Some Recommended Books for Beginners

All of the books below - and hundreds of others, including fiction, poetry, history, linguistics, science, and much more - can be found in E-USA's Online Bookstore / Retbutiko. The three titles below are the most popular books among beginners who are just starting to learn Esperanto.

Richardson, David. Esperanto: Learning and Using the International Language. 2004. ISBN: 0939785064. 368pp. $15.00.

This introductory textbook begins with an extensive English-language introduction, covering the need for an international language, an overview of Esperanto's history, and the international Esperanto community. A series of brief lessons with exercises follows, concentrating on practical communication and vocabulary. The highlight of the book is a graded reader, which includes history, letters, stories, and poetry (both translated from English and drawn from original Esperanto literature) that gradually introduce more advanced usage and additional vocabulary. The book concludes with an abridged Esperanto-to-English dictionary.

Butler, Montague.Step-by-Step in Esperanto.1991. ISBN: 0939785013. 281pp. $13.00.

This introductory textbook is aimed at readers with a more traditional language-learning background. It focuses on grammatical principles, vocabulary, sentence structure. Because it contains more detailed examples and exercises, it is a good companion to Esperanto: Learning and Using the International Language for motivated learners.

Benson, Peter. Comprehensive English-Esperanto Dictionary. 1995. ISBN: 0939785021. 607pp. $27.00. (Paperback ISBN: 093978503X, $20.00)

A good dictionary is indispensable to the language learner. Benson's dictionary is the most complete English-to-Esperanto dictionary available and well-respected by the Esperanto community.