I want to learn Pali in order to compare English translations in order to avoid as much as possible the translators' biases. I like to memorize verses in English and I want to also learn the corresponding Pali. But, I don't want to just memorize it without actually understanding it. I am not interested in learning Pali in order to carry on discussions of orthodox dogma. I am a secular Buddhist and have been on long before Stephen Batchelor gave it a name.
I think that Pali should be the lingua franca of the Buddhist world. Perhaps it already is. But, the monks, nuns and lay teachers I've met have only a superficial understanding of the language. Pali ought to be for Buddhists what Latin is to the Catholic Church and Hebrew for Judaism.
I know from language study that translating the written word is only a shadow of actually knowing a language. The point of my message is to discover if there are others with whom I can communicate in writing and verbal conversation.