My experience in Learning/teaching Hebrew
For many years I have been teaching beginner Hebrew students. The key to their success in learning the Hebrew Language exists in sharing with them the Hebrew languages unique structure. In particular the structure of the Hebrew verbs is the foundation stone of the language. Almost all Hebrew teachers use this innate structure as the fulcrum of their teaching, whether they are publicly saying it or not.
Why the structure of the Hebrew Language is important to you
What makes learning a new language accessible to us? It’s our ability to perceive the operating system or inner structure of that language. In fact, my unscientific claim is that somewhere around age 9 we humans begin to learn languages differently than we do up until that point. At that point we begin to seek the rational structures. If you have a good teacher, text, or the like, and he/she presents to you that structure, and it appeals to your inherent need to see structure, then you’re likely to succeed in mastering the new language.
Don’t be a Hebrew language learning “failure!”
I’m aware that there is a school of thought out there about language learning that states something to the effect that we learn best when we learn as children learn. You might want to read about learning like a child There are even successfully marketed language learning methodologies that postulate this approach. Needless to say we’re all different, and everyone of us has some unique approaches to our learning anything. Now I’ll share with you my experience. In the life stories of many students they tell of success in learning a foreign language that was often marginal. Often they concluded in despair, and a self accusation to the effect- “I just don’t have a head for foreign languages.”
The Hebrew Language as I present it is so structurally clear, it’s almost like 2+2=4….you’ve got to get it! Whether it’s Biblical Hebrew, Conversational or Modern Hebrew, remember “you can do it!” More on “The Master Plan” in the upcoming piece.