One thread on the b-greek list this past fortnight has been about beginning
Greek grammars, and I have been following it with great interest.
Doubly so because a new (fifth) edition of my own Greek grammar ("Learn to
Read the Greek New Testament", Ward Powers, SPCK Australia) has just been
published in Australia. It is not yet widely available elsewhere, and
therefore will not have come to the attention of many of you on the list who
are currently looking at beginner Grammars for use in college classes,
summer programs, or church groups.
I supply this information for those who would like to know about it when
comparing alternative books.
In relation to points raised in recent postings on the list: this book does
contain a vocabulary list of common Greek words, three pages about Greek
word order, analyzing what the student will actually find and how to make
sense of it, and a list of word forms where breathings and/or accents make a
difference in meaning between words. It uses only actual extracts from the
Greek NT for all examples, illustrations, and exercises.
It is printed in large, clear, easy-to-read type. It places accents upon
Greek words, but does not require the student to learn accents - right at
the end of the Course, there is a two-page explanation about accentuation
(of course, teachers can draw student attention to this section at any point
they choose in the Course).
This Grammar is dual-purpose - it is intended both for the classroom
situation, and also for individual study. It comes shrink-wrapped with a
student workbook
(included in the modest price), and there is also a Teacher's Edition of the
student workbook available upon request, with all the answers filled in.
It can be used at a fast clip (the Beginner's Course can be taught in a
fortnight of full-time study) or at a snail's pace (the work can be spread
out over an academic year), or at any speed in between, depending upon the
class and the amount of available time per week. There is a substantial
section in the book on how to use modern methods of language learning in the
teaching of a language (such as koine Greek) which is not spoken today as
anyone's mother tongue.
This book would be very suitable (IMHO) for the short-term classes that some
list members have been asking about.
If you haven't come across this book, and you would like more information or
to see a copy, please reply to me off-list.
For the spread of the knowledge of the Greek NT,
Ward Powers
-- Rev Dr B. Ward Powers Email: bwpowers@eagles.bbs.net.au 10 Grosvenor Crescent International Tel: +61-2-9799-7501 SUMMER HILL NSW 2130 Australian Tel: (02) 9799-7501 AUSTRALIA