Greek 1

Fall 2009

Instructor: P. Haskell (haskellp@southwestern.edu)

Office: MBH 223, tel. 1554

Office hours: tba
or by appointment

In this course, we will combine translation with grammatical analysis and devote time to cultural, historical, etymological, and linguistic issues. The ability to read Greek allows one not only to delve into the ancient past (classical and ecclesiastical), but it also helps to develop a sharper understanding of English and other languages and provides an excellent foundation for English vocabulary building.

Grading:

• Exam I 10%
• Exam II 14%
• Exam III 19%
• Final Exam 22%
• Quizzes. There will be several quizzes, usually one per Chapter 25%
• Class participation/daily preparation. 10%

Exams. The exams consist of sentences or passages for translation (Greek to English), which test one's ability to pull together material (grammar & vocabulary).

Quizzes. The quizzes cover memory work (e.g. declensions, conjugations, vocabulary), that is, material that is to be learned for each chapter. This is what I call the "idiot work", by which I do NOT mean that anybody in this class is an idiot: it means that it is purely and simply memorization work, which requires much patience, endurance, and consistency, rather than brilliant analytical powers.

Class participation and attendance: Regular preparation, class participation, and attendance are expected, and will affect your grade. Foreign language study is such that certain aspects of one's performance cannot be judged by examinations, but rather by class performance. 10% of your final grade will be based upon daily class participation; effective class participation assumes preparation of daily assignments before class.

Final Grades. The plus and minus grading system, now in effect at Southwestern, will be used for final grades. Semester % averages will translate to the following letter grades: