Randall Buth's Fluency Workshop
Posted: July 29th, 2012, 7:35 pm
Some of us B-Greekers are here at the Biblical Language Center's "Fluency Workshop" in Fresno, California. At this point, we are about 2/3 of the way through the seminar. The seminar is a fluency seminar, teaching everyone how to speak and hear Koine. It's not a pedagogical seminar per se, but that topic comes up occasionally before, between, and after the classes. Already, some blogs have started to appear about the workshop. David Miller (who teaches at Briarcrest in Canada) has made several posts on his blog. They can be found athttp://gervatoshav.blogspot.com/2012/07 ... lting.html and http://gervatoshav.blogspot.com/2012/07 ... nding.html.
For those who wonder what actually goes on, I will give a summary of our activity. The workshop is a 10 day workshop. We have about 7 hours of instruction a day. There are two intervening breaks, one a half-day on the morning of the fourth day, and a full day on day seven. The in class instruction totals up to about 65 hours. The breaks are important part of the plan, allowing participants to reset and re-energize. Jordan Kiffiak is the lead teacher this year. Jordan has been teaching both Hebrew and Greek via this method for the last 5-6(?) years (about 8 sessions of teaching). He is extremely competent and very energized. Jordan is backed up by about 8 facilitators, along with Randall Buth who has been present throughout, along with a couple of participant facilitators. There is a very high teacher/student ratio. In break-out groups 5 students sometime have three facilitators.
There are about 40 participants en toto. There is wide range of experience among the participants. A number of department heads and staff are present from a number of academic institutions. There are a number of students acquiring Ph.D.s or Master degrees. Some like myself have tried to implement the communicative method (living language approach) in either a school setting or private setting. A number of self-learners (many are younger) are present. Some have taken up to four classes via this method; for some, this is their first exposure to spoken Greek. Several students have not taken much Greek or have not used their Greek in 30 years. Those students are not a hindrance, but rather let us see how the method works on someone with some minimal experience learning Greek.
The first day we started out learning via TPR. (TPR "Total Physical Response" is a methodology using actions to internalize language). This was done as a whole group. Sit!, Stand! Raise your hand! Raise your other hand! Put your hands down! Stand on the floor! Stand on the chair! Run! Stop running! Run! Sit down! Get up! Lie down! Initially we started with about four verbs and then added several more core verbs the next day. The goal was to wire sound (the spoken word) to meaning.
The second and subsequent days we started learning via TPRS. (TPRS "Teaching Proficiency through Storytelling" is a methodology of asking questions over and over about a very short story in addition to doing and seeing TPR in action. In the morning we listened and watched as three facilitators talked to each other in front of the whole group. Very little English is spoken at all. The four primary facilitators are fairly fluent in Koine. They have a great grasp on a wider range of vocabulary and forms that is used in class. They open the class saying a prayer in Koine ad hoc. Errors do pop up here or there, as this is not their primary language. They are quickly corrected, as they usually work in duo. After the prayer, they usually do TPR modelling. Ἰασών τρέχει. Ιασών, τρέχεις; ναί τρέχω; ποῦ τρέχεις; ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ τρέχω. ποῦ τρέχει; τί ποιεῖ; τρέχει; ποῦ τρέχει; As the days have progressed, the grammar has gotten more complicated. Initially, the forms were present tense imperative. Then present indicative and past tense. Perfect forms meaning "stand" etc. are introduced from the beginning. A large number of the μι verbs have been added in over the first five days. Participles, active and passive are used. For most of those who teach Greek, the only learning is wiring sound to meaning and recalling what they already know, but even the new students understand what is spoken.
After the group session, we break up into smaller groups (3-5 groups). Each group has two-three facilitators. We all rotate through the various stations. In some, we use TPR where we are expected to reproduce and understand. These small groups model and act on what was given in the morning. Some groups use TPRS and tell stories where we are expected to follow along.The stories are very short and are always modeled with actors and objects/props. As the days progressed, the past tense has been more fully added, and we hear the story in the present tense and in the past tense. Most of the students here are pushed to their max. And the only complaint I've heard is that there is sometimes not long enough of a break between the sessions. We are now approaching the stage where a number of the students here can retell the story in either past or present tense.
At lunch, two facilitators sit at each table (students sit wherever they wish). Small pieces of paper with some suggested Greek phrases and dinner talk are put at each seat. We are encouraged to try to use as much Greek as we can at lunch. At the end of the day, we again meet in a group and learn a song and then listen to a real story (sometimes the truth is stretched) of the experience of one of the facilitators. Then we go to supper (no facilitators or talk-sheets). We are given no homework. The food has been great.
I've been looking around at the participants in the group and no one is dozing or writing or listening to anything else. All eyes are up front. Everyone is enthused. Some of the participants are here because their organizations are considering using this methodology to teach in their school at home or on the mission field. Some came with an open mind, but questioned whether or not the communicative method could be realistically implemented in their curriculum. I cannot speak for them, but I have to say that all present are putting 100% input in their sessions. For the most part, their experience and outlook is positive. The next 2 1/2 days will tell.
For myself, I've been looking to improve both my speech and especially my listening skills. I went to a Greek Orthodox service this morning and the father there gave us a diglott copy of the Orthros to read. The main service had the liturgy of John Chrysostom in both Greek and English. The choir sung in both English and Greek. It was very easy to follow along. I'm finding that my reading out loud of texts is much smoother. So personally, I'm already seeing gains.
Reporting Live from Fresno
Louis Sorenson ὁ καλούμενος Λεονίδας
For those who wonder what actually goes on, I will give a summary of our activity. The workshop is a 10 day workshop. We have about 7 hours of instruction a day. There are two intervening breaks, one a half-day on the morning of the fourth day, and a full day on day seven. The in class instruction totals up to about 65 hours. The breaks are important part of the plan, allowing participants to reset and re-energize. Jordan Kiffiak is the lead teacher this year. Jordan has been teaching both Hebrew and Greek via this method for the last 5-6(?) years (about 8 sessions of teaching). He is extremely competent and very energized. Jordan is backed up by about 8 facilitators, along with Randall Buth who has been present throughout, along with a couple of participant facilitators. There is a very high teacher/student ratio. In break-out groups 5 students sometime have three facilitators.
There are about 40 participants en toto. There is wide range of experience among the participants. A number of department heads and staff are present from a number of academic institutions. There are a number of students acquiring Ph.D.s or Master degrees. Some like myself have tried to implement the communicative method (living language approach) in either a school setting or private setting. A number of self-learners (many are younger) are present. Some have taken up to four classes via this method; for some, this is their first exposure to spoken Greek. Several students have not taken much Greek or have not used their Greek in 30 years. Those students are not a hindrance, but rather let us see how the method works on someone with some minimal experience learning Greek.
The first day we started out learning via TPR. (TPR "Total Physical Response" is a methodology using actions to internalize language). This was done as a whole group. Sit!, Stand! Raise your hand! Raise your other hand! Put your hands down! Stand on the floor! Stand on the chair! Run! Stop running! Run! Sit down! Get up! Lie down! Initially we started with about four verbs and then added several more core verbs the next day. The goal was to wire sound (the spoken word) to meaning.
The second and subsequent days we started learning via TPRS. (TPRS "Teaching Proficiency through Storytelling" is a methodology of asking questions over and over about a very short story in addition to doing and seeing TPR in action. In the morning we listened and watched as three facilitators talked to each other in front of the whole group. Very little English is spoken at all. The four primary facilitators are fairly fluent in Koine. They have a great grasp on a wider range of vocabulary and forms that is used in class. They open the class saying a prayer in Koine ad hoc. Errors do pop up here or there, as this is not their primary language. They are quickly corrected, as they usually work in duo. After the prayer, they usually do TPR modelling. Ἰασών τρέχει. Ιασών, τρέχεις; ναί τρέχω; ποῦ τρέχεις; ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ τρέχω. ποῦ τρέχει; τί ποιεῖ; τρέχει; ποῦ τρέχει; As the days have progressed, the grammar has gotten more complicated. Initially, the forms were present tense imperative. Then present indicative and past tense. Perfect forms meaning "stand" etc. are introduced from the beginning. A large number of the μι verbs have been added in over the first five days. Participles, active and passive are used. For most of those who teach Greek, the only learning is wiring sound to meaning and recalling what they already know, but even the new students understand what is spoken.
After the group session, we break up into smaller groups (3-5 groups). Each group has two-three facilitators. We all rotate through the various stations. In some, we use TPR where we are expected to reproduce and understand. These small groups model and act on what was given in the morning. Some groups use TPRS and tell stories where we are expected to follow along.The stories are very short and are always modeled with actors and objects/props. As the days progressed, the past tense has been more fully added, and we hear the story in the present tense and in the past tense. Most of the students here are pushed to their max. And the only complaint I've heard is that there is sometimes not long enough of a break between the sessions. We are now approaching the stage where a number of the students here can retell the story in either past or present tense.
At lunch, two facilitators sit at each table (students sit wherever they wish). Small pieces of paper with some suggested Greek phrases and dinner talk are put at each seat. We are encouraged to try to use as much Greek as we can at lunch. At the end of the day, we again meet in a group and learn a song and then listen to a real story (sometimes the truth is stretched) of the experience of one of the facilitators. Then we go to supper (no facilitators or talk-sheets). We are given no homework. The food has been great.
I've been looking around at the participants in the group and no one is dozing or writing or listening to anything else. All eyes are up front. Everyone is enthused. Some of the participants are here because their organizations are considering using this methodology to teach in their school at home or on the mission field. Some came with an open mind, but questioned whether or not the communicative method could be realistically implemented in their curriculum. I cannot speak for them, but I have to say that all present are putting 100% input in their sessions. For the most part, their experience and outlook is positive. The next 2 1/2 days will tell.
For myself, I've been looking to improve both my speech and especially my listening skills. I went to a Greek Orthodox service this morning and the father there gave us a diglott copy of the Orthros to read. The main service had the liturgy of John Chrysostom in both Greek and English. The choir sung in both English and Greek. It was very easy to follow along. I'm finding that my reading out loud of texts is much smoother. So personally, I'm already seeing gains.
Reporting Live from Fresno
Louis Sorenson ὁ καλούμενος Λεονίδας