Biblical Hebrew Forum

[yochanan bitan-buth <ButhFam AT compuserve.com>]

A Ps to notes on Hebrew verbs recently posted: 
I am going to run out of much more time this week. I begin to teach the
intensive Biblical Hebrew ulpan next week. 

During the first week (20 class hours) students will learn 200-300 words in
1000 forms, all BIBLICAL. Yes, even some vav hahippux forms. That is the
way to begin a language. They will, of course, be learning to expect the
language to do more than they imagine and to surprise them at one turn
after another. They will learn to relate the situations directly to Hebrew,
no matter how they later want to classify or describe this. (Mother tongues
of this group of students includes English, Russian, and a westAfrican.)  

Those that would like to experience a bit of what this is like can purchase
"Living Biblical Hebrew for Everyone, vol 1 (with 3 audio CDs)" at
buth.jerusalemschool.org ($79 mailed from US) or directly from me in
Jerusalem ($65+shipping). As one student recently remarked, "I know that
teena grows on trees, falls off when ripe, boys and girls and donkeys like
to eat it. But I can't see exactly what it is. It looks like a fig ... the
most pleasurable aural comprehension I have experienced." Others: "I love
it." That is exactly the way to build up 'meanings'.

Please respond offlist.

Randall Buth
Jerusalem