Study group for John Williams White's First Greek Book

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Would you be interested in a study group for John William White's First Greek Book that is mainly for Greek beginners?

Poll ended at Fri Feb 25, 2005 12:23 pm

yes
11
100%
no
0
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Total votes: 11

hanelse
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Study group for John Williams White's First Greek Book

Post by hanelse »

Hi all,

I would like to know if there is any interest in starting a study group for John Williams White's First Greek Book. I would like for all levels to be able to participate, but the main focus would be for folks who have no prior experiece with Greek at all. I was told that if there were enough folks interested that the site would be happy to set up a group for us. Here is a poll for anyone who would like to join a study group for this subject.

Thanks,

Shawn

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Jeff Tirey
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Post by Jeff Tirey »

Hi Shawn,

Yes, if there's a small group interested I would be more than happy to create a study group.

Jeff
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hanelse
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Post by hanelse »

Thanks for the support Jeff. The moderator of the other forum suggested that I try this and that you all would be happy to help. I am very greatful for this site and look forward to the chance to join a study group if possible.

Shawn

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I am in

Post by TaoDude »

I would love to join the study group. Someone let me know when and how.

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Post by Turpissimus »

This is quite interesting.

Excuse my ignorance, but what precisely does a study group do? How is it conducted? How do we ask and answer questions?

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Post by hanelse »

Hi Turpissimus,

If you look at the top of the screen you will see a heading for groups on the navigation bar. It's at the very right. Click on it and it will take you to the groups page that will explain how it works. It is mainly an e-mail based group with a person who conducts the group as "instructor". Everyone learns the same lessons within a given time period, then moves on to the next section. The exercises are submitted to the group instructor by email for correction and comment. The students help each other with questions as well. At least, this is my understanding of how it is set up. Jeff could probably expain it better.

Shawn

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Post by annis »

I think six people counts as enough interest.

Turpissime, there are several ways a list can be run. The two main models are "the enthusiastic leading the enthusiastic." That is, no one in the group is a master of the subject, and everyone helps everyone else. That is how the Odyssey reading groups run currently. The other model involves people with more experience commenting on the work of beginners. This requires we find someone with time to run things. The Pharr groups run this way.

The description hanelse gives indicates the first model would be followed, which is easier to get set up: we don't have to hunt down an expert with time. Having said that, I would be happy to lurk to answer truly perplexing questions that might arise, but I don't think of any of our Big Greeks (to borrow a term used elsewhere on the forum) would be able to run this group... we've two Pharr groups running already.

In all groups there is a fixed schedule of translations to turn in.

Paul has a web-based system for handing in exercise work which makes comparing work, commenting errors and Greek fonts much nicer.

Give us a few days to get things set up. We usually announce new lists on the Open board, and wait two or three weeks before starting to give more interested people a chance to notice the new group forming.
William S. Annis — http://www.aoidoi.org/http://www.scholiastae.org/
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Post by Paul »

annis wrote:Paul has a web-based system for handing in exercise work which makes comparing work, commenting errors and Greek fonts much nicer.

Give us a few days to get things set up. We usually announce new lists on the Open board, and wait two or three weeks before starting to give more interested people a chance to notice the new group forming.
Hi,

In anticipation of offering my GAGLS software to the new group, I've already taken a look at White's text. It seems to contain the customary greek-to-english and english-to-greek exercises. It shouldn't present any problems.

I will need a day or two to set up accounts and directories. So please let me know when flux begins to give way to crystallization.

Cordially,

Paul

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Post by Carola »

Could I please get my name on the list for this group? I am back at University next week (3rd yr Latin) but I think I could fit in most of the exercises (as long as you don't go too fast - I'm old and slow :lol: ).

I have to go away for a residential school at the end of March but I can probably still get onto a computer most days as I trek across Australia on my annual visit to my Latin lecturer.

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Count me in

Post by Johny Ze »

I too, would be interested in running through White's First Greek Book. Currently, I'm working through Athenaze, and I think that working through White's First Greek Book, would give me a different perspective on learning Greek, which will also probably serve to re-enforce what I have already learned. So count me in !!!

Johnyze

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Post by TaoDude »

I am still here! Put my name on the list!

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Post by mingshey »

White-c or White-d, maybe. I'm currently focusing on Pharr-b. :roll: 8) :D
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Post by annis »

mingshey wrote:White-c or White-d, maybe. I'm currently focusing on Pharr-b. :roll: 8)
Oy! Let's get White-a going first. The idea of White-d terrifies me.
William S. Annis — http://www.aoidoi.org/http://www.scholiastae.org/
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Post by mingshey »

annis wrote:
mingshey wrote:White-c or White-d, maybe. I'm currently focusing on Pharr-b. :roll: 8)
Oy! Let's get White-a going first. The idea of White-d terrifies me.
I first wrote it "White-y or White-z", thought it was too much an exaggeration, then reduced it to "W-k or W-l", still too much and reduced it again down to "W-c or W-d" :mrgreen:

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Post by oistos »

I was wondering. I'm interested in learning Homeric Greek, but have missed that boat as far as a study group goes. Would it be advisable to join the White study group for support in general Classical Greek knowledge, and just continue Pharr on my own (while posting questions in the Pharr forum)?

Thanks!

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Post by annis »

oistos wrote:I was wondering. I'm interested in learning Homeric Greek, but have missed that boat as far as a study group goes. Would it be advisable to join the White study group for support in general Classical Greek knowledge, and just continue Pharr on my own (while posting questions in the Pharr forum)?
I would advise you not do that. Get through one text or the other first. It'll be easier to keep the forms and grammar of the two dialects separate in your mind if you don't learn them together.
William S. Annis — http://www.aoidoi.org/http://www.scholiastae.org/
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Post by Bert »

Maybe I should rethink my decision to join.
I want to get more exposure to Greek and I thought that joining another reading group would be a good way to achieve that.
Maybe not then?

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Post by annis »

Bert wrote:Maybe I should rethink my decision to join.
I want to get more exposure to Greek and I thought that joining another reading group would be a good way to achieve that.
Maybe not then?
Well, an absolute beginner should hold off. If you feel you'll not come out with some Attic-Homeric hybrid lodged in your brain, then you'll be fine. But you have to decide that. :)
William S. Annis — http://www.aoidoi.org/http://www.scholiastae.org/
τίς πατέρ' αἰνήσει εἰ μὴ κακοδαίμονες υἱοί;

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Post by Turpissimus »

Count me in.

I would like to learn a language with some dactyls in it.

Bert
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Post by Bert »

I think I'll give it a try.
I am glad that the number is growing.
If I get to busy doing the work for two groups, I won't feel as bad dropping this one if it has 12 members as I would if it had only 6.

TaoDude
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Post by TaoDude »

Has the study group started yet? How do I join?

hanelse
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Post by hanelse »

Hey TauDude,

I'm not sure what is happening with it right now. I was asked if I wanted to head it up, but as I have no prior experience with Greek or learning any other language, I declined the offer. I think everyone else is busy with the Pharr group, so I'm not sure what to think. No one has said one way or the other if it is going to be opened or not. I was told that any anouncement for it would appear on the Open board, and I've been checking it frequently, but I haven't seen anything there yet. Your guess is as good as mine right now. :?:

Shawn

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Post by annis »

hanelse wrote:I'm not sure what is happening with it right now. I was asked if I wanted to head it up, but as I have no prior experience with Greek or learning any other language, I declined the offer. I think everyone else is busy with the Pharr group, so I'm not sure what to think.
There will be a White-a list, but it's going to be different from how our groups so far have run (unless a master Atticist shows up to take over). I'll have something discussing this in a few days, and we can refine a bit.

For reasons not clear to me I've been somewhat insomniac the last two weeks. My brains are not running at full capacity, so everything I do is taking longer. I apologize for that. White will happen, just not as soon as intended.
No one has said one way or the other if it is going to be opened or not. I was told that any anouncement for it would appear on the Open board, and I've been checking it frequently, but I haven't seen anything there yet.
There will be an announcement on this thread when we're ready to open the list, we'll leave plenty of lead time to give people time to notice and join up.

More news in the next day or two.
William S. Annis — http://www.aoidoi.org/http://www.scholiastae.org/
τίς πατέρ' αἰνήσει εἰ μὴ κακοδαίμονες υἱοί;

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Post by hanelse »

Fantastic!!! But take your time. I just wasn't sure what was happening.

Thanks a million,

Shawn

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Post by Bert »

annis wrote:The two main models are "the enthusiastic leading the enthusiastic." That is, no one in the group is a master of the subject, and everyone helps everyone else....
the other model involves people with more experience commenting on the work of beginners. This requires we find someone with time to run things....
I would be happy to lurk to answer truly perplexing questions that might arise,

I think that "he enthusiastic leading the enthusiastic" will work fine for most of the work.
however, I am afraid that the English to Greek translations might end up as "The blind leading the blind".
I am quessing that commenting on this is more time consuming than your idea of lurking to answer some questions.
Would it be best not to do E-G in favour of doing it in a way that is not going to help us?

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Post by annis »

Bert wrote:I am quessing that commenting on this is more time consuming than your idea of lurking to answer some questions.
Would it be best not to do E-G in favour of doing it in a way that is not going to help us?
This is the very question that concerns me the most at the moment.
William S. Annis — http://www.aoidoi.org/http://www.scholiastae.org/
τίς πατέρ' αἰνήσει εἰ μὴ κακοδαίμονες υἱοί;

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Post by Lucan »

I too would be interested in joining. I do have some prior Greek experience, but haven't really touched upon it in the past 6 months (university study has gotten in the way). So I guess I could help people out for the first few weeks.... but they'd catch up to my level of ability fairly quickly :oops:

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Beginning

Post by Johny Ze »

Hey everyone, I don't mean to be anxious, but I was wondering when we could start this group? I'm really looking forward to it, and I've already got an edition of White's book, so I'm ready to go!! Thanks!

John

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Re: Beginning

Post by annis »

Johny Ze wrote:Hey everyone, I don't mean to be anxious, but I was wondering when we could start this group?
Every morning I wake up to the radio giving me the daily news. This makes me cynical.

Seeing someone anxious to study Greek makes me less cynical. :)

I have entered my Week of Greek (i.e., I've taken a "working vacation" to work on things I don't get paid for). I will have more news this week.

We will probably not be doing E->G excercises.
William S. Annis — http://www.aoidoi.org/http://www.scholiastae.org/
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Post by Astraea »

Hi Everyone,

Add me to the list of people interested in joining this group. I just started working with White's book last week. I am quite enjoying it. My house is small, my tent is ugly, and there is a fearful uproar in my village! I'm new to Greek, but have studied languages with declined nouns before, so I'm not too freaked out so far. Still, I'm sure I will have questions as I go along.

Nina

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Post by Carola »

I'm going to be away from home for a few weeks after this weekend (back on 8/4) so if the list starts during that time could my name please go on it?

Yes, I think English to Greek sounds a bit daunting and not really all that useful for ancient languages (if it was modern Greek we could use that skill).

I wonder if all those school boys back 50 years ago when everyone did Latin & Greek would have learnt faster if they had been translating naughty stories instead of things about bad tents and houses in villages? :wink:

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Post by Timotheus »

I'm glad you said somthing about sticking to one book Annis.

If I remember right did someone say that it would be sometime around june another Pharr group would start?

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Post by Jeff Tirey »

how can we go about finding an instructor to head up the White course? Are there any horns that can be tooted here or elsewhere?

Perhaps we should ask in the next newsletter edition. It WILL go out very soon because it has to announce the Ides winners.
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Post by annis »

jeff wrote:how can we go about finding an instructor to head up the White course? Are there any horns that can be tooted here or elsewhere?
There will be two experienced Greek Geeks to answer questions and make comments. I'm afraid a wide announcement in search of someone to do more detailed work on the beginner's exercises (and allow for E->G) will only draw huge interest from more students. Based on the poll, we're set for that.
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White-a Group

Post by Paul »

Hi,

If you intend to join the white-a group, please PM me a preferred userID, assuming you have one.

I need to create userIDs so that participants can use the GAGLS software for posting/viewing/editing their lessons.

Thank you.

Cordially,

Paul

PS: please include your textkit 'handle' as well

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Post by Adelheid »

jeff wrote:how can we go about finding an instructor to head up the White course? Are there any horns that can be tooted here or elsewhere?
What would your requirements be for instructors? Do they have to know the books used? That would make it difficult.
Or is proficiency in Latin/Greek good enough?

Regards,
Adelheid

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Post by Paul »

Hi Adelheid,

Will and I have agreed to share a kind of 'lurking oversight' of the group.

I suspect that white-a will be a bit more autonomous than the pharr groups.

Our primary focus will be to ensure that folks don't stray wildly in their greek to english translations. We will also try to answer questions to the best of our abilities.

Because of other commitments, we will not be doing the english to greek translations.

Cordially,

Paul

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Post by Adelheid »

Paul wrote:Will and I have agreed to share a kind of 'lurking oversight' of the group
Hi Paul,

I was referring to the search for instructors in general. It might be worthwhile to try and find more instructors (there seems to be quite an interest in study groups and too few instructors to accomodate the interested) and I was wondering what instructors would have to be able to do.

Not that I can guarantee finding candidate-instructors, but I would like to try.

(Please note that I do not propose myself as an instructor ;-), I know what I am: a novice, in spite of all those grammar school years of Greek and Latin)

Regards,
Adelheid

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Post by Paul »

Hi again Adelheid,
adelheid wrote:It might be worthwhile to try and find more instructors (there seems to be quite an interest in study groups and too few instructors to accomodate the interested) and I was wondering what instructors would have to be able to do.
You're quite right. The few 'guides' we have, at least on the eastern side of textkit, are stretched thin.

I think it would be ideal if more guides arose from within Textkit. This may just be a matter of time.

Cordially,

Paul

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Post by annis »

The list is ready for people to join now. See Session A.
William S. Annis — http://www.aoidoi.org/http://www.scholiastae.org/
τίς πατέρ' αἰνήσει εἰ μὴ κακοδαίμονες υἱοί;

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