Ancient Greek: Lower Intermediate - Part 1

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Students will explore adapted texts from ancient Greek literature in the original language and become familiar with aspects of ancient Greek culture, thought and society. They will expand their vocabulary and grammar structures to be able to translate or compose simple texts without needing a dictionary.

Course Objectives:

• To understand, analyse and translate adapted texts in ancient Greek.
• To expand the range of vocabulary items and understand advanced grammar topics.
• To develop an insight into ancient Greek culture, thought and society.

Learning takes place on a weekly schedule. At the start of each weekly unit, students are provided with learning materials on our online platform, including one hour of pre-recorded video, often supplemented by guided readings and educational resources. These learning materials prepare students for a one-hour live webinar with an expert tutor at the end of each weekly unit which they attend in small groups. Webinars are held on Microsoft Teams, and provide the opportunity for students to respond to discussion prompts and ask questions. The blend of weekly learning materials that can be worked through flexibly, together with a live meeting with a tutor and their peers, maximise learning and engagement through interaction in a friendly, supportive environment.

The real time interaction will focus on grammar, translating and composing ancient Greek texts and exploring aspects of ancient Greek culture. Students will be encouraged to practise reading and writing skills in their own time.

English will be the medium of instruction and will be used to explain new concepts, vocabulary items, grammar rules or the methodology behind an activity.

To benefit from the course, regular preparation in advance of the class is required. In addition to the course textbook(s), there will be some additional learning resources for self-study and consolidation. Students will be encouraged to participate and have fun.

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

• translate short texts from ancient Greek into English and compose their own basic texts in Greek;
• feel confident with Greek grammar and vocabulary;
• have gained some knowledge of ancient Greek culture, thought and society.

You will be set optional assignments to consolidate your learning and to allow you to progress at your own pace.

The course relies on students having a thorough knowledge of the content of the introductory Greek Course, as taken from the JACT Reading Greek textbook. The course is challenging: it is fast-paced and covers a considerable amount of grammar, as outlined above. The texts are also of an increasing level of difficulty, but are enjoyable and rewarding. 

This course assumes a knowledge of the material covered in the introductory Greek course, and builds on that knowledge. It continues with Reading Greek, supplemented with additional materials. The nature of the grammar covered becomes more complex, with additional linguistic constructions, many of which rely on a thorough knowledge of what has been covered previously. The texts which we read will become progressively more challenging, offering opportunities to start reading original Greek and enjoy ancient authors. The details of the points of grammar covered are listed in the programme details.