Conlangs (Constructed Languages) Megathread

[Democratic Communist Federation]

Indeed, but not in the real world. And in that aspect, I don't think we've gone that deep where conlangs are concerned.

Yes. IMO, LDP needs a good advertising or public relations firm to support it.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

Since I do not know anything about Lingwa de Planeta, why do you think it isn't promising atm for rising to the rank of universal language? Because I do know that one issue with Esperanto that some people spoke of was that it was too Eurocentric and that that could pose difficulties in it's diffusion and learning.

It just isn't growing that much. However, LDP draws on multiple language families. Esperanto was mostly Indo-European.

That then makes it more marketable than Esperanto. Pity it isn't growing.

[Publica]

Indeed, but not in the real world. And in that aspect, I don't think we've gone that deep where conlangs are concerned.

Yes. IMO, LDP needs a good advertising or public relations firm to support it.

Perhaps the strategy should focus on attempting to insert conlangs into school. It's well known that young children learn languages faster, and it might bring more attention. Tricky to do though.

[Democratic Communist Federation]

That then makes it more marketable than Esperanto. Pity it isn't growing.

I agree, but most scholars and academics (speaking as an academic sociologist) are not trained in marketing or advertising. I wouldn't know how to do it either.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

That then makes it more marketable than Esperanto. Pity it isn't growing.

Perhaps the strategy should focus on attempting to insert conlangs into school. It's well known that young children learn languages faster, and it might bring more attention. Tricky to do though.

I think the tricky part is that unless the conlang has a strong foothold, and is known to be actually helpful and worth the time, I doubt an education department would greenlight its teaching. It not an unsound idea, mind you, children in elementary school do tend to learn a language more swiftly and it would definitely be one of the best ways to aid in the expansion of a language.

[Democratic Communist Federation]

Perhaps the strategy should focus on attempting to insert conlangs into school. It's well known that young children learn languages faster, and it might bring more attention. Tricky to do though.

That would be excellent. However, again the issue is marketing.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

That then makes it more marketable than Esperanto. Pity it isn't growing.

I agree, but most scholars and academics (speaking as an academic sociologist) are not trained in marketing or advertising. I wouldn't know how to do it either.

Perhaps try to sell the concept to a PR firm, or a marketing firm, and have them do the ''selling'' for you.

[Democratic Communist Federation]

Perhaps try to sell the concept to a PR firm, or a marketing firm, and have them do the ''selling'' for you.

With LDP, it is complex. I don't know these people. They are in the Russian Federation, where salaries are generally quite low. I am in the U.S., and I have no idea how to bridge that divide.

Edit: To my understanding, they don't know English. I don't know Russian. (They had to have someone else translate the website into English.)

[Publica]

Perhaps the strategy should focus on attempting to insert conlangs into school. It's well known that young children learn languages faster, and it might bring more attention. Tricky to do though.

I think the tricky part is that unless the conlang has a strong foothold, and is known to be actually helpful and worth the time, I doubt an education department would greenlight its teaching. It not an unsound idea, mind you, children in elementary school do tend to learn a language more swiftly and it would definitely be one of the best ways to aid in the expansion of a language.

You could try and get a private school to do it. Less students, but also less oversight.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

Perhaps try to sell the concept to a PR firm, or a marketing firm, and have them do the ''selling'' for you.

With LDP, it is complex. I don't know these people. They are in the Russian Federation, where salaries are generally quite low. I am in the U.S., and I have no idea how to bridge that divide.

Well, if you are involved in suggesting changes to the conlang, perhaps you can offer this suggestion to them at the appropriate time. If there is a vested interest in helping the conlang grow, and you seem to be interested in that, there will come a point when ideas about how to market it to others will be needed. Then you can suggest this.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

I think the tricky part is that unless the conlang has a strong foothold, and is known to be actually helpful and worth the time, I doubt an education department would greenlight its teaching. It not an unsound idea, mind you, children in elementary school do tend to learn a language more swiftly and it would definitely be one of the best ways to aid in the expansion of a language.

You could try and get a private school to do it. Less students, but also less oversight.

I think even a private school is subject to directives from their state or province education department. But maybe it could be rolled out as a pilot program. Test how kids respond to learning it.

[Democratic Communist Federation]

Well, if you are involved in suggesting changes to the conlang, perhaps you can offer this suggestion to them at the appropriate time. If there is a vested interest in helping the conlang grow, and you seem to be interested in that, there will come a point when ideas about how to market it to others will be needed. Then you can suggest this.

I submitted a word (extremista) which is based on LDP rules. Ultimately, the responsibility lies with them to get the ball rolling.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

Well, if you are involved in suggesting changes to the conlang, perhaps you can offer this suggestion to them at the appropriate time. If there is a vested interest in helping the conlang grow, and you seem to be interested in that, there will come a point when ideas about how to market it to others will be needed. Then you can suggest this.

I submitted a word (extremista) which is based on LDP rules. Ultimately, the responsibility lies with them to get the ball rolling.

I understand that, I just think that you shouldn't let the language barrier be a deterrent. You could find someone who knows Russian that can help you convey the idea, if it comes to that, to these people.

[Publica]

You could try and get a private school to do it. Less students, but also less oversight.

I think even a private school is subject to directives from their state or province education department. But maybe it could be rolled out as a pilot program. Test how kids respond to learning it.

While true, I believe that they are able to run any extra classes they choose, so such directives are minimums, rather than maximums if that makes sense.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

I think even a private school is subject to directives from their state or province education department. But maybe it could be rolled out as a pilot program. Test how kids respond to learning it.

While true, I believe that they are able to run any extra classes they choose, so such directives are minimums, rather than maximums if that makes sense.

Probably, but aren't they subject to the same accrediting institutions as public schools are? Anyway, yes, I see your point.

[Democratic Communist Federation]

I understand that, I just think that you shouldn't let the language barrier be a deterrent. You could find someone who knows Russian that can help you convey the idea, if it comes to that, to these people.

I just made the suggestion to them on their Facebook page.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

I understand that, I just think that you shouldn't let the language barrier be a deterrent. You could find someone who knows Russian that can help you convey the idea, if it comes to that, to these people.

I just made the suggestion to them on their Facebook page.

And you never know. Maybe this is the step LDP needed for it to grow.

[Publica]

While true, I believe that they are able to run any extra classes they choose, so such directives are minimums, rather than maximums if that makes sense.

Probably, but aren't they subject to the same accrediting institutions as public schools are? Anyway, yes, I see your point.

Varies depending on state and country I believe.

Another way of increasing the popularity of a conlang, may be to invent a fiction for it, along the lines of Tolkien's Elvish or Star Treks' Klingon. Enter it into the public consciousness that way.

[Democratic Communist Federation]

And you never know. Maybe this is the step LDP needed for it to grow.

I hope so.

[Democratic Communist Federation]

Here is a rather interesting website: Language Creation Society. They are an organization which promotes the creation of new conlangs.

[Democratic Communist Federation]

Another way of increasing the popularity of a conlang, may be to invent a fiction for it, along the lines of Tolkien's Elvish or Star Treks' Klingon. Enter it into the public consciousness that way.

That's not a bad idea. However, using historical precedent, although that is not in itself evidence, Tolkien's books did not help his Elvish languages to become widely used; and Klingon has only a small base of speakers who are Trekkies or Trekkers (supposedly, there is a difference between those two concepts).

[Publica]

Another way of increasing the popularity of a conlang, may be to invent a fiction for it, along the lines of Tolkien's Elvish or Star Treks' Klingon. Enter it into the public consciousness that way.

That's not a bad idea. However, using historical precedent, although that is not in itself evidence, Tolkien's books did not help his Elvish languages to become widely used; and Klingon has only a small base of speakers who are Trekkies or Trekkers (supposedly, there is a difference between those two concepts).

Fair, but more people may choose to learn about it, if they've heard of it. Lack of publicity is a killer.

[Democratic Communist Federation]

Fair, but more people may choose to learn about it, if they've heard of it. Lack of publicity is a killer.

True, but there needs to be some missing ingredient.

[Publica]

Fair, but more people may choose to learn about it, if they've heard of it. Lack of publicity is a killer.

True, but there needs to be some missing ingredient.

Likely it's because these language are used in fiction, people don't believe them to have any use in reality. Also, neither was actually entirely designed or finished. Tolkien's works were made because he enjoyed doing so, and was never designed to be spoken, while Klingon was haphazardly built to suit the needs of the program it was part of. It would perhaps be better to form as much of the language as possible before hand, then build a fictional concept around it.

[The Liberated Territories]

I am the creator of a couple con-langs, most of which don't end up going anywhere.