[B-Greek] How to Progress from First-Year Grammar to Reading?

Mark Lightman lightmanmark at yahoo.com
Mon Feb 23 21:02:53 EST 2009


In learning Greek, I've done it all and it all helps, but Graded Readers were
for me among the least helpful.  I think you are better off to get Zondervan's
A Reader's Greek New Testament and Zerwick's Grammatical Commentary
and just start reading the Greek NT.  Working your way through textbooks and
doing the exercises is also helpful, it doesn't matter which textbook.  Do them
all, koine and classical. 

--- On Sun, 2/22/09, Carl Conrad <cwconrad2 at mac.com> wrote:

From: Carl Conrad <cwconrad2 at mac.com>
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] How to Progress from First-Year Grammar to Reading?
To: "Jarrett Cohen" <jarrett_cohen at yahoo.com>
Cc: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Date: Sunday, February 22, 2009, 7:11 PM

Jarrett, you've raised a number of alternatives. Fortunately or  
unfortunately, you're not going to get a single response but probably  
several responses that will run counter some to others. Of the  
traditional NT Greek primers, I think Clayton Croy is one of the  
better ones. More B-Greekers probably swear by Mounce, but I'm not one  
of those. I'd take your Option #1 and go with Rod Decker's Reader; for 

Biblical Greek grammar in a more-or-less traditional didactic  
approach, I don't think you can find anything more thorough and  
precise; if you go through it carefully in its own order, I think  
you'll develop very nicely the skills that you want.

I myself am a now-long-retired teacher of Greek, having taught more  
classical Attic than Biblical Greek, and I used the JACT Reading Greek  
course myself for the last ten years or so of my teaching career. I  
would recommend working through it, but perhaps AFTER you consolidate  
the Biblical Greek with something like Rod Decker's book. If and when  
you get around to it, I might have some more suggestions for its use,  
including a supplement that I prepared for my own students and which  
is accessible as a PDF file on my own web site.

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)

On Feb 22, 2009, at 4:26 PM, Jarrett Cohen wrote:

> Greetings,
>
> I am a new member of B-Greek and am writing to seek advice on how to  
> progress from studying “first-year” grammar to reading the New  
> Testament, and perhaps the Church Fathers, in Greek.
>
> My
> background: I just finished working through Clayton Croy’s “A Primer  
> of
> Biblical Greek” (just over half in an online class, the rest on my
> own). At this point, I’m studying independently but may have a study
> partner/mentor in the summer.
>
> It would be great to get feedback on two options I’m considering.
>
>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Option #1: Work Through One or More Biblical/Koine Greek Readers
>
> Several Greek readers are listed at:
>
http://www.archaicchristianity.com/Blog/Archives/2008/4/28/Greek_AndAFewLatin_Readers_AGallery.aspx
>
> The reader I’m most attracted to is:
> Rodney Decker’s “Koine Greek Reader”
> It ties into intermediate grammars (e.g., Black, Wallace) and  
> explains how to use the BDAG lexicon.
>
> Another reader of possible interest is:
> S.M. Baugh’s “A First John Reader: Intermediate Greek Reading Notes  
> and Grammar”
>
> Questions
> 1. Is working through a Greek reader a good next step after learning  
> grammar basics?
> 2. Do readers work well for independent learners?
> 3. Which reader(s) do list members recommend? I would particularly  
> value input from those who have studied with one.
>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Option #2: Use Multiple Approaches to Language Learning
>
> An intriguing (although intimidating) learning program is suggested  
> by Greg Kane at:
> http://www.pocm.info/good_books_read_greek.htm
>
> Kane advocates three passes through Greek using multiple approaches  
> to language learning, summarized below.
>
> Step 1: Learn by doing introduction.
>
> Study John Dobson’s “Learn New Testament Greek” (inductive text).
>
> Do Chapters 1 to 19.
>
> Step 2: Memorize the forms.
>
> Study William Mounce’s “Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar” (deductive
 
> text).
>
> Step 3: Fill in the gap.
> 3a: Practice with many Greek sentences.
>
> Complete Dobson’s “Learn New Testament Greek.”
> 3b: Read simple Greek stories.
> Study JACT “Reading Greek” or “Athenaze” (graded reading text).
>
> Notes and Questions
> 1.
> I happen to have followed a similar path to Kane’s Steps 1 and 2:
> trying to learn with Dobson but giving up around Chapter 21, and then
> finding the online class and working through Croy’s deductive grammar.
> 2.
> Has anyone on the list tried this approach or something similar? Did
> you find it a good sequence to follow, or was it too time-consuming
> and/or tedious to sustain?
> 3. Would pieces of Step 3 be worthwhile
> to get practice in reading longer passages? For example, the 2008
> edition of “Reading Greek” looks outstanding in previews (check Google
> Books), but might I get confused by the differences in Classical  
> Greek?
>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Well, I hope that I haven’t prattled on for too long and that  
> starting this discussion will be helpful to others on the list.
>
> Thanks in advance for the advice on the options and any other ideas  
> you might have!
>
> All the best,
>
> Jarrett




---
B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek
B-Greek mailing list
B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek



      


More information about the B-Greek mailing list