So I've been noticing that there are a bunch of people lately talking about learning Esperanto on tumblr (huzzegah!*), and n2qfd has already given a little list of bonaj rimedoj for learning the language. However, as important as it is to go through a course or seven and learn the ropes of the language, and as awesome as lernu! and those courses by mail are, they can get kind of... boring.

The usual solution to this problem is, of course, media! But if you're hoping to pop some krevmaizo and enjoy some Esperanto sitcoms... well... too bad. Turns out that making movies and television that don't suck requires a lot of money and a way to easily disseminate said works, which aren't really feasible for an international community of mostly not-that-well-off people (this problem is not unique to Esperanto). There is, however, tons of Esperanto literature and music, but also podcasts have taken a pretty big role as the main way that infomation can easily be serialized and sent out to as wide as an audience as possible (no international shipping!). They're also great for learning the language, especially if you don't have nearby people to speak with. Just let the podcats play in the background and let your brain get used to hearing the sounds of the language; pretty soon, even if you don't understand every word, it'll start sounding less like some weird foreign mumbo-jumbo pretty quickly, and you'll be able to apply knowledge that you get from the mostly-written learning process more quickly.

I'm going to highlight three of what are probably the most popular podcasts below. (I have no idea if they actually are or not, but they're the ones I listen to.) There are others, including notably ones that are produced by the Vatican and by the Cuban government, but if you archive panic these three, they should keep you busy for a few years.

Radio Verda (10-15 minute episodes, about once a month) - One of the original Esperanto podcasts and still going strong, Arono and Karlina come at you from Vancouver, Canada with amusing news stories from around the world (mostly what can be considered 'fluff pieces,' really), though they do occasionally branch into news and projects from the movado**. They're interesting enough in themselves, but the main reason to listen to this podcast is that Arono has the voice of an angel. If an Esperanto theme park ever gets built, Aaron Chapman's voice will be the one telling you to keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times. (And Karlina's accent isn't too shabby, either.) Often an Esperanto song is tacked onto the end of an episode - see if you can dig through the archives and find Arono's cover of Panic at the Disco's 'Nine in the Afternoon.'

Varsovia Vento (60-90 minute episodes, about once a month) - My personal favorite, this podcast is made by a team of people from Warsaw, Poland and has a much lighter atmosphere than the other two. It's pretty heavily music-based, and usually features a (fairly long) interview with an Esperanto musician, as well as several songs, so if you're interested in Esperanto music (and who isn't?) this is a great source. It also includes reports from pretty much every European Esperanto youth congress ever as well as a ton of other things - poetry readings, information about awesome parts of the movado that you may not have heard about (including Bona Espero), Polish lessions, and so on. It's a fun and incredibly interesting listen, and I strongly recommend it.

Pola Retradio (20-25 minute episodes, twice a week) - For a long time (half a century!), the Polish goverment put out its national radio service in Esperanto, but the recession and subsequent budget cuts finally killed the program in 2011. It's found a second life as a podcast but has kept the format of national radio, with a heavy emphasis on international news and Polish history and culture. However, it also has a great deal of information and interviews and such about the movado and is a great way to keep informed about the more 'official' projects of Esperantists (and is a great deal less jaded than Libera Folio). They have a bit of a reputation for talking really really fast, but the recent decision to start putting transcripts of part of the episodes online should help with this.

One last thing - both Radio Verda and Varsovia Vento accept user contributions (including from those who have never recored or edited a sound file ever in their lives), and Pola Retradio has a weekly feature where they respond to comments from listeners. So, once your Esperanto is good enough, don't hesitate to participate! One of the most awesome things about Esperanto is that, since pretty much all of its media is volunteer-based, the line between a producer and a consumer is blurred and it's relatively easy to contribute to something that you're sure will reach an audience. Playing a role in these sorts of things, even if it's a relatively minor one - I was one of the people who helped write up and read the news for Muzaiko for a few months - is a pretty cool experience. Oh, and bonan aŭskultadon!