Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Bryan Rocine" <brocine AT earthlink.net>]

Hi Peter,

I understand that Randy's ulpan attempts to teach using the
natural approach.   Immersion is an important consideration
because it is an intregal part of any natural approach
program.  The problem is that immersion is best achieved,
perhaps only achieved, in a real life setting in which the
target language is used to live and survive.  The natural
approach classroom is really only a sort of language game
that foresees and prepares the student for survival in the
world beyond the classroom.  In addition to his ulpan, I
believe Randy recommends a year or two in Israel.  Ahh...  A
year or two in Israel...  Let me keep dreaming...

...we need a special secluded language camp.  At the camp
will ONLY be allowed biblical culture, biblical technology,
and biblical Hebrew.  It doesn't even need to be in Israel,
because the students will have to stay in the camp 24/7.
(O.K., we will let them out for a few hours after shabbat on
Saturday night.)  Students have to survive there for six
months with a population of residents who are already fluent
in BH.  The students will end up pretty fluent in not only
biblical Hebrew but with a life-changing experience as well.

Of course the expense of such a project in time and money is
pretty much prohibitive.

Anyways, who says the student really wants to learn BH?
Maybe he only wants to read the Tanakh in BH.  I think there
is a considerable difference.

Bryan


----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Kirk" <Peter_Kirk AT sil.org>
To: "Biblical Hebrew" <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Sent: Sunday, May 19, 2002 6:41 PM
Subject: RE: The Natural Approach toTeaching BH, Randy


> Bryan, haven't you misunderstood Randy? I thought he tried
to make it
> clear that his immersion is not into Modern Hebrew but
into BH itself,
> as accurately as he is able to do this. Your other posting
suggests that
> you do understand this, but others may get even more
confused.
>
> Peter Kirk
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Bryan Rocine [mailto:brocine AT earthlink.net]
> > Sent: 19 May 2002 22:53
> > To: Biblical Hebrew
> > Subject: Re: The Natural Approach toTeaching BH, Randy
> >
> > Hi Randy,
> >
> >    You are selling a natural approach to
teaching/learning
> > BH complete with testimonials, but I am not buying yet
> > (keep in mind that I have taught English as a second
> > language using a strictly natural approach).  A natural
> > approach requires immersion in the target language,
which at
> > best may be accomplished for BH by approximation =
immersion
> > into Modern Hebrew.  You recognize this as an
approximation
> > but you still laud the experience because gaining
fluency in
> > Modern Hebrew offers to the student much greater ease
when
> > reading the Tanakh.  But I am not convinced that the
ease
> > with which one may re-code the Tanakh is the same as
> > internalizing BH or fluency in BH or even reading BH!
May a
> > Tanakh reader who is fluent in Modern Hebrew merely be
very
> > fluent at re-coding BH into Modern Hebrew, which only
feels
> > to him like reading but is actually misunderstanding?
> >
> > Shalom,
> > Bryan
> >

B. M. Rocine
Associate Pastor
Living Word Church
6101 Court St. Rd.
Syracuse, NY 13206

(office) 315-437-6744
(home) 315-445-3085