Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Kim Fleming <kfleming AT wctel.net>]

I learned BH mainly on my own, through several grammars, and also have had a
harder time internalizing the sound of BH than simply reading the text. I
had just started reading recently Michael Fox's book on Ecclesiastes where
he uses transliterated Hebrew, and it kept frustrating me because more often
than not it was much more of a struggle to understand the transliterated
text - I'd need to open my BHS and there would gain instant recognition.
Thinking about this, I realized that even when I read english texts, I don't
sound out every word in my head (I don't think!). I learned the Hebrew
alphabet quickly also, and can scan and read Hebrew in much the same way I
do English... to be aware of the vocalization I have to force myself to
pronounce every word aloud in my head, or out loud, which I sometimes do in
an effort to internalize the vocalization. And this is why the
transliterated Hebrew so often frustrates me I think, and I also find the
actual Hebrew text MUCH easier to read. Hoping to improve though....
Kim