Recommendation for learning NT Greek

[arggem]

My 24 year old daughter has decided she wants to add NT Greek to her linguistic repertoire (English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German and Russian).

I initially studied Greek with Mechen (um...a few years ago). I was reading this thread, Suggestions, and realized that it is almost 4 years old, so there might be something new out there!

Hence, a poll: Best resource for learning NT Greek on your own.

[SCSaunders]

Your daughter sounds brilliant, so I'm sure whatever you decide will work for her.

I voted for Mounce. I think his books make learning very easy, seeking to cut down on the ever so love-to-hate memorization (I'm sure it's diachronic root is a four letter word). He has excellent aides on his web site, which he regularly updates. I find his "Morphology" book helpful.

Also, he sets up Wallace's books very nicely. I think they planned it that way. And speaking of Wallace, I will send you his "Basics of Syntax" for free. I was an early adopter and got stuck with a no-so-pretty-when-in-my-man-cave-pink ...


Apparently it now comes in as a handsome blue ...


Let me know, I'll get it in the mail to ya.

[arggem]

Your daughter sounds brilliant.

Well, um...er, yeah. Nice of you to say so. She is seriously gifted linguistically, although it took her almost 4 months to become conversational in Russian.

I think it's an inborn need to be able to talk to EVERYONE. (She speaks 6 languages but doesn't listen in any of them! .) I haven't had the heart to tell her yet that nobody actually speaks NT Greek anymore.

Thanks for your offer! I just emailed you her address.

[Adelphos]

I haven't had the heart to tell her yet that nobody actually speaks NT Greek anymore.

Actually, that's not totally true. Modern Greek has only undergone any real change in the past seventy-five years or so. Native Greeks haven't been reading the Scriptures in Swahili for the past two thousand years. They've been reading the Scriptures in Greek, their own mother tongue, for the past two thousand years.

In other words, native Greeks have been brought up on NT Greek, and their modern Greek is a VERY close derivation of NT Greek. Furthermore, by the time native Greeks reach the seventh grade or so they are already reading Classical Greek.

So it is pure myth that native Greeks have a problem with either Classical Greek or NT Greek. Neither is the case, and of course, NT Greek is MUCH closer to modern Greek than Classical Greek.

In short, if your daughter is that gifted in languages (four months is an AWFULLY short time to become conversational, so she MUST be extremely talented), then she would be FAR, FAR, FAR better off in learning modern Greek, i.e., learning how to SPEAK it, for then it would be mere child's play to go over to NT Greek. In fact, it would be no trouble whatsoever. None.

And of course, learning to actually SPEAK the language is only about a thousand times more efficient than learning to merely read it, especially with the Anglo conventions that are employed for teaching NT Greek today.

In other words, she will learn Greek -- all forms of Greek -- a thousand times faster by learning to speak modern Greek, especially, as I said, since modern Greek is so closely related to NT Greek.

Conversely, if she takes the conventional Anglo approach of learning NT Greek, she will get bogged down in inane grammatical rules (which she would learn intuitively by learning to actually speak the language) and never really properly understand the language, for Anglo Greek scholars who can't speak Greek demonstate every time they turn around that they don't truly understand the language. For just one example of this, read my brief article "Definition Of Monogenes" --

http://www.lamblion.net/Articles/Sco.../monogenes.htm


With her obvious talent it would be a waste for her not to learn how to actually speak the language, and doing so would make her EASILY conversant in the other forms.

[SCSaunders]

She is seriously gifted linguistically, although it took her almost 4 months to become conversational in Russian.

I know one friend that I grew up with who, when entering into the military, took Russian. This guy was no slouch. I heard that Russian was quite the challenge for him. So the fact that your daughter got conversational in it in only 6 months! Amazing.

Thanks for your offer! I just emailed you her address.

I just printed out the address. I should be able to package this today and get it to the post office tomorrow (maybe even today). Please tell her it's in great condition. I think the color was repellent to me. I think. Anyways, I always had Wallace's green book - both on my shelf and electronically.

[SCSaunders]

Thanks for your offer!

Arggem,

"The pretty pretty peahen has flown the forest."
I repeat, "The pretty pretty peahen has flown the forest."

[arggem]

LOL! That's such a nice ***cough cough*** color!

[arggem]

With her obvious talent it would be a waste for her not to learn how to actually speak the language, and doing so would make her EASILY conversant in the other forms.

Scott, I'll tell her, and when she decides that she now needs to travel to Greece for the summer, I'll send you the bill!

[Adelphos]

Scott, I'll tell her, and when she decides that she now needs to travel to Greece for the summer, I'll send you the bill!

With her proficiency in languages, neither you nor I will have to pay her bill...

Uncle Sam will scoop her up before you know it, and she'll be traveling the world on tax dollars.

[arggem]

Uncle Sam will scoop her up before you know it, and she'll be traveling the world on tax dollars.

Except she's not much interested in working for her Uncle. She's waiting on a position with the King! (And I guess finances aren't a problem for Him either!)