"Pasporto al la tuta mondo" is a new Esperanto course, consisting of 15 video lessons (of 30 minutes each), intended for individual or group study, plus a 16th lesson with a summary, history and original music. Each lesson is presented entirely in Esperanto and consists of three parts: introduction, drama, recapitulation.

This television-style drama invites the students to follow the adventures of the Bonvolo family, their friends and acquaintances. The Bonvolo family is no ordinary family. The father, Georgo,is a Greek philosopher and the mother, Filisa, a dancer. The harmony of this somewhat extraordinary family is upset when a young shepherd, complete with sheep, decides to take advantage of the Pasporta Servo and comes to stay. The resulting complications and misunderstandings provide the basis for fast-moving and lively story which will hold the attention of learners -- and of more experienced Esperanto speakers -- until the closing scene in lesson 15.

The actors, who come from many parts of the world, use Esperanto in the way it is pronounced - always clearly, always understandably, sometimes with accents that reflect real, worldwide use of Esperanto. So "Pasporto al la tuta mondo" doesn't offer some sort of artificial language, but a natural and living one!

The lessons contain drawings, photos and maps. To reinforce and practice the new material introduced in each lesson, the recapitulation by the "teacher" at the beginning and end of each lesson looks in detail at the principal grammatical points presented in the drama and prepares the learner for the written exercises which accompany the course. The written exercises, created by Stefan MacGill, complement the lessons and provide the reading and writing practice essential to the learning of any language. By the end of the 15 lessons it is anticipated that the learner will be able to:

• Converse with confidence and accuracy in a range of everyday situations;
• Understand spoken Esperanto in a variety of contexts and from a variety of speakers with moderate national accents;
• Recognize the principal features of Esperanto grammar and apply them in spoken and written discourse;
• Identify and understand aspects of Esperanto culture;
• Survive in the wider Esperanto world, participating with profit and pleasure in Esperanto courses and events such as local, regional, national and international meetings.

Dr Paul Gubbins, the author, explains that although "Pasporto al la tuta mondo" is intended for teaching beginners, it will also entertain even experienced Esperantists. They can watch and enjoy the story as if it were a television series about a family. Because the lessons have a timeless quality, they will be up-to-date for many years without any alteration.

The homepage of the course and more detailed information can be found at: http://www.diana-babeck.de/1597.html.