[B-Greek] re: What are some other languages that would be useful to know?

R Yochanan Bitan Buth ybitan at mscc.huji.ac.il
Sun Apr 11 17:37:40 EDT 2004


>so I was wondering, what language should I pursue other than Greek (and
Hebrew in seminary)?
>... 
> As I've mentioned in another message, my goal is to one day teach in a
seminary, and so I'd want to have a good grip on Koine.  
> 
>in Christ,
>Jonathan Ferguson

An important word to underline in the thread title is the word "know". 

Maybe PASCA "Resurrection Sunday" is a good day for outlining the following
vision.
For me, "to know a language" means being competent to sit and discuss a
subject with someone after dinner in that language, or to read an
interesting article (or book) fluently, on the spot, getting it all without
recourse to a dictionary. 98-99% comprehension is fine, that is why human
beings have questions. Such a level means being able to function from within
the language. That is the level of language that I would expect if someone
were going to correctly read a newspaper article to me from a language that
I did not know. That is what an international organization expects when they
say "must be fluent to work in XXXX language". 

The above is "where the bar should be". 
Now how does one get there?
For German or French, one can always visit an area where the language is
spoken and find out, if they are there or not. (They will probably need a
year or two 'to get there'.) 

Now what about Greek and Hebrew? Language internalization requires extensive
live use. Extensive reading is part of that extensive use but at some point
(sooner is better than later) a person must use the language to communicate
with others if the language is ever going to internalize. In the "old days"
students were expected to listen to lectures in Latin and write books in
Latin. That kind of competence allowed them to read classics widely for fun.

Likewise in the bet-midrash, students of rabbinic texts were expected to
converse in the language, read and write, etc., even if this was a second or
fifth language for them. It turns out that such a environment is also a much
more efficient language learning arena. Learning takes place
"geometrically", multi-dimensionally. It does not change scholarship, that
is still done linearly. But the fluent scholar enjoys a wealth of enjoyment
and background that cannot come from a lifetime of linearly "studying from
outside". 

A sobering thought for a young student is that it is possible to read for
thirty years and never internalize a language. (I've had students doubt this
statement, but ask your Greek teacher to tell you in Greek how they spent
their time last week. A German teacher can rapidly respond even if they
don't know what to report.) We needn't despair, journeys are made one step
at a time. It is important to see the destination in order to arrive.

I recommend common-sense from what we know works in testable languages in
order to measure if we are making the right kind of progress in biblical
languages. A student who spends 4 years in college and 3-4 years in
seminary, or perhaps another 3-6 years in grad school should aim at nothing
less than a fluent control of Greek and Hebrew, except that I feel that the
educational structures that exist do not move in such a direction. An
alternative exists for Hebrew. (There are still four days left for applying
for next year's need-based scholarships, both undergrad and grad. See
www.jerusalemcornerstone.org for undergrads.) I would like to see Greek
pedagogy undertake programs to mimic what was done for 1700 years with
Hebrew. The classicist from a century ago, W.H.D. Rouse would agree. Hence,
the SBL "Oral Language Initiative" proposal. 
ETERWS PAIZOMEN. 
ALL' EI KAI ALHQWS PAIZOMEN EN TH ELLHNIKH, TOTE MAQHSOMEQA KAI "EKEI"
EPELEUSOMEQA.
You might call this the "play your way to fluency" program, remembering an
application of what another famous teacher once said, 
"DEI UMAS DEXASQAI THN ELLHNIKHN GLWSSAN WS PAIDION EAN EISELQHTE EIS AUTHN"

TI DHTE!?  <MEIDIAMA :-)>
ERRWSQE

Randall Buth

Randall Buth, PhD
Director, Biblical Language Center
www.biblicalulpan.org
and Director, Biblical Studies in Israel
Rothberg International School
Hebrew University
ybitan at mscc.huji.ac.il






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