[B-Greek] "Crossing the Rubicon" (learning Greek NOT in English)

Jonathan Robie jwrobie at mindspring.com
Thu Jun 21 07:35:19 EDT 2007


I hadn't focused on one important part of Carl's post before. Here's an 
excerpt:

Carl W. Conrad wrote:
> I had never seen a classical author taken in such large gulps  
> before. When he had finished he handed me over Crusius' Lexicon and,  
> having told me to go through again as much as he had done, left the  
> room. It seems an odd method of teaching, but it worked. At first I  
> could travel only a very short way along the trail he had blazed, but  
> every day I could travel further. Presently I could travel the whole  
> way. Then I could go a line or two beyond his furthest North. Then it  
> became a kind of game to see how far beyond. He appeared at this  
> stage to value speed more than absolute accuracy. The great gain was  
> that I very soon became able to understand a great deal without (even  
> mentally) translating it; I was beginning to think in Greek.

This seems to indicate that reading quickly may be more helpful for 
gaining fluency than poring over every word and making sure that we 
understand 110% of what the text says before moving on - "He appeared at 
this stage to value speed more than absolute accuracy". Perhaps when 
we're reading to gain fluency, as opposed to reading for a thorough 
appreciation of the text, we should move on even if we haven't grasped 
everything completely accurately?

I usually read slowly and try to see what I don't grasp, asking 
questions as I go.

Jonathan



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