Ancient Greek: Elementary - Consolidation



Overview

This 10-week consolidation course is based on the syllabus of the previous two terms (most recently - Ancient Greek: Beginners - Part 2) and is primarily tailored to meet the needs of students who completed the weekly class, but new students who are at the appropriate level of proficiency are also welcome. Students who missed some classes during the first two terms and wish to catch up for the next level in the next academic year are encouraged to join.

The course will provide plenty of opportunities for students to read stories in Greek, and to practise translation both from and into Greek, thereby consolidating both vocabulary and grammar to give greater confidence in Greek reading. 

The course will use the Reading Greek Course used in earlier terms but heavily supplemented by the tutor's own materials. 

In line with teaching of Ancient Greek in the UK, accents are not a mandatory part of the learning.

Programme details

Course begins: 24 April 2025

Week 1:   Revision of Verbs: Present, Imperative and Infinitive

Week 2:   Revision of Nouns: First and Second Declension (all three genders) 

Week 3:   Uses of the Definite Article

Week 4:   Contract Verbs - revision of the rules of contraction and their application

Week 5:   Adjectives, Agreement and their uses

Week 6:   Reading Week - texts to read which will draw on the grammar, and consolidate.

Week 7:   Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

Week 8:   The Middle Voice, forms and uses

Week 9:   Greek sentence structure, revision and reading. 

Week 10:  Reading and grammar review

Textbooks

To participate in the course you will need to buy, or have regular access to, the following books:

JACT      Reading Greek: Grammar and Exercises, Cambridge University Press, 2007

JACT      Reading Greek: Text and Vocabulary, Cambridge University Press, 2007

Please ensure you are able to access copies of any required textbooks prior to enrolling on a course but please keep in mind that courses with insufficient students enrolled will be cancelled. The Department accepts no responsibility for books bought in anticipation of a course running.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £275.00

Funding

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

Tutor

Mrs Elena Vacca

Elena Giulia Vacca is a Classicist specialising in Comparative Literature and Classical Reception in Russian Literature. She lectures in Latin Language at the University of Oxford and is also a Classics tutor for Latin and Classical Greek in City Literary Institute of London. She is currently working on her PhD project at the University of Oxford. She also teaches Italian as a foreign language (L2) in the Italian Cultural Institute of London.

Course aims

  • Consolidate what has been learnt throughout the first two terms, and
  • Revise more challenging aspects of the language that are appropriate for the level
  • Develop greater fluency and confidence in reading Greek

Course objectives:

1. Reading and translating short Greek texts.

2. Understanding grammar and recognising grammatical phenomena in texts.

3. Building a basic vocabulary in Greek.

Teaching methods

During the live sessions, students will be asked to read out and translate sentences, sometimes in small groups and sometimes in class taking turns. Students will always be encouraged to ask questions, and enough time will be put aside to answer them. Grammar will be explained systematically and practised in exercises designed for this purpose. Homework will be assigned regularly in order to enhance the students' learning process.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be expected to be able to:

1. read texts in the Greek alphabet and pronounce them correctly.

2. apply their knowledge of the basics of Greek grammar and word formation.

3. translate short texts from ancient Greek into English.

4. translate sentences from English into Greek which relate to the points of grammar above with some degree of accuracy
 

Assessment methods

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

Application

We will close for enrolments 14 days prior to the start date to allow us to complete the course set up. We will email you at that time (14 days before the course begins) with further information and joining instructions. As always, students will want to check spam and junk folders during this period to ensure that these emails are received.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an application form.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support