Step One
Pronunciation & Writing
You will need to install the free Teknia Greek font in order for these letters to display properly.
Aa Bb Gg Dd Ee Zz Hh Qq Ii Kk Ll Mm Nn Xx Oo Pp Rr SsV Tt Uu Ff Cc Yy Ww
Learn to pronounce the Greek alphabet with this MP3 file. (also available on the S:\Darris Brock\Greek\ at JU).
The seven red letters, Alpha, Epsilon, Eta, Iota, Omicron, Upsilon, and Omega are the seven vowels. Notice that Sigma has three forms. (1) Learn to pronounce them in alphabetical order, to (2) write them, and (3) identify the seven vowels. You may click on any of the letters below to see a video of me writing the letters. (also available on the S:\Darris Brock\Greek Writing Video\ at JU).
Aa Bb Gg Dd Ee Zz Hh Qq Ii Kk Ll Mm Nn Xx Oo Pp Rr SsV Tt Uu Ff Cc Yy Ww
Here's an example of the written alphabet test, and here's a blank page you can print and practice with.
Step Two
Vocabulary
Option 1: If you choose to buy the textbook before the class starts, then you will have a CD in the back cover with resources. The CD has the Mounce lectures in abbreviated form. The advantage of having it now is that it has vocabulary pronunciation and the lectures so you can move along as quickly as you wish.
Option 2: Even without the book, there are free tools available. The Flashworks 4.0 vocabulary software is available for free at the Teknia web site. It is the same that comes with the book. It, however, does not have pronunciation with it. A version of the JBC word list for the Flashworks program is available below.
I recommend that all students use my modified version of the Mounce list. The vocabulary list is here. The Chapter numbers are equivalent to the Vocab # on the printed list. Simply download it and save it. It is probably best to right-click the link then chose "Save as" or "Save Link as". Once you run the JBC.exe file, it will install to C:\Program Files\Teknia since that is the default for the Flashworks program. It will ALSO make the JBC database the default database so there should be nothing else to do. The advantage of my list is twofold. One, it introduces the words at least one chapter before they are introduced in the book. Two, it covers all words down to 30 occurrences so at the end of the year, the student can use the UBS Greek New Testament Reader's Edition. More on this in the Tweener section.
If you struggle with English grammar, then you may want this little book, English Grammar to Ace New Testament Greek by Samuel Lamerson.
There is also an optional CD of the full year-long lectures from Dr. Mounce himself, available at his website for $89.00. This is available for free in the JU library.
Here are MP3 files of my pronunciation of the suggested vocabulary for first semester.
| Vocab 1 | Vocab 2 | Vocab 3 | Vocab 4 | Vocab 5 |
| Vocab 6 | Vocab 7 | Vocab 8 | Vocab 9 | Vocab 10 |
| Vocab 11 | Vocab 12 | Vocab 13 | Vocab 14 | Vocab 15 |
My Suggestions
Here is a modest proposal to help you get ahead and ease your transition into Greek.
- Learn to write the alphabet, in order, both upper and lower cases.
- Learn to pronounce the alphabet properly.
- Learn to identify the seven vowels and pronounce them.
- Explore the CD, textbook, and workbook. Read the preface material and up through chapter six (or as far as you desire). Listen to the lectures and learn how to pronounce the words in the vocabulary.
- Memorize as much vocabulary as you can. Use the Flashworks program to help you.
- Learn to write the Definite Articles below -- they are essential to many aspects of the language.
- See the other tips, audio, and video below. Learn as much as you can.
Little Things
Depending upon how much you accomplish, there are a number of little things that can be very helpful and you'll have to learn them sometime during the first semester.
Students often have trouble learning how to talk about grammar. These four terms are very important and must be learned. It is explained further in the textbook.
It is important to know the following terms:Nominative - is the subject case of the sentence.
Genitive - is the possessive case form
Dative - is the Indirect Object case
Accusative - is the Direct Object case
Billy threw Mike's plane in the park.
Nominative = Billy
Genitive =
Mike's
Dative =
in the
park
Accusative =
plane
You can choose to memorize the definite articles across or
down. I
memorized
them across because of a pattern of sounds that was helpful.
They are very important in many ways. Learn the singulars
first then the plurals. Also learn how to write them.
The Definite
Articles (24
ways to say "the")
| Singulars | Plurals | ||||||
| M | F | N | M | F | N | ||
| Nom. | oJ | hJ | tov |
oiJ | aiJ | tav | |
| Gen. | tou: | th:V | tou: | tw:n | tw:n | tw:n | |
| Dat. | tw:/ | th:/ | tw:/ | toi:V | tai:V | toi:V | |
| Acc. | tovn | thvn | tov | touvV | tavV | tav | |
Over time I have found that reciting this paradigm is the best way to remember it. I suggest you listen to the pronunciations below and learn to repeat them.
1st & 2nd Person Personal Pronouns
| Singulars | Plurals | ||||||||
| 1st | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | ||||||
| Nom. | ejgwv | I | suv | you |
hJmei:V | we | uJmei:V | you | |
| Gen. | ejmou: | my | sou | your | hJmw:n | our | uJmw:n | your | |
| Dat. | ejmoiv | to me | soi | to you | hJmi:n | to us | uJmi:n | to you | |
| Acc. | ejmev | me | se | you | hJma:V | us | uJma:V | you | |
Learning these "little" pronouns early will help you later.
Square of Stops Plus
| Unvoiced | Voiced | Aspirate | +s | +q | |
| Labial | p | b | f | y | f |
| Velar | k | g | c | x | c |
| Dental | t | d | q | s | s |
Greek on a Sheet
Here is a copy of a tool we will use a lot over the year. This is my compilation of important notes and charts.
Vocabulary List 2007-2008
List in PDF. Printable Flash Cards.
First-Year Vocabulary
List in PDF. Printable Flash Cards. The Vocab List is intended to be printed on both sides. If you do not print them this way and then punch holes for a binder, the holes will go through many of the words.