[B-Greek] David Black on learning Greek

Barry H. nebarry at verizon.net
Fri Oct 1 17:20:47 EDT 2010


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "George F Somsel" <gfsomsel at yahoo.com>
To: "Michael Lawson" <dikaiosune_7 at msn.com>; "James Spinti" 
<JSpinti at Eisenbrauns.com>
Cc: "b-greek" <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Friday, October 01, 2010 4:23 PM
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] David Black on learning Greek


> Au contraire, Pierre. Greek is not difficult to learn, but it does require
> effort. That is, special intellectual abilities are not necessary. Even 
> the
> little children learned to speak Greek (standard joke). For us, however, 
> it
> does require some perspiration. If you aren't willing to expend the 
> effort, you
> will not learn it, but if you do expend the effort, even a child can learn
> Greek.

I think we have to be careful not to cosmologize our experience.  I have had 
two students in particular that I remember, one when I taught beginning 
Latin at OSU, and another when I taught Greek at WTS, who were obviously 
quite intelligent, adult level learners.  The former was a youngish college 
student, but very diligent and responsible.  And they just couldn't "get 
it," as the kids say these days.   They worked not only as hard but harder 
than everyone else, and I gave them extra time in tutoring.  Let me stress 
that academically they were far from washouts, and did well in other 
subjects.  Latin and Greek, though, was like a barrier to them they just 
couldn't seem to get through, though they managed well enough to pass the 
course in each case (with a merciful teacher to help).

I personally had similar experience with Math all the way through my formal 
education, though Latin and Greek caused me no problems at all.  There are 
people for whom certain subjects, for whatever reason, are just plain 
difficult...

N.E. Barry Hofstetter, semper melius Latine sonat...
Classics and Bible Instructor, TAA
http://www.theamericanacademy.net
(2010 Savatori Excellence in Education Winner)
V-P of Academic Affairs, TNARS
bhofstetter at tnars.net
http://www.tnars.net

http://my.opera.com/barryhofstetter/blog
http://mysite.verizon.net/nebarry




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