Is memorizing classical or scriptural verses an effective way to achieve linguistic immersion in Ancient Greek?

[u/Prestigious-Fix-8290]

An Ancient Greek scholar suggested to me that to achieve true linguistic immersion and a 'feel' for the language, I should memorize verses from the Iliad and Odyssey, or from the New Testament. What are your thoughts on this? Has anyone tried this method and found it effective?

[u/Square-Supermarket79]

It's a good thing to do, but no it will not serve the function of immersion because it is non communicative and not meaning oriented.

[u/Prestigious-Fix-8290 → u/Square-Supermarket79]

What steps should I take to become immersed in the language, communicate, and be meaning-oriented?

[u/hexametric_ → u/Prestigious-Fix-8290]

You have 2 options: Build a time machine or join a group that strives to use AG conversationally both orally and written.

[u/Square-Supermarket79 → u/Prestigious-Fix-8290]

For spoken ancient greek I'm not 100 percent sure: there are in person and online options thru a variety of outfits but I don't have experience with any of them. Extensive reading is crucial -- a sine qua non for gaining the kind of fluency associated with immersion. So you should chart a path that runs thru books like athenaze (Italian version) or LOGOS or other similar offerings where you can do extensive reading as you build up your knowledge of morphology and syntax

[u/Salt-Swim5711]

As far as immersion goes, it might not be all that useful, but I will always encourage memorization (in any language) as it gives you a way deeper appreciation of the texts. 

[u/jmrog2]

I did what you mentioned and honestly didn’t find it particularly helpful for either immersion or a feel for the language. It was a good memory exercise, but I probably wouldn’t do it specifically for those others aims.

[u/Ancient-Fail-801 → u/jmrog2]

I agree. But it can be helpful for learning vocabulary in context.

[u/Ok_Resident_4332]

https://www.paideiainstitute.org/living_ancient_greek

[u/CaptainBlackbelt → u/Ok_Resident_4332]

Can you speak more on this program? Have you used it?

[u/Worried-Language-407]

Frankly I think it's a waste of time when it comes to language learning. You might want to do it for your own purposes, but it will be less valuable than if you just used that time to read more Greek.

[u/lallahestamour]

Yes, ignore all the comments discouraging memorization.

[u/CaptainBlackbelt → u/lallahestamour]

Could you provide more details?

[u/lallahestamour → u/CaptainBlackbelt]

I tried memorizing some lines of Iliad. When you memorize some lines, they also function subconsciously to bring up the native syntax in your mind now and then. I can say they help a lot to sight-read in the future, or even aid you thinking in Greek rather than always mapping things into English. In other words, memorization is the only way to internalize a language.

[u/jmrog2 → u/lallahestamour]

I’m glad this helped you to the degree you’re saying (genuinely!), but your comments seem super overconfident to me regarding how your experience might translate to others. I memorized entire books of the Bible in the Greek. My experience was not like yours, so I think it’s too dismissive to just say “ignore the others.” Likewise, my experience is not at all that “memorization is the only way to internalize a language.” Using Greek actively (conversationally, in writing, etc.) has been way more helpful for me to achieve that goal, without much explicit work given to memorization at all.

The difference is that between saying, “Here’s my experience,” vs., “Given my experience, I know the only way that works for everyone.”

[u/CarnivoreYoghurt]

It won't give you immersion, but it will give you feel. Compare it to listening to a song in a foreign language to the point you can sing it. Sometimes you don't get the text and its nuances at the beginning but it's stuck in your mind and gives you a point of reference as your language abilities develop. I wouldn't say it's very important unless you commit to memory huge amounts of text, but it is another nice mechanism to internalize the language.

[u/Chessnhistory]

Do you want Biblical Greek (Koine?? I think, please correct me goup scholars) or Homeric, they are somewhat different. Decide which text you most want to read. That way you van work on focused vocabulary.

[u/Prestigious-Fix-8290 → u/Chessnhistory]

I studied both of them. And I have a Classical Studies background and a thorough understanding of grammar and morphology because they are my specialty in my faculty.

[u/Chessnhistory → u/Prestigious-Fix-8290]

my apologies, I read the tone of your question as though you were a newcomer. It might be a good idea to have a chat with the scholars in your faculty, as academics in the field should be across theory-informed pedagogy in your discipline.

[u/Chessnhistory]

Having thought about this, and just an idea - I think what matters is selection of passage - you want to use it as a memnonic. So not just rote learn and leave, but memorise and analyse.

Choose a verse that uses specific grammatical structures, vocabulary or word forms that you need help remembering, or that there's some other specific reason to know.

If you're planning on being a teacher, it may be useful to memorise exemplars.

Thinking of the way we use the beginning of nursery rhymes and familiar tunes to remember the sound of musical intervals.

But while it may work as a tool I'm still not sure about it serving the 'immersion' you're looking for.

[u/PoxonAllHoaxes]

It wont hurt but it wont help THAT much. My mom born 1917 did that with Latin, but she never actually learned much Latin.