On Speaking Second Languages (or: Why All Esperantists Understand One Another)

I mentioned yesterday how much easier I found Chinese, as a language, when someone other than an actual Chinese person was speaking it. And by "actual Chinese person" I mean someone for whom Mandarin is a native language. Which led to the question: is this a general rule, that non-native speakers of a language find it easier to understand other non-natives? Most of the answers I’ve received are in the "it’s a general rule" category. I’ll quote some of them, and then wrap up with my caveats, overview, and tips for further reading. Here goes.

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