Justification for using Powers

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stephen
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Joined: Wed 19 Jul, 2017 5:17 am

Justification for using Powers

Post by stephen » Mon 03 Jun, 2019 5:53 am

Dear colleagues, I would like to recommend that we ask the Senate of Serampore College (University) that they update the textbook that we use to teach New Testament Greek in both in BBTS814 New Testament Greek - Introductory and BBTS815 New Testament Greek - Advanced. The current textbook, The Elements of New Testament Greek by Wenham (1965) is based on only a single teaching methodology and is only suitable for classroom instruction. I am proposing that we replace that with Learn to Read the Greek New Testament, 5th Edition by Powers (1995).

As teachers using the textbook, we are familiar with Wenham's (1965) grammar translation approach to the teaching of Greek. Each of the 44 lessons present a few points of grammar, one or more conjugational or declensional tables to be learned and a dozen or so items of vocabulary to be rote learned with single word glosses. There are then some made up sentences of Greek to be translated into English, followed by some English to Greek exercises based on the grammar of the lesson. The major shortcoming of Wenham (1965) is that at no point in working through the textbook does a student ever encounter an authentic Koine Greek text. The 44 lessons of Wenham's Elements are merely preparatory for reading. Unfortunately for our students, there is no follow on course from the advanced course. In fact, under the current arrangenents, we are allowing our students to complete two units of New Testament Greek and declaring them competent to read, minister and translate from the Greek New Testament, without ever having read any of the New Testament in its original language.

Powers (1995) book on the other hand, contains a distinct 10 unit beginners' course followed by 20 intermediate units. The units have been orogrammed by an exoeriencec teacher and are similarly weighted in difficulty from each other and timed for ckassroom use. In the beginners course, classes are timed to 3 hours of classroom instruction time followed up by 3 hours of self study time involving revision, application and preparation. There is a students' workbook with instructions and exercises for revision and learning Throughout the intermediate course the twenty units are timed for 1 hour of classroom intruction, consolidation and discussion of the grammar and vocabulary of the language, followed by 2 hours of reading through prepared sections of authentic Greek texts. There is then an expectation that students will spend about 3 hours in preparation of the prescribed texts for the following lesson.

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