To DanBenNoah - what is your story of how you learnt hebrew?

[q_q_]

Hi DBN..

what is your story of how you learnt hebrew..

methods you used e.t.c.

[Vito]

probably has Israeli friends, that how I learned it  I'm not Jewish either..

[Dan Ben Noah]

My dad taught me some as a kid because he was a minister and knew some Biblical Hebrew.  I became more interested in it after I became a Noahide in 2001.  I learned it in the classroom setting, but of course the teachers were native Israelis.  I took Modern Hebrew classes at the college level for a full year (including summer).  Basically the methods used are practice in reading, listening, and speaking using text books, articles, audio tapes, videos, and the teachers themselves would speak with us individually sometimes.

[q_q_]

I guess pastors would be learning biblical hebrew rather than modern hebrew. I know they are similar.. But of course modern hebrew would introduce a whole load of new vocabulary that isn't necessary to reading the tenach.

I heard it boils down to vocabulary memorization, and practice(e.g. reading).

There is some material put out by Christians - Miles Van Pelt - for example, that has biblical hebrew vocabulary ordered by frequency. 1000 words.   Looks like a great way to learn vocabulary.

But the only reading material I find is tenach, but it is the most advanced, since it has all the vocabulary in it.  And isn't written for the sake of learning the vocabulary..   Like, practicing the 20 words just learnt!
I'm just going to keep memorising these cards.  He has a book with 2000 words.  Mostly just roots!

It used to be that in all jewish schools, rabbis taught hebrew , and it was serious, people learnt a bit but not really enough to read tenach. But things have worsened. The less religious schools now get any old israelis to teach it.
And since many young israelis are leaving, they have many israeli students to "teach", so it's all a bit of a joke. The schools get their A*s of course.

What level is "college"?

In britain, we have GCSEs - that's at 16.
A levels - 18
Then University.

I know many people just go to Ulpan in israel, and learn modern hebrew there.  (there don't seem to be biblical hebrew classes at all - except in religious high schools) .  or  known good modern hebrew classes.

[Dan Ben Noah]

I am much more familiar with Modern Hebrew than Biblical Hebrew.  I can read the Tanach, but it's kind of like reading Shakespeare because the grammar is different so I often don't understand what's going on.  I get totally lost in the Aramaic parts in Daniel and Ezra.  But quite a bit of the ancient Hebrew vocabulary is the same as that of Modern Hebrew, except for what has been added over the years.  However, if you want to speak everyday Hebrew, it would be important to study Modern Hebrew grammar because you would sound antiquated if you spoke like the Tanach reads.  And listening to it is also essential if you want to speak it.  I think the hardest part for me was learning to read Hebrew at a normal pace just because the alphabet looks nothing like English.  I still am a bit slow when it comes to reading.  It also took me a few years to build up my ear to the point where I could understand everything that was being said even if I knew all the vocabulary being spoken.  That process is much quicker for people who live in Israel.  The grammar and root system are actually very logical and I enjoyed studying it.  Hebrew would be harder to learn than Spanish or German, but would be easier to learn than Chinese or Arabic.  For us, people are in college 4 years, usually ages 18-21 or 22.

[q_q_]

I am much more familiar with Modern Hebrew than Biblical Hebrew.  I can read the Tanach, but it's kind of like reading Shakespeare because the grammar is different so I often don't understand what's going on.  I get totally lost in the Aramaic parts in Daniel and Ezra.  But quite a bit of the ancient Hebrew vocabulary is the same as that of Modern Hebrew, except for what has been added over the years.  However, if you want to speak everyday Hebrew, it would be important to study Modern Hebrew grammar because you would sound antiquated if you spoke like the Tanach reads.  And listening to it is also essential if you want to speak it.  I think the hardest part for me was learning to read Hebrew at a normal pace just because the alphabet looks nothing like English.  I still am a bit slow when it comes to reading.  It also took me a few years to build up my ear to the point where I could understand everything that was being said even if I knew all the vocabulary being spoken.  That process is much quicker for people who live in Israel.  The grammar and root system are actually very logical and I enjoyed studying it.  Hebrew would be harder to learn than Spanish or German, but would be easier to learn than Chinese or Arabic.  For us, people are in college 4 years, usually ages 18-21 or 22.

hmm.. i just realised, in britain, A levels are 16-18. So university/degree would be like 18-22.

so you did a degree in hebrew?  was that the subject of the whole degree?

makes sense, since it would take years to learn. (I can read it already, jews learn to read hebrew from all the prayers - understanding them is the problem!)

[Dan Ben Noah]

I have the equivalent of an Associate's degree in Hebrew, but I still have to send in info on credits in order to get the degree itself.

I have been to Jewish services before and have followed along with the siddur and Torah reading.  I could follow it but couldn't have read it on my own that fast.  It was hard especially in an Ashkenazi synagogue because the words are pronounced differently than Israeli Hebrew.  For example "Shabbas" instead of "Shabbat", "emes" instead of "emet", the "oh" sound is often replaced by an "oy" sound, and the accent is sometimes on a different syllable.

[Shamgar]

I have thought about getting the Rosetta Stone learning system for Hebrew. Has anyone used this before?

[cjd]

I have thought about getting the Rosetta Stone learning system for Hebrew. Has anyone used this before?

Yes I have been looking into Rosetta Stone also to learn some Hebrew. Rosetta Stone has good write ups and it seems to come in different levels of learning. Chaim has been recommending another company however. One that's used by the state department to teach the diplomats. I had its name  written down but can't seem to find the paper with its name  just now.

[q_q_]

I have thought about getting the Rosetta Stone learning system for Hebrew. Has anyone used this before?

Yes I have been looking into Rosetta Stone also to learn some Hebrew. Rosetta Stone has good write ups and it seems to come in different levels of learning. Chaim has been recommending another company however. One that's used by the state department to teach the diplomats. I had its name  written down but can't seem to find the paper with its name  just now.

please post it in this thread as soon as you find out

[q_q_]

I have the equivalent of an Associate's degree in Hebrew, but I still have to send in info on credits in order to get the degree itself.

I have been to Jewish services before and have followed along with the siddur and Torah reading.  I could follow it but couldn't have read it on my own that fast.  It was hard especially in an Ashkenazi synagogue because the words are pronounced differently than Israeli Hebrew.  For example "Shabbas" instead of "Shabbat", "emes" instead of "emet", the "oh" sound is often replaced by an "oy" sound, and the accent is sometimes on a different syllable.

sephardim have the complicated rule about the kamatz katan and kamatz gadol..

does modern hebrew have that?

and does modern hebrew distinguish between   the kamatz ( T ) and Patach( _ )  ?  (I know sephardi does. )

[Dan Ben Noah]

I think for the most part the same grammar rules apply everywhere for the voweling, but they might be more obvious from listening to one dialect than another.  For example, in Modern Hebrew, it would be hard to tell the difference between the kamatz and the patach just from listening to it (even though there is some rule that distinguishes these 2).  In Yemenite Hebrew, they still pronounce their gimels and dalets 2 different ways determined by the rule of when the "dagesh" is used--gimel is both "g" and a guttoral "gh" sound.  Dalet is both the "d" and the "dh" sound like in the word "the".  This is similar to how in pretty much all dialects of Hebrew they pronounce bet (b/v), kaf (k/kh), and peh (p/f)--2 different ways.  This rule can be seen in printed Modern Hebrew for the gimel, dalet, and taf when the vowel points are added, but when it is spoken, you can't tell the difference.

[DownwithIslam]

I wish their was a way I could learn to speak hebrew fluently in the US. I bet I would of already moved to Israel had this happened. If anyone knows a deff place that I could learn hebrew, let me know and I will sign up there.

[Boyana]

I am not Jewish but i Have trade,while I was learning my trade ,the owners Jewish people end up teaching me hebrew and Ladino!
My husband is Jewish!

[q_q_]

I think for the most part the same grammar rules apply everywhere for the voweling, but they might be more obvious from listening to one dialect than another.  For example, in Modern Hebrew, it would be hard to tell the difference between the kamatz and the patach just from listening to it (even though there is some rule that distinguishes these 2). <snip>

I am pretty sure that


Americans CANNOT pronounce a sephardi cholam or an ashkenazi kamatz.

They are pronounced the same.

Like Bob or On  or Orange or doctor,  in a British accent.
An american accent does not have the sound.

I know a british rabbi that went to america  , he said americans can't pronounce hebrew!

[Bruicy Kibbutz]

I have thought about getting the Rosetta Stone learning system for Hebrew. Has anyone used this before?

Yes I have been looking into Rosetta Stone also to learn some Hebrew. Rosetta Stone has good write ups and it seems to come in different levels of learning. Chaim has been recommending another company however. One that's used by the state department to teach the diplomats. I had its name  written down but can't seem to find the paper with its name  just now.

please post it in this thread as soon as you find out

lol q_q_ think a bit more about that. PM people lol

[NRAJ]

The biggest problem I have been having is learning how to THINK in Hebrew.DanBenNoah,do you have any tips for me?

[q_q_]

I have thought about getting the Rosetta Stone learning system for Hebrew. Has anyone used this before?

Yes I have been looking into Rosetta Stone also to learn some Hebrew. Rosetta Stone has good write ups and it seems to come in different levels of learning. Chaim has been recommending another company however. One that's used by the state department to teach the diplomats. I had its name  written down but can't seem to find the paper with its name  just now.

please post it in this thread as soon as you find out

lol q_q_ think a bit more about that. PM people lol

what's your problem? the guy that posted about the resource didn't know its name, so why would I?

[Dan Ben Noah]

The biggest problem I have been having is learning how to THINK in Hebrew.DanBenNoah,do you have any tips for me?

Listening to spoken Hebrew is probably the best way to learn to think in Hebrew.  It's like when you get a song stuck in your mind and can't get it out.  The more you hear it, the more you'll start to think that way.

[q_q_]

this thread here
http://jtf.org/forum_english/index.php?topic=23601.0
mentions a few.

zelhar-
well you could probably find a basic Pimsleur hebrew course by torrent trackers. If i remember correctly, Chaim recommended this site: http://www.audioforum.com/

(jewish, dr dan)-
Rosetta Stone  is popular

islamiscancer, who is learning it, said he found the pimsleur ones - which I guess he managed to download for free, are good

[WALK STRONG]

I have thought about getting the Rosetta Stone learning system for Hebrew. Has anyone used this before?

Hi, I own Rosetta Stone. I have used several language programs to learn various languages.

I do not in any way recommend it. It is a very poorly written program. It is not worth the money. The price they charge for it is silly, compared with the quality. I have tried to study several different languages using this program including Hebrew. I personally, would not pay over $20. dollars for this program. It is not worth anymore than that.

There are many other programs out there, that outshine this one by far. Best of luck.

I do not recommend that you waste your money on it.

[WALK STRONG]

I have thought about getting the Rosetta Stone learning system for Hebrew. Has anyone used this before?

Yes I have been looking into Rosetta Stone also to learn some Hebrew. Rosetta Stone has good write ups and it seems to come in different levels of learning. Chaim has been recommending another company however. One that's used by the state department to teach the diplomats. I had its name  written down but can't seem to find the paper with its name  just now.

Chaim is very right on target, if he is referring to the program that  I think he is. It is called the Foriegn Language Institute and it outshines Rosetta Stone (which again imo is a big waste of money).

To find out more about FSI Hebrew go to the following link. You can learn it there for free. http://www.fsi-language-courses.com/Hebrew.aspx

(Keep in mind you can buy it for cheap off of Ebay.)

Barrons-the company-has taken some of the FSI languages (not all of them), and created an updated program. I am unsure if Hebrew is one of them. However I do own the FSI Hebrew program.

Best of luck to all of those learning. Stick with it, it gets easier. Do not give up. Not to mention give yourself a pat on the back for choosing to learn the best language

[q_q_]

wow, thanks walk strong.

by the way.
this is how to pat yourself on the back


clip of barry horowitz in wcw

[WALK STRONG]

by the way.
this is how to pat yourself on the back


clip of barry horowitz in wcw

LOLOLOLOL You's funny!