[B-Greek] Online teaching tools
Sarah Madden
sarah.r.madden at gmail.com
Sat Dec 8 11:51:43 EST 2007
Eric--
I can't answer whether a different (authentic) pronunciation would give a
more accurate understanding of the text since I only know the Erasmian
approach. I do know that a consistent, methodical pronunciation system has
helped me greatly over the years in my attempt to remember the words that
make up the text, and thus it helps me understand the meaning of the text,
which is my main reason for studying NT Greek in the first place. I like
Susan Jeffers' idea of mastering one approach (Erasmian) but being exposed
to others on tape -- and maybe later one could learn a second method of
pronunciation. I find it helps fluidity to read ALOUD from the Greek NT
(and, yes, I'm doing this in Erasmian) at least a few minutes a day --
during devotions, study, and/or tutoring others.
Sarah
On Dec 8, 2007 11:31 AM, Eric Inman <eric.inman at wescorpflex.com> wrote:
> Sarah,
>
>
>
> Your approach sounds fairly similar to what I've been doing. Here's the
> question though: if you use that approach with the Erasmian pronounciation,
> will you get as accuarate an understanding of the text as you would if you
> used that approach with a more authentic pronounciation?
>
>
>
> Eric Inman
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> *From:* Sarah Madden [mailto:sarah.r.madden at gmail.com]
> *Sent:* Saturday, December 08, 2007 10:15 AM
> *To:* Eric Inman
> *Cc:* Carl Conrad; b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
>
> *Subject:* Re: [B-Greek] Online teaching tools
>
>
>
> Eric --
>
> I'm glad you reminded us of the reason we are studying NT Greek in the
> first place: to better understand the Greek text. With that said, whenever I
> read aloud, I attempt to be aware of the meaning of the sentence, and the
> phrases that hang together, and the lilt of the voice at the end of a
> question -- just as one does with English. When reading Greek aloud, I
> believe it also helps to be consistent in stressing the accented syllables
> -- in fact, a Greek immigrant recently told me that speaking Greek well is
> "all in the accents." I don't intentionally set out to memorize the accents
> on most words (except, of course, accents, relative pronouns, easily
> confused small words, and such), but I make it a habit to stress the
> accented syllable whenever I read it. Then it really does come alive like a
> living language to me.
>
>
> Sarah
>
> On Dec 8, 2007 10:57 AM, Eric Inman <eric.inman at wescorpflex.com> wrote:
>
> Thank you for your response. In addition, I would be interested in the
> thoughts of you and others on the main point I was trying to make. My main
>
> concern is not whether a certain pronounciation sounds nicer or makes
> learning Greek easier. Rather I'm concerned about the fact that a more
> authentic pronounciation might tend to produce a more accurate
> understanding
> of a text. This is based on the assumption that some choices that were
> made
> in writing and editing the text would likely have been based on how
> certain
> words and phrases sounded. This might especially be true in cases where
> there are plays on words, but I think it might be generally true as well.
> I'm wondering how big a factor people might think this is.
>
> If it is true that a more authentic pronounciation in the ear of the
> reader
> tends to produce a more accurate understanding of a text, then I would
> think
> that this would be the overriding factor in choosing a pronounciation
> system. If it does make learning more difficult, we would have to remember
>
> why most of us want to learn NTG in the first place. It's to improve our
> understanding of the Greek text.
>
>
> Eric Inman
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org
> [mailto: b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Sarah Madden
>
> Sent: Saturday, December 08, 2007 8:28 AM
> To: Carl Conrad
> Cc: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: Re: [B-Greek] Online teaching tools
>
> to Eric Inman--
> Re. your comment about the "sounds" of modern (or Koine) Greek. You are
> absolutely right that they sound wonderful and fluid (I have heard NT
> texts read using the modern pronunciation)! One person I know has learned
> how to read NT Greek texts with both types of pronunciations (the Erasmian
> so he can be understand by professors and fellow students, and the modern
> --
> possibly authentic -- so he can enjoy a very "Greeky" sound). Another
> student, whom I tutor and mentor in NT Greek, has a strong background in
> modern Greek because of her family background and having lived in Greece,
> yet is struggling with how to spell the words or with a word's grammatical
>
> function -- precisely because the non-Erasmian pronunciation she is used
> to
> hearing and saying does not help her with grammar or word spelling -- and
> the modern pronunciation certainly isn't helping her with learning the
> vocabulary.
>
> --Sarah Madden
>
> Responding to your initial question, I learned NTG with the Erasmian
> pronounciation, which I imagine made the process much easier, but I am now
> concerned by the fact that when I read a text my sense of the text might
> not
> be as accurate as it would be if I had been taught a more authentic
> pronounciation. I believe that the sound of a language plays a role to
> some
> degree in the choices of words, phrases, structures, patterns, etc. in a
> text, and I am concerned that I might be missing or misinterpreting cues
> in
> the text that have some connection with how the text sounded originally.
>
> Eric Inman
>
> On Dec 8, 2007 8:09 AM, Carl Conrad <cwconrad2 at mac.com> wrote:
>
> > On Dec 8, 2007, at 5:57 AM, Sarah Madden wrote:
> >
> > > Unless one is speaking with or listening to modern Greek speakers,
> > > or listening to Greek Orthodox sermons, I'm interested in knowing
> > > what the advantage (if any) is to most students of NT Greek to learn
> > > the modern pronunciation? I personally like the fact that Erasmus
> > > came up with a method that helps identify words by their sounds --
> > > every letter is pronounced, and the vowels each have their own
> > > sounds. My experience with mentoring students is that the ones who
> > > know modern Greek (either because of living in Greece or by getting
> > > an audio tape and learning it) might be able to read the text, but
> > > their spelling and recognition/understanding of the nuances between
> > > particular words (e.g., hWS versus hOS) is weak. Any thoughts?
>
>
>
>
> --
> Sarah
> sarah.r.madden at gmail.com
> work: 301.429.8189
>
--
Sarah
sarah.r.madden at gmail.com
work: 301.429.8189
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