Start Date
9 October, 2024
There will be 8 weekly meetings on Wednesday, 6 - 8pm, starting from 9 October.
Overview
If you're interested in learning Classical Greek, then Greek I is the perfect course for you. In this short course, you'll gain an understanding of the basic key elements of Greek grammar and learn how the ancient Greek language is structured. This knowledge will not only develop your linguistic skills, but also enhance your critical thinking abilities in English.
During the course, you'll be reading adapted texts from Classical authors, allowing you to gain insights into the important features of Greek culture and society. Greek I is suitable for anyone with an enquiring mind. Learning to make sense of an ancient text can be seen as a type of puzzle-solving game that satisfies your desire to find out what happens next. Best of all, no prior knowledge of Greek is required to attend this module.
Syllabus
Week 1:
Grammar and Language focus: alphabet; grammatical terminology; transliteration exercises.
Cultural background and text: Reading a Classical Greek inscription.
Week 2:
Grammar and Language focus: Definite Article; Genders and First and Second declension; cases and principle of agreement.
Text: translation of model sentences, grammar drills.
Week 3:
Grammar: adjectives (καλος) and the principle of agreement; present indicative of regular verbs, conjugation ending in -ω: βαινω; negation: ου, ουκ, ουχ.
Cultural background: Athens at Sea, Peloponnesian War.
Text: 1A-1B
Week 4:
Grammar: Noun types intro (three declensions); imperative; verb forms and use; adverbs.
Cultural background: Athens at Sea, Peloponnesian War.
Text: 1C-1D
Week 5:
Grammar: Rules of contraction and contracted verbs; prepositions; ἡμετερος; particles.
Cultural background: Athens at Sea, Peloponnesian War.
Text: 1E-1F
Week 6:
Grammar: Ειμι and οιδα; more particles; adjectives as nouns.
Cultural background: the Persian Wars.
Text: 1F-1G
Week 7:
Grammar: Middle verbs; type 1 nouns; contracted middle verbs; sandwich and repeated article constructions; prepositions.
Cultural background: Socrates and philosophical inquiry; Homer and epic poetry.
Text: 1H-I-J
Week 8:
Class Mock Test: grammar and vocabulary.
Grammar and vocabulary big revision.
Cultural Background Booklet and hands-on activity.
Text: 2A-B
Please note that the ‘last date available to book’ date is only a guide. We reserve the right to close bookings earlier if courses are over- or under-subscribed. In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure enrol as soon as possible. Registrations will not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm.
Course Lecturer: Dr Guen Taietti
Dr Guen Taietti is an Italian Classicist based in Greece with an interest in Alexander the Great, Macedonian History, and in the study of Animals in Antiquity. Guen has worked as a Classics teacher both in schools and at University level in Italy, Greece, the UK, and China; currently she is participating in a research project on the Alexander-Romance at the University of Haifa. Alongside her research, she is enthusiastic about making Classics more inclusive and accessible to a wider audience, travelling, and learning new languages and cultures. In her free time, she is an amateur runner and is committed to the protection of the environment and animals.
Courses fees: Full fee £125/Concession £65
Why not try Guen's free talk first?
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