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June 10, 2011

Unique way of teaching Hebrew

Learning a language offers understanding and insight, as well as being good for the brain.
CYNTHIA RAMSAY

The introduction to Hinneh: Biblical Hebrew the Practical Way, a new text and workbook written by educator and translator Rahel Halabe, promises “an innovative curriculum” that is organized “in a way that allows for easier teaching and learning.”

“When I started teaching the introduction to biblical Hebrew course at the Vancouver School of Theology [VST] almost 14 years ago, I had to choose a textbook,” explained Halabe, who moved to Vancouver from Jerusalem in 1984, and still makes at least one annual trip home. “The ones I found were either very scholarly and difficult, or much friendlier but too simplistic. Having learned the pedagogy of teaching foreign languages, and having taught modern Hebrew, with an emphasis on conversation, I felt that the academic textbooks, even though written by serious biblical Hebrew scholars ... were not doing their job for the introductory level in the most effective and efficient way. So, I started experimenting, putting together my own curriculum. I have taught the course many times and my handouts kept evolving as a result of students’ responses, difficulties, suggestions and encouragement, as well as from my own ease or difficulty in teaching the material.

“Over the years, I met with other teachers of introductory biblical Hebrew and many of them were also not comfortable with the textbooks available,” she continued, later adding, “My impression was that these types of books are addressing future scholars who intend to continue studying biblical Hebrew beyond the introductory level. As a result, other students are left frustrated, with too much theoretical knowledge. They could recite grammatical rules and put vowels to paradigms, but had little ability to work out a text’s meaning. This is when I thought that I should turn my program into a textbook, from which others – instructors and students – could benefit, too.”

Halabe has more than 20 years of experience in designing, developing and instructing both biblical and modern Hebrew curricula; she is also a published Hebrew translator of nine works of modern Arabic literature. She holds a bachelor’s in modern Arabic literature from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem (HUJ) and has earned diplomas from HUJ in second-language teaching and in translation, as well as a master’s of education from the department of language and literacy at the University of British Columbia. She has applied her teaching methods at VST, UBC and the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver (JCCGV), among other institutions.

As she explains in the introduction to Hinneh – which comprises two volumes and a “Tool Box” – Halabe has a unique approach on many levels, including recommending “that teaching and learning proceed at a fairly fast pace, not aiming at perfect competence and proficiency at every stage. Progressing at a pace of ‘three steps forward and one step back’ is recommended, as every additional step allows for the reading of more complex passages, practising the current as well as reinforcing subjects previously learned. This way, both new beginners as well as students with some familiarity with classical or modern Hebrew will maintain their interest and find challenges throughout the course.”

Halabe told the Independent that “Hinneh is based on what is called ‘pedagogical grammar,’ which, as one of my professors once wrote, ‘tells the truth,’ but not ‘the whole truth.’ Other academic textbooks go into a lot of linguistic detail that may be of interest to more advanced students and researchers but, at the introductory level, may distract students from the more important basic task of building proficiency. Hinneh is more practical in its approach. It offers only what is deemed necessary to help students build the most frequently occurring vocabulary, develop their understanding of the most important grammatical subjects and learn to use various tools (conjugation paradigms, etc.) to independently access many straightforward biblical texts.”

Another one of the unique aspects of Hinneh is that it stresses “context, educated guesses and imagination” when translating, or when reading a translation. To illustrate her point, Halabe noted that, for example, “the biblical Hebrew verb is very fluid. The same form may point to the past, present, future, a command and various subjunctives. There are many rules about interpreting the verb and, in Hinneh, you learn the most important ones. In many cases though, the context itself is invaluable. If you are reading a story about one of the Patriarchs, you would interpret most of the verbs as being in the past tense; if it is a text from Leviticus, which deals with the rules of sacrifices, many of the verbs would be understood as being commands, whereas the verbs used in a prophetical text describing a scene in the Last Days would point to the future.

“Also, with my background in translation,” she continued, “I know that there is never one perfect translation to any text – all the more so for a text so layered as the Hebrew Bible. Therefore, I feel it is very important to shake students’ confidence in any one favorite translation of the Bible. In Hinneh, examples are offered with a variety of translations ... all of which are valid grammatically and lexically, to show that interpretations depend on the translator’s theology, literary taste, historical point of view, psychological understanding, etc.

“In Hinneh, I also tried to apply some of the results of research and development in the study of additional languages acquisition. These results have greatly influenced the methods in which modern languages have been taught in the last half a century. Unfortunately, generally speaking, these have not affected enough the teaching of classical languages.”

As examples of these methods, Halabe gave “the sequencing of material depending on frequency as well as ‘learnability,’ some biblical Hebrew ‘conversations’ to be applied in class and the use of color coding for the presentation of the complex verb system (different root groups, different verb stems).”

Halabe has taught the Hinneh program in many different settings, to Jew and non-Jews and to students of varying ages. As well, a few other instructors have used it, providing additional feedback. This has given Halabe the confidence, she said, “that Hinneh can work not only for instructors with teaching styles and objectives similar to mine, but also for different styles of teaching (at a slower pace, for example) and in different frameworks (from universities to small non-academic groups).”

 With respect to language acquisition in general, Halabe noted, “A language is a key to any culture. When you understand a language, you have a greater insight into that culture than through translation. You also get to know people so much better when you speak with them in their first language because they feel more comfortable and expressive – and now they also tell us that learning a new language is an excellent brain exercise, better than Sudoku.” One study to which Halabe referred on this subject was recently reported research by cognitive neuroscientist Ellen Bialystok of York University showing that, among other benefits, the regular use of (at least) two languages appears to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms.

With respect to the learning of Hebrew specifically, Halabe said that Hebrew proficiency for Jewish adults and children should be encouraged, “and not only for parents who want to be role models for their children. Learning Hebrew would allow you to understand in much deeper and more interesting ways not only any classical texts that you have been reading and understanding all these years in translation but, if you are interested in politics, you also would understand better the different points of view among Israelis, even just drawing from your awareness of key words. As well, if you are interested in culture, knowledge of Hebrew would open the door to modern Israeli literature and poetry, even pop culture and slang.

“You can always travel to Israel and manage with English only, which most Israelis are happy to speak,” she acknowledged, “but you will get closer to and understand better your Israeli family and friends, the taxi driver and the people in the supermarket if you are able to listen to them talking freely in Hebrew.”

While Halabe admitted that the potential audience for Hinneh is relatively small, she noted that it is already being sold online by one distributor, as well as by a Judaica bookstore in Jerusalem. Local learners, even if they are not taking the JCCGV’s biblical Hebrew course, can purchase Hinneh at a reduced price at the centre’s reception desk ($60 instead of $75).

With the textbook printed and on the market, Halabe must switch gears somewhat, from teacher to salesperson.

“I am trying to interest other vendors who deal with Judaica, ancient Middle East studies, etc., and I will have the opportunity this summer and fall to present the Hinneh program at two conferences. As well, I am sending information to many of the universities, yeshivot and theological seminaries that teach biblical Hebrew,” she explained. “I also think that such a book would be an excellent textbook for self-learners, an important resource/reference for rabbis teaching Torah in their congregations or a valuable tool for teachers in Jewish elementary and high schools who wish to upgrade their own competency in biblical Hebrew, so I’ve approached some of them, too. I also hope that many of my former students who have enjoyed the program over the years will tell others about it.”

Whether or not you are interested in biblical Hebrew, Halabe had the following advice:

“When learning a modern language, people want to communicate. They want first to speak, and as soon as possible. They don’t always give enough time and emphasis to ‘exposure,’ to reading and listening,” she said. “Think about babies. They are exposed to a lot of their first language and can understand it long before they feel confident enough to express themselves in it. Learning a new language as an adult also can improve dramatically with much exposure. There will always be a gap between your understanding of a new language and your ability to express yourself in it. But the more you understand, the faster you will be able to adapt when given the chance – a trip to Israel, for example – to use it.”

Cynthia Ramsay, publisher of the Jewish Independent and editor of the Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia’s annual journal The Scribe, has taken modern Hebrew classes with Rahel Halabe and proofread Hinneh before it was printed. For more information about Halabe or Hinneh, visit hebrew-with-halabe.com.

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