What to watch to learn Esperanto
Everything one Esperanto expert told us they would actually put in front of a learner, with a note on why each one works and the level it suits.
15
Recommendations
1
Experts
Picked by
I'm an Irish Esperantist and I've been in the movement for over a decade. I spent several years active in TEJO, the Esperanto youth movement, I write the blog Teo kaj Libroj, and I've written for Libera Folio, Monato and Kontakto.
See Robert’s picks
Chelsea Rae Moses
Travel adventures, daily-life vlogs and more from a family channel about travel, food and languages. The newer videos are in English, so dig into the older ones, where she speaks Esperanto.
Podcast
Esperanta Retradio
Short pieces read aloud almost every day, each posted with its full text. Listen once, read along, then listen again.
Evildea (English subtitles)
The same wild and wacky adventures with English captions, for when Esperanto subtitles are still too much. Start here, then move to the Esperanto-subtitled playlist once you can follow along.
Evildea (Esperanto subtitles)
Wild and wacky adventures and stories from one of Esperanto's best-known YouTubers, captioned in Esperanto. Reading along in the language you're learning is the step up from translated subtitles, and this playlist is built for exactly that.
jozefo
Discussions, jokes and adventures. Ordinary spoken Esperanto on everyday topics, in manageable pieces.
Podcast
Kern punkto
Eva and Johannes talk science, technology, history and society, from telescopes to the Ig Nobel Prize. Two voices in real conversation on topics you already have opinions about.
Ksenik
Ksenik makes videos in Esperanto rather than about Esperanto, from Belarus. That's what you want once you're past learner content: the language as a medium, not a subject.
Oliver rakontas
Oliver is a translator who makes videos exploring all sorts of things about the world. Unhurried, clearly spoken, and a good bridge once simple learner material stops stretching you.
Radio Verda
Engaging pieces on topics that matter for society, from an independent Esperanto audio producer running since 1998. Each is published alongside its text and illustrations, which makes it much easier to work with than audio alone.
Scivolemo
The most interesting and informative science content in Esperanto. The channel grew out of a blog of the same name, filling a gap where the language is strong on culture and debate but thin on science. Expect real subject vocabulary and the most demanding listening on this list.
Shanny Love Esperanto
Want to learn about China? Let Shanny be your guide. Everyday life in Esperanto: concrete, visual, and repetitive in the useful way, so you can follow a lot from what's on screen.
TEJO Esperanto
The channel of the world Esperanto youth organisation: events, interviews and many different speakers. That variety is the point, because you hear the language as real people from everywhere actually speak it.
Website
UEA facila
News, opinion, stories and short films written in deliberately easy Esperanto. A good place to start when native-speed material is still too fast.
Usone Persone
A podcast, so there are no visuals to lean on. Good for building real listening stamina once you can follow video comfortably.
Podcast
Varsovia Vento
A long-running magazine show from Poland: news from the Esperanto world, interviews, listener messages and music. Episodes come in half-hour parts, so you can take them one at a time.
Frequently asked
What can I watch to learn Esperanto?
Robert recommends Chelsea Rae Moses, Esperanta Retradio, Evildea (English subtitles) and Evildea (Esperanto subtitles), 15 expert-chosen picks in total. Each links out to where you can watch or listen, with a note on the right learner level.
What are the best podcasts to learn Esperanto?
Robert, an expert in Esperanto (constructed language), recommends Esperanta Retradio, Kern punkto, Radio Verda, Usone Persone and Varsovia Vento. Each one links out to where you can watch or listen, with a note on the level it suits.
What are the best YouTube channels to learn Esperanto?
Robert, an expert in Esperanto (constructed language), recommends Chelsea Rae Moses, Evildea (English subtitles), Evildea (Esperanto subtitles), jozefo, Ksenik, Oliver rakontas, Scivolemo, Shanny Love Esperanto and TEJO Esperanto. Each one links out to where you can watch or listen, with a note on the level it suits.