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Secondary education

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Original poster

Learning greek - using symbols or english letters

36 replies

Ebound · 30/05/2019 06:35

Hi, for those with DC who learnt Greek, what is the way taught in school to learn Greek vocabulary - do you memorize the words using the greek "symbols" or do you transliterate the symbols into the corresponding english alphabets and then learn using the english letters? Thanks.

OP posts:
Solasum · 30/05/2019 06:37

Once you have learnt the Greek alphabet, it is really easy to learn words written in Greek. What would be the benefit of transliteration?

borntobequiet · 30/05/2019 06:39

On infrequent visits to Greece I’ve been pleased to find that once one recognises letters in the Greek alphabet, reading and pronounciation seem relatively easy.

RiversDisguise · 30/05/2019 06:46

Learn the alphabet. It takes 2 or 3 hours.

BertrandRussell · 30/05/2019 06:49

What do you mean by symbols? Do you mean the Greek alphabet?

OKBobble · 30/05/2019 06:50

Quotes for the Literature and Prose paper of Greek GCSE are written using the Greek symbols/alphabet.

SomethingNastyInTheBallPool · 30/05/2019 06:54

Always used the Greek alphabet. It’s really easy to learn, and reading it quickly becomes second nature. Transliteration would make things much more confusing.

SundayMorningSun · 30/05/2019 06:54

Learn the Greek alphabet. Within a week or two, you'll just be able to read it - I know this feels a long way off when you're working it out letter by letter, but it will suddenly come.

Original poster
Ebound · 30/05/2019 07:04

I have been teaching my DS wrong - I thought it is easier to transliterate and learn the words using English alphabets. But it did feel like it is double the amount of work. Thank you all for the responses. Really helpful community. Thank you so much!!!

OP posts:
GeorgeTheBleeder · 30/05/2019 07:09

Are you home educating? Or just doing this as an extra thing?

Do you have other questions regarding language teaching? There should be lots more advice available here.

Original poster
Ebound · 30/05/2019 07:24

No, I am not home educating. DS will be starting year 9 in September and will be starting Greek as a beginner. We also started off learning Latin by ourselves 2-3 years ago before he started learning them in school. Thought of doing the same for Greek but then I realized that the Greek alphabets are a different animal altogether. At least Latin is in English alphabets.

OP posts:
TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 30/05/2019 07:30

The alphabet seems like a big deal at the start but really it is not. Most of the letters are recognisable and it won't take long to get familiar with the rest.

newyearoldme · 30/05/2019 07:34

At least Latin is in English alphabets

Fancy that....... Confused

MongerTruffle · 30/05/2019 07:37

At least Latin is in English alphabets
Confused It’s the other way round...

LoafofSellotape · 30/05/2019 07:42

Just learn the alphabet!

BertrandRussell · 30/05/2019 07:46

I would leave it to the school, frankly.....

iMatter · 30/05/2019 07:50

Bertrand is right. Leave it to the school.

You're confusing things for him.

IdaDown · 30/05/2019 07:51

www.pragnellbooks.com/ancient-greek/

The Waite/Pragnell Introduction to Classical Greek is very good.

Original poster
Ebound · 30/05/2019 08:09

Ha. yes, good thing that I asked. no damage done as we just started two days ago. Really appreciate all the input.

OP posts:
Messyisthenewtidy · 30/05/2019 08:16

At least Latin is in English alphabets

Just FYI it’s the other way around. English actually used to use the Rune alphabet (used by the Germanic languages including the Scandinavian ones) until Christian missionaries started writing English out in the Latin alphabet.

I often fantasise about us still using runes. It seems so much cooler.

Messyisthenewtidy · 30/05/2019 08:18

Can I ask why you’re teaching him Greek?

GeorgeTheBleeder · 30/05/2019 08:22

One thing - if you carry on you really need to be ahead of him.

Obviously your intentions were good but you’d have fared better if you’d given yourself a month or two first to familiarise yourself with the language, terminology, teaching materials and best resources for help and advice.

RottnestFerry · 30/05/2019 08:22

I'm just starting to teach myself Greek. This thread has been helpful.

CMOTDibbler · 30/05/2019 08:35

Messy - my ds (having taught himself some latin and greek) has finally got his hands on the type of book he originally wanted and though he has a way to go on reading/writing Norse, is happily writing english in runes (Elder Futhark to be precise he tells me). It makes reading his shopping list much harder. Strange child he is, but his friends think its amazing

amidaiwas · 30/05/2019 08:40

why are you teaching him Greek at home if he is going to be learning it at school next year?
It is highly likely you are doing more harm than good.

DD is doing Greek. started in yr9. Loves it.

Messyisthenewtidy · 30/05/2019 08:45

It makes reading his shopping list much harder

🤣 but much more fun