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NT Greek word search or crossword puzzles?

Posted: July 28th, 2013, 7:37 pm
by Drusilla Sawyer
I am wondering if anyone knows of some "fun" helps to learn NT Greek vocabulary, at least beginning vocabulary. Obviously, I have flash cards. But I'm tired of making flash cards. What I was thinking more along the lines of is something such as Koine Greek word search puzzles or crossword puzzles (I do prefer word searches over crosswords). These can be either online or something I can print out (preferably something I could take to work). I found a very basic/beginner's word search puzzle online that someone had made but it contained very few words. I am wondering if a plethora of such NT Greek word search puzzles exist?

I think word search puzzles would be beneficial for a beginner. I know that John Dobson uses word search puzzles for his Hebrew words in "Learn Biblical Hebrew" (yet oddly, doesn't do the same thing for his NT Greek book).

Does anyone have or know of any such "fun helps?" Or am I doomed to use my hand written flash cards for all eternity? :geek:

I am getting bored of just learning vocab word after vocab word, flash card after flash card. I know this is the "traditional" way of learning vocab words but this sort of mass memorization I got tired of in college. For me learning NT Greek words should be fun, not boring.

Re: NT Greek word search or crossword puzzles?

Posted: July 29th, 2013, 2:37 am
by Hefin J. Jones
A friend of mine once devised a koine version of 'scrabble' for his own amusement - but I don't think it would be available for anyone else. The well-known game is trademarked etc... he simply added his own greek tiles with scoring worked out on letters by frequency in the vocal lists he had for the top 600 or maybe 1500 words of the NT.

Re: NT Greek word search or crossword puzzles?

Posted: July 30th, 2013, 12:47 pm
by Stirling Bartholomew
Drusilla Sawyer wrote:I am wondering if anyone knows of some "fun" helps to learn NT Greek vocabulary, at least beginning vocabulary. Obviously, I have flash cards. But I'm tired of making flash cards.
I don't know what is obvious about flash cards. I have never used them. Perhaps the most rewarding means I have found of learning vocabulary is studying a particular book or author until you have the text internalized in greek. One step along the way is transcribing the whole work by hand and transrcribing unfamiliar words again in footnotes with the possible meanings in each context where it is found. This is probably not going to be FUN but it is an effective means of acquiring lexical knowledge of an author's vocabulary in context.

Re: NT Greek word search or crossword puzzles?

Posted: July 31st, 2013, 7:26 am
by Barry Hofstetter
I used flash cards extensively up through graduate school (using especially the Viz-Ed classical Greek). What I found is that it helped greatly, but only as a supplement (surprise!). In other words, I wouldn't always recognize a word memorized on a flash card the first time I saw it in an actual text, but when I looked it up, I would remember immediately and then usually have no trouble with it forever and ever after, amen. I know that people using various modern language acquisition techniques frown on the use of flash cards, and they are certainly no substitute for seeing the words in various contexts, but they did help me (back in the ancient days when everything was perfect with the world... :roll: ).

Re: NT Greek word search or crossword puzzles?

Posted: July 31st, 2013, 6:51 pm
by Shirley Rollinson
Stirling Bartholomew wrote:
Drusilla Sawyer wrote:I am wondering if anyone knows of some "fun" helps to learn NT Greek vocabulary, at least beginning vocabulary. Obviously, I have flash cards. But I'm tired of making flash cards.
I don't know what is obvious about flash cards. I have never used them. Perhaps the most rewarding means I have found of learning vocabulary is studying a particular book or author until you have the text internalized in greek. One step along the way is transcribing the whole work by hand and transrcribing unfamiliar words again in footnotes with the possible meanings in each context where it is found. This is probably not going to be FUN but it is an effective means of acquiring lexical knowledge of an author's vocabulary in context.
Some Eastern Orthodox priests and monks prepare for their ministry by writing out the whole GNT by hand (probably dates back to before the printing press :-)