What Happened at the Greek Instructors Fluency Workshop

[Eric S. Weiss]

Here is a post (with pictures) about the BLC's August 2011 Koinê Greek Fluency Workshop in Fresno, CA (which I attended and thoroughly enjoyed!):

http://www.biblicallanguagecenter.com/w ... esno-2011/

And here is one of the songs we learned:

ΤΟ ΣΩΜΑ

(Ο Χορος)
Ποδες, χειρες, κεφαλη
Ωμοι, ωτα, στομα
Οφθαλμοι, κοιλια, ρις
Παντα εχει σωμα

(Πρωτη Στροφη)
Απτομαι του στοματος
Νυν επαιρω χειρας
Απτομαι και της ρινος
Δεικνυμι τους ποδας

(Ο Χορος)

(Δευτερα Στροφη)
Τοις ωσιν ακουω σου
Τυπτω ταις χερσι μου
Βλεπω σε τοις οφθαλμοις
Τρεχω τοις ποσιν μου

(Ο Χορος)

[Jonathan Robie]

Can you say more about the workshop? What was it like for you as a participant? What did you do? How did it affect your learning?

[Eric S. Weiss]

Can you say more about the workshop? What was it like for you as a participant? What did you do? How did it affect your learning?

Nearly 8 days of 8 hours straight of pretty much 100% Koinê dialogue, including lunch. Much repetition and physical activity to try to get the phrases to become second-nature - i.e., so you'd almost spit out the words (even if not quite correct) before you'd have time to think of what to say. Lots of basic action words (not necessarily based on NT frequency) that encouraged interaction between the students and the teachers/facilitators. Jordash and the others created an amazing syllabus and vocabulary list that will be useful to any of the attendees who want to put this to use at home with their NT Greek students. (Since I don't teach NT Greek for a living and currently am not at a church where I could put together a Living Koinê Greek class - and not sure how much interest there would be anyway - I'm still thinking about what I will or can do with this.)

Though it could have been intimidating, it wasn't at all, because the atmosphere was full of fun and encouragement. My initial impressions included finding it kind of funny to see how many seminary NT Greek teachers were having just as much difficulty thinking and saying the language as I was. A lot of it was on the Dick and Jane level (if you grew up when I did and read those books for your first readers), but it became evident pretty soon that that's where you have to start. If you've read through Randall Buth's picture books you know what I mean. Also, if you have only the first edition of the first Living Koinê Greek book (Part 1 - MP3 CD labeled α), it's been revised - there's been a rearrangement of some material and a refinement of some of the phrases - e.g., putting something on a table, chair, floor, etc., uses epi + accusative, whereas when it's now on the table, chair, floor, etc., it's epi + genitive - and it's now on a single MP3 CD, instead of 3 audio CDs.

One great thing was the constant mixing of verbal forms together - e.g., we would say "I am sitting down" followed by "I am seated," etc. (in Greek, of course) - so you'd begin to intuit what form to associate with what aspect of the motion/action that was being done. Then the teacher would go around the class and point at people to answer questions, e.g., "Where is Eutychus? Who was standing on the table? What did Lydia give to Junia?" to which people would be expected to give full-sentence answers, not just one-word ones - e.g., "Eutychus is lying down on the floor" not "On the floor," etc.

Everyone liked the story-telling sessions where Barbie Dolls and stuffed/plastic animals were used to tell a story, interspersed with questions from the storyteller to the students (broken into groups of 5 or 6) re: what had just happened, who did what, where they went, etc. This to me seems like an effective way to get people to start using the language.

The whole 8 days was videotaped with several HD cameras - BLC probably doesn't even have the hard drive space to process it all right away - which I assume will one day show up in a package that can be bought and viewed by teachers on how to conduct such a class. Some videos are on the Biblical Language Center Facebook page for viewing.

Sebastian Carnazzo http://www.fsspolgs.org/academics.html had already taught 2 classes, I think, with Buth's materials before he attended the workshop, and may be one of the best ones to talk to re: how to use the method to teach NT Greek. I assume you can contact him through his seminary's contact form at that Website. In the evenings some of us would get together to practice the lessons (there was very little else to do at the campus). He'll remember me as Ευτυχος.

Hope that helps!

Randall, Jordash, etc., mine ancient Greek literature for proper terms for phrases and words that need to be created and used in the classes. I suspect the team is almost like the Koinê Greek equivalent of Eliezer Ben-Yehudah.

(Νυν ερχομαι προς τον αφεδρωνα - yes, there was some "bathroom humor," too. )

[Devenios Doulenios]

I like the body parts song, Eric. What tune did you use? Will there be a video or mp3 of it posted?

Δεβένιος Δουλένιος

[Eric S. Weiss]

I like the body parts song, Eric. What tune did you use? Will there be a video or mp3 of it posted?

Δεβένιος Δουλένιος

Sharon Alley taught us the song. I'd never heard it before. Here is a pretty good transcription of what I remember it sounded like:

4/4 time, key of F, regular notes are quarter notes, bold underlined notes are half notes
Bb = B flat, F^ = F one octave above the starting F

Start with F below Middle C:

Chorus tune:
F A C A Bb D G
E (below F) G Bb G A F
F A C A Bb D G
E (below F) G Bb G A F

Verses tune:
F^ F^ F^ D C C C
Bb A Bb G A C
F^ F^ F^ D C C C
Bb A Bb G A F

This should be close. I'm not a music student, so Randall can correct me if he reads and sings/plays this!

[Devenios Doulenios]

I'm not a music student either, but my wife knows how to play piano, so she can help me with it.

ευχαριστω σοι, ω φιλε μου!

Δεβένιος

[Eric S. Weiss]

The BLC Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Biblical ... 5779516643

There don't seem to be any videos of the class posted at present, just photos.

[Sebastianos]

I was asked to comment on this discussion so here is what I have to say. I had used Buth's materials to teach Greek in to different settings. Both attempts were agatha, compared to the years of teaching Greek using the 'traditional method.' However, the Fresno seminar changed everything. I walked away with the confidence to dive into the this method headfirst. I am now teaching Greek using a combination of Buth volume one as outside of class homework, and in class I simply teach Greek in Greek telling stories and giving commands (TPRS). The other day we went for a walk outside and I was able to add a massive amount of outdoor vocabulary to their toolbox. For example, after we encountered a pile of sand and talked about it for a while, I then walked them over to a large boulder and talked about how different it was from sand. I then told the the parable about the man who built his house on sand/rock. Not only did they understand what I told them, but they answered questions all in Greek. You have to see it to believe it. I have and I believe.

[Eric S. Weiss]

I was asked to comment on this discussion so here is what I have to say. I had used Buth's materials to teach Greek in to different settings. Both attempts were agatha, compared to the years of teaching Greek using the 'traditional method.' However, the Fresno seminar changed everything. I walked away with the confidence to dive into the this method headfirst. I am now teaching Greek using a combination of Buth volume one as outside of class homework, and in class I simply teach Greek in Greek telling stories and giving commands (TPRS). The other day we went for a walk outside and I was able to add a massive amount of outdoor vocabulary to their toolbox. For example, after we encountered a pile of sand and talked about it for a while, I then walked them over to a large boulder and talked about how different it was from sand. I then told the the parable about the man who built his house on sand/rock. Not only did they understand what I told them, but they answered questions all in Greek. You have to see it to believe it. I have and I believe.

Χαιρε, Σεβαστιανε!

Αγαθος εστιν αναγινωσκειν την επιστολην σου ωδε. Που εχεις;

Ευχαριστω σε οτι εγραψας εν τη Β-Ελληνικη Φορομι.

(I still need to learn how to type accents in Greek polytonic unicode, though I'd probably get several wrong!)

[Mark Lightman]

Sebastionos wrote

I am now teaching Greek using a combination of Buth volume one as outside of class homework, and in class I simply teach Greek in Greek telling stories and giving commands (TPRS). The other day we went for a walk outside and I was able to add a massive amount of outdoor vocabulary to their toolbox. For example, after we encountered a pile of sand and talked about it for a while, I then walked them over to a large boulder and talked about how different it was from sand. I then told the the parable about the man who built his house on sand/rock. Not only did they understand what I told them, but they answered questions all in Greek. You have to see it to believe it. I have and I believe.

What a great idea! I can really envision how this would work. If there is any way that you can film some of these lessons and post them on You Tube, it would be very helpful to us self learners, and it may point the way for some other teachers to change their paradigm. This pedagogical revolution needs to be televised.

What's funny about those who oppose these teaching methods in favor of grammar/translation is that you don't need a teacher or a class to work your way through Machen or Mounce, to say nothing of Wallace. You can do this just fine on your own. What you REALLY need a class for is the the sort of thing that you are doing. Not only hearing/seeing the teacher asking questions in Greek but also the students answering them in Greek.

You have to see it to believe it. I have and I believe.

μακάριος ὁ πιστεύων μὴ ἰδών.