[B-Greek] What we can live with (was papyrus text)

Suttles, Andrew C. (GRC-DSI0) andrew.c.suttles at nasa.gov
Mon Apr 13 09:37:10 EDT 2009


Dr. Smith -

> The Erasmian pronunciation scheme is part of a system that has rarely produced students capable of actually thinking or much less  communicating in Greek. <

It seems we may be asking a "pronunciation scheme" to carry a burden it's not capable of bearing.  

Andrew
Cleveland, OH


>-----Original Message-----
>From: b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org 
>[mailto:b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Yancy Smith
>Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2009 4:27 PM
>To: greek B-Greek
>Subject: Re: [B-Greek] What we can live with (was papyrus text)
>
>
>
>Mark EGRAPSE: 
>
>
>I can't really explain why I can live with TA and TO sounding 
>alike but not TO and TWi.
> 
>If you want to make a convert to Living Koine out of one of 
>the most articulate defenders of Erasmus out there (me), you 
>are going to have to convince him how he CAN live with it.
>
>    I for one wish we could live with a higher standard in 
>teaching/ learning Greek at a seminary level. A standard to 
>which Dr. Buth's comments point indirectly. The "imprecision" 
>in the spelling of Greek in the papyri is an indicator of a 
>living language in use: something toward which our teaching 
>and learning should strive.  I have used LIVING KOINE for 
>non-traditional students in seminary who have learning 
>disorders (e.g. unable to memorize the alphabet). I lament, 
>however, that we could not use it for traditional students. 
>The problem was not the students, but lack of faculty unable 
>to try something other than the dismally unsuccessful 
>traditional appraoch. 
>      We should judge the traditional approach by the same 
>standard we use to determine the success or failure of any 
>other foreign language teaching program. The Erasmian 
>pronunciation scheme is part of a system that has rarely 
>produced students capable of actually thinking or much less  
>communicating in Greek.
>
>   Success in these two areas would certainly lead to greater 
>facility in understanding the texts of ancient Christians. 
>Perhaps it would lead to greater quality in the application of 
>the fruits of exegesis.
>
>Yancy Smith, Ph.D.
>5636 Wedgworth Road
>Fort Worth, TX 76133
>817-675-6033
>
>
>---
>B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek B-Greek 
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