Beginner Esperanto Lesson Plan: Salutu!

Beginner Esperanto Lesson Plan: Salutu! Kaj Enkonduku Vin

Lesson Title: Lekciono 1: Salutu! (Greetings!) kaj Enkonduku Vin (Introduce Yourself)

Time Allotment: 60 minutes

Learning Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

* Use basic Esperanto greetings and farewells.

* Introduce themselves and ask for someone's name.

* Ask and answer about how they are doing.

* Understand the fundamental pronunciation rules of Esperanto.

* Engage in simple, interactive conversations.

I. Enkonduko (Introduction) - 10 minutes

Cultural Insight: Begin with a brief discussion about the purpose of Esperanto. Explain that it was created as a neutral "bridge language" to foster communication and peace between different cultures, not to replace anyone's native tongue. Its simple, logical structure is a key part of this goal, which is why there are no irregular verbs or exceptions to the rules you'll learn today!

Pronunciation Primer: This is the most crucial part for beginners. Esperanto is phonetic—every letter has one sound.

* Vowels: A, E, I, O, U are pronounced like in Spanish or Italian:

* A like in "father"

* E like in "desk"

* I like in "machine"

* O like in "open"

* U like in "ooh!"

* Key Consonants:

* C is always pronounced like "ts" in "cats."

* J is always pronounced like "y" in "yes."

* Special Characters (with a circumflex ^):

* Ĉ is "ch" like in "chair."

* Ĝ is "j" like in "jump."

* Ĥ is "ch" like in German "Bach." (Rarely used)

* Ĵ is "zh" like the "s" in "treasure."

* Ŝ is "sh" like in "shoe."

* Ŭ is a short "w" sound.

II. Frazoj kaj Vortoj (Phrases and Words) - 20 minutes

A. Saluto (Greetings)

* Saluton! (Sah-LOO-ton) — Hello!

* Bonan matenon! (BO-nahn mah-TEH-non) — Good morning!

* Bonan tagon! (BO-nahn TAH-gon) — Good day! (Used from late morning to early evening)

* Bonan vesperon! (BO-nahn ves-PEH-ron) — Good evening!

* Bonan nokton! (BO-nahn NOHK-ton) — Good night!

B. Kiel vi fartas? (How are you?)

* Kiel vi fartas? (KEE-ehl vee FAHR-tahs) — How are you?

* Mi fartas bone. (mee FAHR-tahs BOH-neh) — I am doing well.

* Dankon. (DAHN-kon) — Thanks.

* Kaj vi? (kahy vee) — And you?

* Mi fartas bonege! (mee FAHR-tahs boh-NEH-geh) — I am doing great!

* Ne malbone. (neh mahl-BOH-neh) — Not bad.

C. Enkonduko (Introduction)

* Kio estas via nomo? (KEE-oh EHS-tahs VEE-ah NOH-moh) — What is your name?

* Mi estas [via nomo]. (mee EHS-tahs [vee-ah NOH-moh]) — I am [your name].

* Ĝoje konatiĝi! (JOY-eh koh-nah-TEE-jee) — Nice to meet you!

* Ĝis la revido! (jees lah reh-VEE-doh) — Goodbye! (Literally: Until the re-seeing!)

* Ĝis! (jees) — Bye!

III. Praktikaj Ekzercoj (Practical Exercises) - 25 minutes

Activity 1: "Saluton, Mi estas..." (Hello, I am...)

* Instructions: Have students stand up and walk around the room. When they meet someone, they must shake hands (or give a wave, depending on comfort) and say:

* "Saluton!"

* "Mi estas [ilia nomo]."

* The other person responds: "Saluton! Mi estas [mia nomo]."

* Both say: "Ĝoje konatiĝi!"

* Goal: This gets students immediately using the phrases in a low-pressure, interactive way.

Activity 2: "Konversacia Rondo" (Conversation Circle)

* Instructions: Students form a large circle. The first person asks the person to their right: "Kiel vi fartas?"

* The second person responds with "Mi fartas bone, dankon." and then asks the next person "Kaj vi?"

* Continue this around the circle, with each person answering and then asking the next.

* Goal: This reinforces the "Kiel vi fartas?" and "Kaj vi?" structure.

Activity 3: Role-playing Scenarios

* Instructions: Pair students up. Give them simple scenarios to act out.

* Scenario A: You are meeting for coffee at an Esperanto event. Introduce yourselves and ask how the other person is doing.

* Scenario B: You bump into a friend you haven't seen in a while. Greet them and ask how they are.

* Goal: Encourages students to combine the learned phrases into a natural conversation flow.

IV. Resumo (Summary) - 5 minutes

* Quickly review all the new phrases and vocabulary on a whiteboard.

* Ask students if they have any questions.

* End the lesson by encouraging everyone to say "Ĝis la revido!" to their classmates as they leave.

Vortlisto (Vocabulary List)

| Esperanto Phrase | English Meaning |

|---|---|

| Saluton! | Hello! |

| Bonan matenon! | Good morning! |

| Bonan tagon! | Good day! |

| Bonan vesperon! | Good evening! |

| Bonan nokton! | Good night! |

| Kiel vi fartas? | How are you? |

| Mi fartas bone. | I am doing well. |

| Dankon. | Thanks. |

| Kaj vi? | And you? |

| Kio estas via nomo? | What is your name? |

| Mi estas... | I am... |

| Ĝoje konatiĝi! | Nice to meet you! |

| Ĝis la revido! | Goodbye! |

| Ĝis! | Bye! |