WELCOME TO GREEK!
Course Syllabus
Greek 1003, University of Arkansas. Fall, 2005
Professor Daniel B. Levine
WELCOME TO GREEK!
This term we will begin the exciting process of learning to read Ancient Greek. This is the start of a challenging journey, filled with the joy of discovery and the thrill of learning new ways to see the world. We will concentrate on learning Greek grammar, which is a beautiful thing, and on reading Greek and translating it literally into English.
TEXT
Our textbook is Balme and Lawall's ATHENAZE: AN INTRODUCTION TO ANCIENT GREEK, Book I (2nd Edition). Its emphasis is on reading the language: in sentences and paragraphs. It tells a continuous story in simplified Greek, based on the life and times of a fictional Athenian farmer living in 432 BCE. In this it is both faithful to the language and milieu of Classical Greece, including real details about life, religion, mythology, medicine, and history. In addition, each chapter contains readings from "real" ancient Greek literature, and from the Greek New Testament. We will read most of these "real" passages.
Each chapter contains vocabulary to memorize, paragraphs to read, grammar explanations, word studies, and written exercises, as well as a short essay on various topics such as Greek politics, agriculture, slavery, history, literature, myth, and women. The back of the book contains charts of Greek grammar and forms, as well as a Greek-English and English-Greek glossary, so you will not need to buy any lexicon or dictionary for this class.
Languages do not arise in cultural vacuums. It is vital to know something about the people who used this language: in the theater, in the courtroom, in the stadium, in the fields, at dinner, in the nursery, at the altar, in the fields, in the bedroom. Although Ancient Greek is no longer spoken, it was a living language for two and a half millennia before evolving into the Modern Greek which is spoken today. When you finish reading the two volumes of ATHENAZE, you will be able to read simple Attic prose and the New Testament with some facility.
PROCEDURES
It is vital to come to every class and to prepare fully each lesson. You will spend at least two hours on homework for every class. If you cannot schedule this time, you will find it difficult to learn to read Ancient Greek. You should also consult the professor outside the three hours per week allotted for this class.
If for some reason you have to miss class, let me know by email or a note. If cannot let me know ahead of time, please bring a note or send me an email as soon as possible
In class you will be asked to read Greek aloud, to translate from Greek into English, and to answer grammar questions. I expect you to ask questions based on the readings and exercises you have done. Please get used to jotting down questions before class to ask when you arrive, or be sure to note which parts of the assignment you want to ask about. Be sure to ask specific questions.
We will have several quizzes based on the readings, grammar, and exercises, as outlined in our Schedule of Classes. In addition, there will be frequent Vocabulary Quizzes, to make sure that we are all learning our basic words and their meanings.
SOME TIPS FOR SUCCESS
Coming to class is very important to success in this course. Experience has shown that students who are faithful attendees do better than those who skip class. Doing all your homework for every class is also a predictor of success. Don't think that you can just come to class and listen to the right answers and thus "learn" the material. Doing it yourself (and making your own mistakes) is vital to the process of keeping the material in your head. The Class web site contains all assignments:
http://www.uark.edu/campus-resources/dlevine/Greek1003.html
To learn Greek, you need commitment and serenity. Panic and apathy are your enemies. Set aside at least two hours for each homework assignment (that's six hours per week). We will go at a steady pace, and it important to stay current with the homework. It is very difficult to cram for a Greek examination if you have missed several assignments. Be patient. Sometimes you will want to hurry through the material and not give it the time it needs. This can lead to frustration. Keep telling yourself that the material makes sense, and that you can do it. Be positive: If you don't get it, don't complain that the ancient Greeks have made your life miserable with their grammar; psyche yourself down: relax, take a deep breath, and be logical in your approach to your work. Haste is your enemy, too.
Do not write translations of Greek sentences in the textbook. Your eye should be used to reading Greek and thinking Greek; not reading English and somehow relating it to the funny-looking letters next to it. You should feel free to write notes to yourself, and underline and highlight things, but don't write translations of sentences. It's a crutch that's hard to throw away.
Also, don't write transliterations of Greek words to help with pronunciation (at least don't do it after the first week). Get used to the pronunciation right away. From the first week, you must practice the alphabet, and know the vowels, diphthongs, and breathings. The rules of accent will come along the way, but must also be learned. Don't be afraid that you will sound funny: try to say everything out loud.
GRADES
Grades will be determined on the basis of performance on quizzes (33%), on homework assignments (33%), and on class preparation/participation (33%).
The grading scale is on a percentage basis: 90-100 = A; 80-89 = B; 70-79 = C; 60-69 = D.
WORKING TOGETHER AND ACADEMIC HONESTY
I encourage students to work efficiently and honestly. If this includes studying together, go for it. However, the products of student work must be personal. That is, if you study together, do not copy the answers to an exercise that your study partner has written. Do discuss the work, and if you arrive at an answer together, you may both write the answer. The main point is that you do your own work, and do not steal some else's. Identical homework will arouse the suspicion of academic dishonesty. Be honest. Don't give your homework assignments to another student to copy. Don't ask for someone else's work so that you can copy it. Students who copy others' work will suffer grade sanction. If you are not sure what academic dishonesty is all about, please check with the Office of Community Standards and Student Ethics (http://www.uark.edu/ua/ethics/). The professor will report all students involved in incidents of academic dishonesty to this office.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
If you are registered with the Center
for Students with Disabilities (http://www.uark.edu/ua/csd/) for the
purpose of accommodation, please inform the professor before the semester
begins, or in the first week of class, and bring all relevant paperwork
to his office in a timely fashion.
AND FURTHERMORE...
We will have fun and learn a lot. Otherwise illiterate Athenian peasants could listen to and enjoy the works of Homer, Pindar, Herodotus, Euripides, Aesop, Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Aristophanes. If they could learn this language, you can too. I look forward to sharing this experience with you, and will do my best to help you learn this beautiful and vital language.
CONTACTING ME
Daniel B. Levine, Professor: Classical Studies dlevine@uark.edu
My office hours are MWF 10:30-11:20 AM and by appointment, in Kimpel Hall 502.
I am happy to talk about Greek, and Classical Studies. In addition, I am the Classical Studies Advisor, and will also be glad to discuss the major and minor in Classical Studies at the University of Arkansas. I want to be available whenever you need me. My office telephone is 575-5937, and my home number is 521-3294 (only before 9:00 PM, please). Other ways to reach me: FAX: 575-6795; email: dlevine@uark.edu. My mailbox is in Kimpel Hall 425, Foreign Languages Department. Feel free to leave messages there.
INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY
When the University of Arkansas is officially open during severe weather, I plan to meet my classes, barring an accident en route.
If off-campus students cannot come to class because of
severe weather, they will be allowed to make up in-class work they missed.