Dear SEP Families,
The kind and focused students in Intro to Ancient Greek during Session 3 quickly learned the names of the letters in the Greek alphabet and had little trouble pronouncing Greek words. Given their ability to read and pronounce the words fairly easily, we spent some time learning and using several conversational phrases in Ancient Greek. Students enjoyed learning how to have a simple conversation in Ancient Greek and used these phrases frequently in and out of class.
Speaking Ancient Greek in a more informal manner helped students connect with the Ancient Greek culture. It also allowed us to discuss why some words phrases might be slightly different or absent across languages (e.g., the English word please does not have an exact equivalent in Ancient Greek).
Through our study of Greek grammar, students came to understand the distinction between morphological and syntactical patterns and they became well acquainted with the notion that grammar organizes and governs language. They were able to identify grammatical patterns in English, Latin, and Greek. They came to understand that some types of patterns are more pronounced in Latin and Greek than in English and vice versa. The notion that word form changes depending on the word’s role in the sentence seemed to come naturally to these students. In no time, they were employing noun and verb patterns to create two and three-word sentences in Ancient Greek.
Reading and discussing stories drawn from the Odyssey was another high point of the course. Through the story of Cyclops in particular, students came to understand the character of Odysseus and connected with important ideas from Ancient Greek culture such as the sacred relationship between a guest-friend (xenos) and a host.
At the end of the course, students worked together to translate the first 10 lines of the Odyssey. Students were persistent and eager as they utilized what they had learned to translate the passage. Students spent the final day of the course transforming our class translation of the passage from the Odyssey into their own unique products.
In addition to learning about Ancient Greek, I hope students take from this experience the confidence that comes from engaging with challenging material and ultimately succeeding at a task that’s both difficult and worthwhile. I also hope that they left with a renewed passion for learning. These students saw that learning Ancient Greek can be fun! After having this experience, I hope that they approach other obscure topics with excitement and optimism. Whether it’s Ancient Greek, calculus, or the Middle Ages, learning new things is oh so fun!
I enjoyed teaching and getting to know each of your students and I hope that they had a joyful and memorable experience at SEP!
The kind and focused students in Intro to Ancient Greek during Session 3 quickly learned the names of the letters in the Greek alphabet and had little trouble pronouncing Greek words. Given their ability to read and pronounce the words fairly easily, we spent some time learning and using several conversational phrases in Ancient Greek. Students enjoyed learning how to have a simple conversation in Ancient Greek and used these phrases frequently in and out of class.
Speaking Ancient Greek in a more informal manner helped students connect with the Ancient Greek culture. It also allowed us to discuss why some words phrases might be slightly different or absent across languages (e.g., the English word please does not have an exact equivalent in Ancient Greek).
Through our study of Greek grammar, students came to understand the distinction between morphological and syntactical patterns and they became well acquainted with the notion that grammar organizes and governs language. They were able to identify grammatical patterns in English, Latin, and Greek. They came to understand that some types of patterns are more pronounced in Latin and Greek than in English and vice versa. The notion that word form changes depending on the word’s role in the sentence seemed to come naturally to these students. In no time, they were employing noun and verb patterns to create two and three-word sentences in Ancient Greek.
Reading and discussing stories drawn from the Odyssey was another high point of the course. Through the story of Cyclops in particular, students came to understand the character of Odysseus and connected with important ideas from Ancient Greek culture such as the sacred relationship between a guest-friend (xenos) and a host.
At the end of the course, students worked together to translate the first 10 lines of the Odyssey. Students were persistent and eager as they utilized what they had learned to translate the passage. Students spent the final day of the course transforming our class translation of the passage from the Odyssey into their own unique products.
In addition to learning about Ancient Greek, I hope students take from this experience the confidence that comes from engaging with challenging material and ultimately succeeding at a task that’s both difficult and worthwhile. I also hope that they left with a renewed passion for learning. These students saw that learning Ancient Greek can be fun! After having this experience, I hope that they approach other obscure topics with excitement and optimism. Whether it’s Ancient Greek, calculus, or the Middle Ages, learning new things is oh so fun!
I enjoyed teaching and getting to know each of your students and I hope that they had a joyful and memorable experience at SEP!
Resources for Continued Learning
If your student enjoyed the selections that we read from the Odyssey, they might enjoy purchasing a copy of Rosemary Sutcliff's The Wanderings of Odysseus to have at home. To get a more complete picture of the work of Homer, they may also enjoy reading Sutcliff's version of the Iliad, Black Ships at Troy. If your student is feeling particularly ambitious and would like to tackle an unabridged translation, I recommend Robert Fagles's version of the Odyssey. It's very readable and entertaining. I'm certain it would be available at your local library.
With regard to the Ancient Greek language, there are many textbooks available that would enable your student to continue exploring the Greek language. My favorite college-level introductory text is by C.A. E. Luschnig. Much of the students' vocabulary for this course was drawn from this text. However, Amazon also offers several more kid-friendly texts. Several students were very interested in compiling a collection of Greek words. As an alternative to finding a textbook, you might consider checking out a Greek dictionary (or lexicon) from the library for your student to explore.
One essential component of the budding classicists' collection is the Loeb Classical Library. These small, beautiful books have the original Greek (or Latin) text on the left and an English translation on the right. They are rather expensive, but they are truly treasures. Your student may enjoy purchasing a portion of the Loeb version of the Odyssey (it comes in three volumes) so they can find the passage that we translated in class. Many local libraries also have a sizable collection of Loebs.
I also suggest that you and your student explore the Perseus Digital Library (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/). This website features thousands of Ancient Greek and Latin texts, English translations, and photos of art and artifacts. Search for a text by typing the name of the text, the author, and the desired language in the search bar (e.g. The Odyssey by Homer Greek). The best thing about Perseus is that you can click any word within a Greek text and be taken to a page that displays the definition of the word and other important information. I recommend looking at the first 10 to 20 lines of the Odyssey in Greek. Using their tools from class and the tools Perseus offers, your student should be able to translate the text.
Lastly, check out the National Junior Classical League website (http://njcl.org) for information and events. If your student's school does not currently have a JCL chapter, your student might consider starting one. I've worked at a JCL summer camp once before - it's a wonderful experience for an aspiring classicist!
Thank you for being a part of SEP 2016 Session 3!
With regard to the Ancient Greek language, there are many textbooks available that would enable your student to continue exploring the Greek language. My favorite college-level introductory text is by C.A. E. Luschnig. Much of the students' vocabulary for this course was drawn from this text. However, Amazon also offers several more kid-friendly texts. Several students were very interested in compiling a collection of Greek words. As an alternative to finding a textbook, you might consider checking out a Greek dictionary (or lexicon) from the library for your student to explore.
One essential component of the budding classicists' collection is the Loeb Classical Library. These small, beautiful books have the original Greek (or Latin) text on the left and an English translation on the right. They are rather expensive, but they are truly treasures. Your student may enjoy purchasing a portion of the Loeb version of the Odyssey (it comes in three volumes) so they can find the passage that we translated in class. Many local libraries also have a sizable collection of Loebs.
I also suggest that you and your student explore the Perseus Digital Library (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/). This website features thousands of Ancient Greek and Latin texts, English translations, and photos of art and artifacts. Search for a text by typing the name of the text, the author, and the desired language in the search bar (e.g. The Odyssey by Homer Greek). The best thing about Perseus is that you can click any word within a Greek text and be taken to a page that displays the definition of the word and other important information. I recommend looking at the first 10 to 20 lines of the Odyssey in Greek. Using their tools from class and the tools Perseus offers, your student should be able to translate the text.
Lastly, check out the National Junior Classical League website (http://njcl.org) for information and events. If your student's school does not currently have a JCL chapter, your student might consider starting one. I've worked at a JCL summer camp once before - it's a wonderful experience for an aspiring classicist!
Thank you for being a part of SEP 2016 Session 3!
