Summer Language Program
Harvard Divinity School's Summer Language Program (SLP) is an eight-week, intensive program in language study designed specifically for the curriculum in theological and religious studies. German, French, and Spanish are taught for rapid reading comprehension; Hebrew, Greek, and Latin follow the classical method of instruction.
The 2012 Summer Language Program session will run from June 11 to August 3, 2012.
Courses Offered
Below is the course schedule for the 2012 SLP session. The descriptions of the courses are from 2011, but are representative of the material covered in each course this year. Meeting times are subject to change. Classrooms will be announced in June. Note that classes will not be held on Wednesday, July 4, 2012, in observance of the holiday.
Vivian Johnson
MWTh 9 am-noon
Teaching fellow meetings: TBA
Rockefeller Hall 117
course site
This course offers an intensive introduction to grammar and syntax and presupposes no previous knowledge of the language. We will begin with Hackett’s Introduction and additional exercises; by the end of the term we will be translating directly from the Hebrew Bible.
Required books:
- Hackett, Jo Ann. A Basic Introduction to Biblical Hebrew. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2010.
ISBN-10: 9781598560282
ISBN-13: 9781598560282 - Elliger, Karl, and Willhelm Rudolph (eds.). Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Compact Edition. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2006.
ISBN-10: 1598561634
ISBN-13: 978-1598561630 - Brown, Francis, et al. The Brown, Driver, Briggs Hebrew and English lexicon: with an appendix containing the Biblical Aramaic: Coded with the Numbering System from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. 7th ed. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1996.
ISBN-10: 1565632060
ISBN-13: 9781565632066 - Scott, William R., and Harold P. Scanlin. A Simplified Guide to BHS: Critical Apparatus, Masora, Accents, Unusual Letters & Other Markings. 4th ed. N. Richland Hills, TX: D & F Scott Pub Inc, 2007.
ISBN-10: 1930566689
ISBN-13: 978-1930566682
Vivian Johnson
MWTh 4-7 pm
Teaching fellow meetings: TBA
Rockefeller Hall 118
course site
This is an intermediate level course in Biblical Hebrew designed to develop your ability to read the Hebrew Bible with fluency. To that end, you will read selected Hebrew texts with an eye toward grammar and vocabulary. Problems of translation and exegesis will be discussed as they are encountered in the reading. Also, issues of textual criticism, historical Hebrew grammar and literary analysis will be addressed where relevant. Reading of the Masora Parva notes and the biblical apparatus in the margins of BHS will also be taught in this course. However, particular emphasis will be placed on building a working vocabulary of Biblical Hebrew and developing skills in order to read with confidence. Previous knowledge of Hebrew is required.
Required books:
- Elliger, Karl, and Willhelm Rudolph (eds.). Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Compact Edition. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2006.
ISBN-10: 1598561634
ISBN-13: 978-1598561630 - Brown, Francis, S. Driver, and C. Briggs. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1996.
ISBN-10: 1565632060
ISBN-13: 978-1565632066 - Hackett, Jo Ann. A Basic Introduction to Biblical Hebrew. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2010.
ISBN: 9781598560282 - Mitchel, Larry A. A Student's Vocabulary for Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984.
ISBN-10: 0310454611
ISBN-13: 978-0310454618 - Scott, William R. and Harold P. Scanlin. A Simplified Guide to BHS: Critical Apparatus, Masora, Accents, Unusual
Letters & Other Markings. 4th ed. N. Richland Hills, TX: D & F Scott Pub Inc, 2007.
ISBN-10: 1930566689
ISBN-13: 978-1930566682
Recommended books:
- Lambdin, Thomas O. An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1971.
ISBN-10: 0023672501
ISBN-13: 978-0023672507
James Skedros
MWTh 4-7 pm
Teaching fellow meetings: TBA
Divinity Hall 106
course site
This is a course on the grammar and vocabulary of the Greek New Testament. It is the equivalent of a one-year introductory course in New Testament Greek. In addition, students will be introduced to a substantial amount of classical Greek grammar, syntax, and selected vocabulary.
Required books:
- Croy, N. Clayton. A Primer of Biblical Greek. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1999.
ISBN-10: 0802860001
ISBN-13: 9780802860002 - Hansen, Hardy, and Gerald Quinn. Greek. An Intensive Course. 2nd rev. ed. New York: Fordham University Press, 1992.
ISBN-10: 0823216632
ISBN-13: 978-0823216635 - Liddell, H.G., and R. Scott. An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
ISBN-10: 0199102066
ISBN-13: 9780199102068 - At Least One Greek New Testament (such as):
- Aland, Kurt, and Eberhard Nestle. Novum Testamentum Graece. With Dictionary 27th ed. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2005.
ISBN-10: 159856174X
ISBN-13: 978-1598561746 - Aland, Kurt, et. al. eds. The Greek New Testament. With Dictionary 4th rev. ed. New York: American Bible Society, 1998.
ISBN-10: 3438051133
ISBN-13: 978-3438051134 - Aland, Kurt and Eberhard Nestle. Novum Testamentum Graece. 27th ed. New York: American Bible Society, 1993.
ISBN-10: 34380510001
ISBN-13: 9783438051004
- Aland, Kurt, and Eberhard Nestle. Novum Testamentum Graece. With Dictionary 27th ed. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2005.
Recommended lexicon:
- Bauer, Walter. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Revised and edited by Frederick William Danker. 3rd ed. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2000.
ISBN-10: 0226039331
ISBN-13: 978-0226039336
Judy Haley
MWTh 5-8pm
Teaching fellow meetings: TBA
Rockefeller Hall 114
course site
An intensive course to enable students to read ancient Greek literature at an intermediate level by consolidating grammar learned in Elementary Greek through attention to syntax, increasing control of vocabulary through memorization, and translating passages from the New Testament, other early Christian texts, classical Greek literature, Jewish literature, and inscriptions. Previous knowledge of Greek is required.
Required books:
- Hansen, Hardy, and Gerald M. Quinn. Greek: An Intensive Course. 2nd ed. New York: Fordham University Press, 1992.
ISBN-10: 0823216632
ISBN-13: 9780823216635 - At least one lexicon, such as:
- Arndt, William, and Walter Bauer. A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature. Any edition.
- Liddell, Henry G., and Robert Scott. A Greek-English Lexicon. Any intermediate or unabridged edition. Many editions. Full text PDF of several editions available online at Google Books.
Annewies Van Den Hoek
MW 5-8 pm, F 1:30-4:30 pm
Teaching fellow meetings (required):
MW 4:30-5:30 pm, F 12:30-1:30 pm
Divinity Hall 104 (MW), Divinity Hall 106 (F)
course site
An intensive introduction to grammar and syntax, designed specifically for theological and religious studies. Previous knowledge of Latin is helpful but not required. The course covers grammar and structure of Latin and presents a basic reading vocabulary. From an early stage, texts such as biblical passages, martyr stories, prayers, hymns, and sermons will be a major part of the course. There will be additional power point presentations of Early Christian and Medieval art related to the texts read in the course.
Required books:
- Collins, John F. A primer of ecclesiastical Latin. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, corr. ed., 1988.
ISBN-10: 0813206677
ISBN-13: 978-0813206677 - Wheelock, Frederic, M. Wheelock’s Latin. 6th ed. Revised by Richard A. LaFleur. New York: HarperResource, 2005.
ISBN-10: 0060783710
ISBN-13: 978-0060783716
Recommended books:
- Greenough J. B., G. L. Kittredge, A. A. Howard, and Benjamin L. D’Ooge. New Latin Grammar for Schools and Colleges: Founded on Comparative Grammar. Updated for Focus by Anne Mahoney. Newburyport, MA: Focus Publishers, 2001.
ISBN-10: 1402166478
ISBN-13: 978-1402166471 - Goldman, Norma, and Ladislas Szymanski. English Grammar for Students of Latin: the Study Guide for Those Learning Latin. 3rd ed. Ann Arbor, MI: Olivia and Hill Press, 2004.
ISBN-10: 0934034346
ISBN-13: 978-0934034340 - Stelten, Leo F. Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin: With an Appendix of Latin Expressions Defined and Clarified. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1995.
ISBN-10: 1565631315
ISBN-13: 978-1565631311 - Thomas, Charlton. An Elementary Latin Dictionary. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2000. Many editions. Full text PDF of 1918 edition available online at Google Books.
- Fischer, Bonifatio et al. Biblia Sacra: Iuxta Vulgatam Versionem. 4th ed. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1994.
ISBN-10: 3438053039
ISBN-13: 9783438053039
Pascale Torracinta
MWTh 5-8 pm
Teaching fellow meetings: TBA
Divinity Hall 211
course site
An intensive eight-week introduction to reading and translating modern French texts for students who require knowledge of French for research purposes. It presents the principle structures of French grammar in a systematic and coherent manner and, at the same time, gives reading and translation assignments in selected texts related to theological and religious studies.
Karin Grundler-Whitacre
MW 5-8 pm, Th 4:30-7:30 pm
Teaching fellow meetings: TBA
Andover Hall 102 and 103
course site
This eight-week course in German translation balances the survey and instruction of German grammar, syntax, and basic vocabulary with the translation practice of texts by or about major German theologians and philosophers (Barth, Bonhoeffer, Hildegard von Bingen, Kant, Luther, Rahner, Schleiermacher, Soelle, and Tillich—just to name a few), as well as authors on religious matters, or texts describing world religions in general. We will work intensively on translation, reading, and analytical skills during the duration of the course. There will be approximately five to six weeks of grammar and syntax instruction and translation practice, and the last two to three weeks of the course will focus on reviewing the newly acquired translation and reading skills.
Required books (available through the Harvard Coop for purchase, or on reserve in the Andover-Harvard Theological Library):
- Korb, Richard Alan. Jannach’s German for Reading Knowledge. 6th ed. Boston, MA: Heinle Cengage Learning, 2008.
ISBN-10: 1413033490
ISBN-13: 978-1413033496
For more information about the book (print and digital version), see the publisher’s website. - A dictionary: You will need a good-sized, hard cover German-English/English-German dictionary. A hard cover dictionary with at least 300,000 entries (more is always better) is required. Some of the most commonly used are: Cassells, Harper Collins, Langenscheidt, Oxford-Duden, PONS, Webster's. You are welcome to use any dictionary of your choice. In the past students preferred Duden, Langenscheidt, or Harper-Collins dictionaries. Please note that this cannot be an online dictionary, but has to be a hardcopy and not a small paperback dictionary (too many words are missing from those). You will not be able to use an online dictionary during exams.
Recommended books (it is not necessary to purchase these books; they are available on reserve in the library):
- Coles, Waltraud and Bill Dodd. Reading German. A Course Book and Reference Grammar. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.
ISBN-10: 0198700202
ISBN-13: 978-0198700203 - Wilson, April. German Quickly. A Grammar for Reading German. New York: Peter Lang Publishers, 2004.
ISBN-10: 0820467596
ISBN-13: 978-0820467597 - Ziefle, Helmut W. Modern Theological German: A Reader and Dictionary. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker
Academic, 1997.
ISBN-10: 0801021448
ISBN-13: 978-0801021442 - Zorach, Cecila Zorach and Charlotte Melin. English Grammar for Students of German. 4th ed. Ann Arbor, MI: Olivia & Hill Press, 2001.
ISBN-10: 0934034311
ISBN-13: 978-0934034319
Lorraine Ledford
MWTh 4-7 pm
Teaching fellow meetings: TBA
Rockefeller Hall 116
course site
An intensive eight-week course covering elementary and intermediate Spanish levels. It presupposes no previous knowledge of Spanish but progresses very rapidly. We begin with pronunciation and accentuation and cover all verb tenses, over a thousand vocabulary words and phrases, syntax and translation theory. After the first week we will do extensive translation practice during class hours. Attendance and participation are mandatory.
Required books:
- Harvey, William C. Complete Spanish Grammar Review (Barron's Foreign Language Guides). Haupaugge, NY: Barron’s Educational Series, 2006.
ISBN-10: 0764133756
ISBN-13: 978-0764133756 - Kendris, Christopher. 501 Spanish Verbs (Barron's Foreign Language Guides). Haupaugge, NY: Barron's Educational Series, 2007.
ISBN-10: 0764179845
ISBN-13: 978-0764179846 - Any excellent hardback Spanish-English dictionary (Oxford, Larousse, etc).
Himmet Taskomur
MW 5-8 pm, F 9 am-noon
Teaching fellow meetings (required):
TuTh, time TBA
Rockefeller Hall 117
course site
Prerequisite: one year of Arabic (first 18 chapters of Al-Kitab I, or Ahlan wa Sahlan, or equal preparation).
Admission
The application deadline for the Summer Language Program 2012 has passed. We look forward to welcoming the incoming SLP class on June 11 for this year's courses.
Credit
The courses offered correspond both in quality and quantity of work to a full course given throughout the academic year (or to two half courses). Each course is eight units (two semesters) of credit; a unit is approximately equivalent to one semester-hour in academic institutions using that system of evaluation. Courses must be taken for a letter grade only. Students may audit, but only with payment of full tuition.
The Summer Language Program does not grant degrees. HDS degree students may count SLP courses toward the course requirements under the normal course restrictions of their program, including specific language study limitations. Non-HDS students may request official transcripts for credit earned. (Students enrolled in degree programs at other institutions are advised to have their SLP courses approved in advance by the appropriate officer in their own school if they wish to have credit applied toward their degree program.)
Tuition and Fees
Non-HDS Students, HDS Nondegree Students, and HDS ThD Students Paying Reduced Tuition
Non-HDS students, HDS nondegree students, and HDS ThD students paying reduced tuition are required to pay the Summer Language Program tuition at registration. SLP tuition for 2012 is $4,825 for anyone other than HDS students taking the course as part of their program. There is an additional $50 application fee to be submitted with the application form. HDS is unable to provide financial aid to non-HDS students for the SLP.
Full-time HDS Degree Candidates
Full-time HDS degree students who will be enrolled the following fall may participate once in the Summer Language Program and have it covered by normal term tuition. That is, first-time participation will not affect tuition. Fees, however are required: $50 application fee due upon application to the program and $350 program fee due at registration.
Part-time HDS Degree Candidates and Those Approved to Pay on a Per Course Basis
Part-time students and those who pay on a per course basis may participate in the Summer Language Program and have it count toward the requirements of their degree, provided:
- They will be registered in the fall;
- They pay the additional program fee of $350 upon registration (in addition to the $50 application fee);
- They pay additional tuition in the fall equal to normal tuition for two half courses.
The additional tuition paid for the SLP will apply toward these students' overall required tuition (tuition equivalent to 16 half courses for MTS students, 24 half courses for MDiv students, and 8 half courses for ThM students). Fall term financial aid awards may be adjusted to help pay for the additional SLP tuition.
HDS ThD Students Paying Full Tuition
HDS ThD students paying full tuition in fall 2012 are not required to pay Summer Language Program tuition or the program fee.
Refund Schedule
The Summer Language Program can be dropped without notation on or before Monday, June 18, 2012; after that the designation dropped will appear on the student's transcript. Students dropping prior to June 25 will receive a one-half tuition refund; after that there will be no refund. Students may not drop after July 16, 2012.
Class Hours
The schedule of the Summer Language Program is adjusting more to the flexible schedules that students have requested these past few years. Classes are held three days a week for a minimum of nine hours of instruction per week. Please note that certain courses, like Classical Arabic or Christian Latin, require additional, mandatory weekly meeting sessions with the teaching fellow. Other classes will offer additional times with the teaching fellows on a voluntary basis. Regular attendance of all class meetings is expected. Working full-time while taking the SLP is not recommended. Enrolled MDiv students should check with their program regarding SLP and field education regulations.
Note to HDS MDiv students enrolled in field education: Due to the demands of each program, students are not permitted to enroll in field education during the same summer they enroll in the SLP. Additionally, students are not permitted to audit a class in the SLP while registered for field education.
Contact Information
Contact the SLP at slp@hds.harvard.edu.
Housing
See the Non-University Housing page for links to resources that may help with securing summer housing in the area.
Other Summer Programs
Requests for information on courses offered at Harvard University in fields other than theological language study should be addressed to: Harvard Summer School, 51 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA 02138; 617.495.4024. HDS students should know that summer work other than the HDS Summer Language Program may not be counted toward the course requirements of their program.
HARVARD DIVINITY SCHOOL, 45 Francis Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 617.495.5761
