New Testament Greek courses come in two main varieties: grammar-translation and living language approaches. 

Grammar-translation methods

Grammar-translation courses introduce you to the grammar from the beginning. Lots of grammar explanations, vocabulary lists to memorize, and tables of grammar structures to learn. No wonder most people never use it again after they pass their Greek exams.

Living language approaches teach New Testament Greek the way modern languages are taught. They use videos and pictures and/or act out the language, then get you to speak it. 

This teaches you to speak a language no one actually speaks. Learning to speak any foreign language takes a long time and you make a lot of mistakes. 

Living language courses are often taught by immersion. That means they don't depend on you knowing English, but you are also left on your own to figure out difficult vocabulary and grammar from the images and video. And that means you may misunderstand some things or simply get lost. 

Plus these approaches require specialized curriculum, which is difficult both to produce and reproduce.

Neither of these methods lets you read the New Testament itself for a long time - except some selected simple phrases and sentences. 

In the Alpha-Omega Greek Academy, we start with the New Testament text. You already know what it says (and if you don't, you can read it - in whatever language you prefer). You learn the vocabulary and grammar structures in context as you go. 

Even the writing system (the alphabet) is introduced by reading the New Testament text. So you learn and understand without having to memorize vocabulary or verb conjugation tables (though you can if you want to). 

Comprehensible Input

One of the buzzwords in language teaching is "comprehensible input". People cannot learn something unless they understand it. 

"Input" means the language - the text or the spoken words in the target language. Input can be "comprehensible" for a variety of reasons. 

• You have a translation. 
• Someone explains it in a language you understand. 
• You look at a picture. 
• Or someone acts it out - either live or on video.

In the Alpha-Omega Greek Academy, we teach by letting you read the story. The courses are based on texts you already know, or can read, but we avoid word-for-word translation. You know the story. So you can figure out what the Greek means. 

Spaced Repetition

Another language-teaching buzzword is "spaced repetition". Actually this is a learning strategy that applies to anything you are learning.

First, you learn something. A vocabulary word. A grammar structure. 

You pause. Learn something else or take a break. Even a few seconds is enough.

Then you see it again. Maybe in the same context. Maybe in a different one. It looks kind of familiar.

You pause. 

You see it again. This time your brain says "I think this is important. Maybe I should file that somewhere I can find it again."

Repeat.

Reading a story will automatically provide "spaced repetition". 

You can simply read it again. Or the story may use the same words, grammar forms and phrases more than once.

Bingo. Spaced repetition is built in.

 

 I once read someone's commendation of one of his seminary professors. He said the professor "prepared his lessons on his knees." 

We endeavor to be led of the Holy Spirit in everything we do and say.

To honor God with our words and actions.

And to interpret the Word of God aright.

We believe in the power of the Word of God to change lives and transform societies. By bringing us face-to-face with our Redeemer and Maker.