will be the only way to get some of the materials, such as the DVD which won’t be available after the project is over.

So, I’d recommend you go to La Plejpleja Festivalo right now and learn more about it!