From: "Julie Devall" <krena_li_mara AT hotmail.com>
To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [b-hebrew] Grammar with Discourse Perspective?
Date: Fri, 17 Oct 2003 22:52:30 +0000
Hello all,
I am a seminary student, and have been recently reflecting on the steep
learning curve involved in learning Hebrew. The teachers at my seminary use
Weingreen, but I see students who are so intimidated by the time they get
through the discussion on the vowels that they feel Hebrew inaccessible. I
had Hebrew at LSU as an undergraduate (*hi Charles* I was one of Stu's
students) and used the First Hebrew Primer (translating Biblical Hebrew
fairy tales "Three Little Pigs" etc). At some level I feel the simplicity
of the primer eased my existential angst about learning Hebrew (especially
as an elective...) But imagine the shock of transitioning to Jouon-Muraoka
in my 2nd year Hebrew! Now I love Jouon, but can't recommend it to
struggling students...
But at the Masters level is there not something that will get students
beyond fear and trembling... Is there a grammar which would actually teach
from the discourse perspective, and not focus so much on forms which hardly
occur? Something which would ease the learning curve by getting the
students into texts earlier?