On Reading Greek Aloud

Stephen Hughes
Posts: 3323
Joined: February 26th, 2013, 7:12 am

Re: On Reading Greek Aloud

Post by Stephen Hughes »

Thomas Dolhanty wrote:
Stephen Hughes wrote:I feel that the faster ones are easier to understand. The effect seems to be more visual, in that I don't have so much time to translate things, so the parallel thought process tends to be sensory imagination rather than analytical.

Could you do that at 250 and 300wpm? I would like to hear what it sounds like at that speed.
Here are Spiros Zodhiates and John Simon giving Louis' Greek Orthodox priest some competition:

Spiros Zodhiates 'reading' Luke 1 at 245 wpm: http://www.bgrt.ca/resources/SZLuke1_superfast.mp3
John Simon 'reading' Luke 1 at 262 wpm: http://www.bgrt.ca/resources/GLAluke1_superfast.mp3

Note: The audio files shown above have been altered by using Adobe Soundbooth to accelerate the normal rate of recording by these two narrators.
It seems like the sound quality of the recording is becoming an issue at that 250ish rate.

What seems to me as good and flowing as I read, ends up for the most part sounding atrocious when I listen to it played back.

There is definitely a difference when reading a familiar passage then when reading a new one. The 250wpm for a text that is repeated (recited) regularly is one thing, reading something for the first time at that rate would be a feat and half.
Γελᾷ δ' ὁ μωρός, κἄν τι μὴ γέλοιον ᾖ
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
Thomas Dolhanty
Posts: 401
Joined: May 20th, 2014, 10:13 am
Location: west coast of Canada

Re: On Reading Greek Aloud

Post by Thomas Dolhanty »

Stephen Hughes wrote:There is definitely a difference when reading a familiar passage then when reading a new one. The 250wpm for a text that is repeated (recited) regularly is one thing, reading something for the first time at that rate would be a feat and half.
You're in good company, Stephen.
Frank Smith wrote:The basic physiological limitation on the rate at which the brain can decide among alternatives seems to put the limit on the speed at which most people can read meaningful text aloud, which is usually not much more than 250 words a minute (about 4 words a second) [my emphasis]. People who read very much faster than that rate are generally not reading aloud and certainly not delaying to identify every word.

Smith, Frank (2004-05-20). Understanding Reading: A Psycholinguistic Analysis of Reading and Learning to Read (p. 59). Taylor and Francis. Kindle Edition.
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Stephen Hughes
Posts: 3323
Joined: February 26th, 2013, 7:12 am

Re: On Reading Greek Aloud

Post by Stephen Hughes »

As a general observation, most readings of texts in Greek have the particular style of the reader regardless of authour or genre. I guess that the way forward after mastery of the reading act would be the development of flexibility in a number of different reading styles.
Γελᾷ δ' ὁ μωρός, κἄν τι μὴ γέλοιον ᾖ
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
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