[B-Greek] Re: Greek & Hebrew brush-up" tools
Barry
nebarry at verizon.net
Wed Feb 25 07:47:03 EST 2004
I am a victim of the traditional approach to learning Greek (not much else
available in the early 1980's), and started with Classical, not Koine per se (so
I did it the "right" way). My Greek professor at the time recommended a very
simple rule: when reading any Greek or Latin text, keep a record of each word
you have to look up. Put a dot or check next to it everytime you have to look
it up. If you get three dots or checks, then memorize the complete lexical
entry, in whatever way best suits you (vocabulary cards, writing it out on
sticky pads and putting it on the bathroom mirror, whatever).
I fairly faithfully followed that regimen, and developed a rather healthy
vocabulary stock by the time I hit graduate school (where they told me never
look up a word, but figure it out from context and only look it up if it
continues to make no sense). When taking advanced exegetical courses in
seminary, you know all those words that don't make the word lists because they
are less than 10 times? I knew 'em all (or almost).
When teaching Greek and Latin, my students would occasionally ask for tips and
tricks (such as rhymes or neat acronyms) for learning the language. I told them
"I have a trick which will absolutely assure you of learning all your paradigms
and vocab: hard work and memorization."
My students hated me... :)
N.E. Barry Hofstetter
Professor of Theological and Biblical Studies
The Center for Urban Theological Studies
Philadelphia, PA
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze1yfx7/
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