Fifth class (March 18th)

Summary

In the fifth class we focused mostly on grammar, reviewing elements from chapter 4 and chapter 5 of the text, and starting on chapter 6.

We also learned to count past ten, with forms like:

dek unu (11)
dek du (12)
…
dek naŭ (19)
dudek (20)
tridek (30)
kvardek (40)
…
naŭdek naŭ (99)
cent (100)
naŭcent naŭdek naŭ (999)
mil (1000)
mil naŭcent naŭdek naŭ (1999)
… and so on.

In the next few weeks we’ll be writing letters to penpals. The first letter doesn’t have to be fancy, but you should start thinking now about what you’d like to say, so we can figure out what new vocabulary or expressions you need to learn. The goal is to get you started now, so that you can continue using what you’ve learned (and continue learning!) after the course ends.

Finally, we talked about given names in Esperanto — something else to think about before we start writing. See the handout below.

Homework

If you haven’t already, read chapter 5 of the text (“Letero”) and solve the ekzercoj and demandoj. The solutions are available in the handouts below. If you haven’t read chapter 5 and done the exercises yet, please take time this week to catch up.
Only after you’ve completed chapter 5, watch the third part of Mazi en Gondolando (see below) and follow along in the text of the dialog. If you don’t understand something, jot it down in your journal and ask about it via email or in class.
Start thinking about what you’ll want to say in your first letter to a penpal. For example: how old you are, where you live, what you study or what your profession is, questions about family, pets, hobbies, etc. You’ll undoubtedly need some new vocabulary; make a list of what you need help with.

Handouts

Homework solutions for chapter 5 of the text.
An exercise based on part 2 of Mazi en Gondolando; test yourself on the new material presented.
A guide to given names in Esperanto, with suggestions for this year’s students in particular.

Media

After completing chapter 5 in the text you should be ready for part 3 of Mazi en Gondolando:
We looked at two books: Mara Rockliff’s Doctor Esperanto and the Language of Hope, a brand-new children’s book in English about the origin of Esperanto, and Hamleto - Princo de Danujo, L. N. M. Newell’s 1964 translation of Shakespeare into Esperanto.