[B-Greek] How to define 1st year Greek-vocab syntax standards

R Yochanan Bitan Buth ybitan at mscc.huji.ac.il
Sat Jul 3 13:51:29 EDT 2004


Below is a second part of an answer to your question, as I see the my first
answer left off any quantification.
> Hello,
 
I'm just starting out on my study of NT Greek, using Dobsons 2nd ed of
'Learn New Testament Greek'. This is in 52 chapters so ought to take me 6-7
months to complete.
 
I always see Greek study discussed in terms of 1st, 2nd and 3rd year and I
know this refers to College and University study, ie 30 weeks a year. But
how does this apply to the self-learner who can study 365 days a year? What
vocab and grammar levels actually define 1st, 2nd and 3rd year Greek?
 
Regards,
 
Martin Wells,
Bristol,
UK>
 
CAIRE (greetings, be happy)
 
Typically, a student can be expected to learn about 300-700 vocab items in a
first year course. 
In actual practice, there are no standards in the field of Greek studies for
comparison across classes, backgrounds, levels, etc. 
 
There are no standardized tests that rank someone on a scale from zero to a
level of competance in the language as is commonplace, e.g., with
universities and modern languages. With English a TOEFL exam exists which
tells a university when a student crosses a certain minimum standard for
working in English. There is no TOGFL exam (Test of Greek as a Foreign
Language) that tells when a person is competent to function in ancient Greek
at the equivalent level of a university student. 
 
It would be good if such a thing existed in Greek. I know John Schwandt, on
this list, shares that opinion and has already put a lot of work towards a
first foundation to that end. 
 
Again, on the provocative side, I would want a student to be able to use
those 300 words for communication as part of the learning program. Only in
that way will someone build toward fluency and thinking in the language.
This is a little bit tricky when applying to Greek language courses. The
most common words are the most irregular. They are the most important in
terms of needing to internalize them for any real communication. However,
because they are so irregular, students do not usually learn to produce them
and end up with a "hole" in the middle of their new language. 

 

ERRWSO

 

Randall Buth

 

Randall Buth, PhD

Director, Biblical Language Center

www.biblicalulpan.org

and Director, Biblical Studies in Israel

Hebrew University, Rothberg International School

ybitan at mscc.huji.ac.il

 




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