[B-Greek] Learning approaches
Carl Conrad
cwconrad2 at mac.com
Mon Feb 15 12:42:46 EST 2010
On Feb 15, 2010, at 11:43 AM, Laura Bush wrote:
> I was--a little--interested in the recent discussion on the use of
> interlinears; as a new group member, it was not a repeat for me. That
> discussion prompts this question, though I am not at all sure it's an
> appropriate question for this group and will not be hurt if I'm ignored or
> redirected or answered off-list.
>
> I am an adult with a year of college-level ancient Greek under my belt--25
> years ago. I have over the past couple years been reviewing by teaching my
> children basic Koine Greek, using curricula for homeschooled children as
> well as Machen and Mounce. I have also recently read Black's Intermediate
> Greek text. I have made it a goal for myself to read through the New
> Testament in 2010; I am currently around Mark 12.
>
> My approach to the reading is to use a Reader's Greek New Testament with
> glosses at the foot of the page for words used fewer than 50 times and some
> tricky verb forms. I try to sort the Greek without reference to the glosses,
> but if I don't know the word, I use the glosses. I also keep handy an
> interlinear for reference; there are a few words that are not glossed that I
> do not yet have memorized, and using the interlinear is quicker and handier
> than using a lexicon. I am doing only a quick and dirty translation as I go,
> and often my knowledge of the text in English is a big help. My goal is not
> deep study but reading, and I am hoping for increasing fluency as I move
> through the text.
>
> Are there significant weaknesses to this approach? Is it the opinion of the
> experts here that the interlinear, used as I describe, is a bad idea? If my
> goal is gradually improving facility in reading the Greek New Testament, are
> there other things you would add to my current regimen?
>
> And finally, if this kind of question is not appropriate to this group, do
> you know of a better list or forum for the autodidact with merely
> intermediate Greek skills? (Most of your discussions have been well over my
> head, I confess.)
There's nothing wrong with your question, but I fear you will discover that there
is simply no consensus on the questions you ask; you will probably have responses
approving of your procedures and others warning about the need to get beyond
such procedures sooner rather than later.
There's much to be said for doing what "works" for you. It seems to me that if
you maintain your efforts at getting through the GNT within the year, you will
probably be seeing most of the words in similar or slightly different contexts
frequently enough that both vocabulary and constructions will become increasingly
familiar to you. If you take as your objective what we often talk about here as
a desirable goal -- internalization -- more or less instantaneous recognition and
understanding of the Greek text in its own natural sequence --, then you're
likely to become ever less reliant upon the glosses in the Reader's GNT or an
interlinear. That is to say, if these tools are like training wheels for someone
learning to ride a bike, you'll probably get to the point that you won't check
them when you can make intelligent guesses. You yourself have to decide for
yourself when you can and should dispense with them.
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
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