NASK Student Comments

TAKANO Kazumi from Japan writes "I had a terrific time at NASK 2003. I liked the location ('NASK-ejo'). And I had unforgettable meetings with the participants. Everything was a good and pleasurable experience for me."

Rafael Despradel of the Dominican Republic said, "My knowledge of Esperanto and the Esperanto culture grew and improved thanks to my participation in NASK. There I got to know people from many lands who taught me a lot about their cultures and life-styles. The worst part of my stay at NASK? Saying good-bye to my new friends at the end of the course!”

Bob RUSSELL, a 60-year-old retired information technology manager from California, attended NASK in 2003, less than a year after he began learning Esperanto. "During NASK my ability to speak the language improved greatly," he said. "Living and learning with other Esperanto speakers made a big difference. Soon I was able to carry on conversations with people from other parts of the world using only Esperanto. I highly recommend the NASK experience."

Marlon GARREN, a 32-year old Spanish instructor from Tennessee, joined with other Esperanto speakers from 9 countries and four continents, to take part in NASK 2003.

"It was great to be able to improve my ability to speak Esperanto and at the same time make new friends from all over the world with whom I still keep in touch through email. My experiences at NASK were fulfilling in a way that no other language learning environment could provide."

"It was a truly intercultural experience, and everyone was so welcoming and accepting of everyone else, I felt right at home. In fact, it felt like an extended family. The experience was so rich and rewarding that I recall it with great fondness. The people that I met at NASK and the general environment really fostered a true sense of world citizenry and camaraderie."

"I would say that my stay at NASK was one of the defining and affirming moments of my life. It's impossible to come away from NASK unchanged in some way. At the very least you'll make new friends, which will give you very good reasons to travel the globe."

Ros FISHER, a 53-year-old Natural Health Practitioner and Psychotherapist from London, Britain, was introduced to Esperanto by her Japanese professor, while learning the 'Yumeiho' method of preventive medicine, in his clinic in Tokyo, Japan.

"The method of 'Yumeiho' is practiced throughout the world, and it is therefore necessary to have, 'one shared language' enabling clear inter-communication between practitioners," said Ms. Fisher. "Professor Saionji chose the neutral language of Esperanto, and as English was my only language, he recommended that, I embark on the total immersion learning experience with NASK, to give me the head-start to learn the language."

"I lived and learned the language in the most magnificent setting, amongst the rolling hills of Vermont, New England in the USA. I stayed on the campus of one of the world's foremost educational centres for language learning, and experienced an incredible opportunity in intercultural living. I shared a room with an amazing lady teacher from Oklahoma, and also shared a house for three weeks with some of the most special people that I have ever met. They came from 9 countries! Together we learned, laughed, studied, ate, sang, played, swam, walked, discussed many topics and lived together, united in one language."

"Our teachers were dedicated, gifted and patient," continued Ms. Fisher. "This astonishing experience of 'global-living and learning' was unforgettable. I was given the gift of MORE than a language. I returned to London with a sense of truly belonging to a world community! I will certainly return to NASK to further my language learning."