The Macquarie Ancient Languages Schools [formerly the Macquarie Greek Summer School] have been running for over twenty years now.  For all those years they have been offering a series of two-week (originally three-week) intensive non-residential courses in a variety of ancient languages during January each year, and one-week courses during July.  The School started off offering courses in Ancient Greek, but in 2000 courses in Coptic and Hieroglyphs were added, and since then other languages such as Modern Greek, Sanskrit and Syriac have also been offered.

 

Classes in Classical Greek are at various levels, ranging from Beginners (requiring no prior knowledge and using the inductive method found in the course book Reading Greek), up to Advanced level (reading selected parts of classical authors).  Between these are one or two Intermediate groups, which start at different points in Reading Greek, depending on the levels already reached by the students who enrol.

 

Classes in Koine/New Testament Greek for Beginners and for Advanced students, reading selections from a variety of post-classical texts, the Septuagint or the New Testament, are also held. In 2005 a course in Beginners Homeric Greek will be offered.

 

All teaching is in small tutorial groups, and they meet only in the mornings, leaving time outside the class hours for the preparation that is necessary due to the intensive nature of the courses.

 

Classes in the other ancient languages are conducted at the Beginners level at this stage; classes at Intermediate and Advanced level will be held when a sufficient number of students move through to those levels.

 

The courses are open to people of all ages, from 16 years upwards, and are suitable for:

•   intending students of Greek and other ancient languages in tertiary institutions and theological colleges

•   those interested in learning to read the New Testament in Greek

•   secondary teachers and students of Ancient History

•   speakers of Modern Greek who want to learn more about the ancient language from which their language came

•   those with a general interest in language

•   those interested English literature, in European civilisation, in drama, in philosophy, in theology – in the ancient world generally

and in the many fields in which Greek literature and thought has been for centuries a powerful influence

 

Many of our students come back year after year – not only to enjoy the contact with other like-minded students, but also to brush up on their Greek and to continue their fascination with the worlds opened up by the language and literature of these most significant ancient cultures.Their continued attendance is the most ringing endorsement we have of the enthusiasm which these Summer and Winter Schools have generated for over twenty years now.

Textbooks available at special prices

Textbooks

The text used for the beginners and intermediate Classical Greek classes is the Joint Association of Classical Teachers’ course-book Reading Greek (2 volumes).  The text used for the beginners and intermediate Koine/New Testament Greek classes is J.W. Wenham, The Elements of New Testament Greek.  For the Sanskrit course the text will be a course-book written by the Tutor himself, John Sheldon, entitled Reading Sanskrit: A Course for Beginners.  For Homeric Greek the textbook is Frank Beetham, Beginning Greek with Homer, An Elementary Course based on Odyssey V. For other courses photocopies of text and/or teaching material is provided.

MALS does not supply textbook apart from Sanskrit. Other books are available at the bookshops listed in the brochure.

                                                                                                          

For enquiries and                               Margaret Smith

application forms                                Ancient History Documentary Research Centre

contact                                                Department of Ancient History/Div. Humanities

                                                            Macquarie UniversityNSW2109

                                 telephone:            (02) 9850 7512/7789                        fax:(02) 9850 9001

                                 e-mail:                 margaret.smith@humn.mq.edu.au

                                 website:               http://www.anchist.mq.edu.au/doccentre/mals.html

 

 

This page is maintained by A. Irish

 

Last updated:  August 2007