[b-greek] Greek 101 drop outs - my last reply

From: yochanan bitan-buth (ButhFam@compuserve.com)
Date: Fri Nov 24 2000 - 23:14:36 EST

>I mean no disrespect, but you do not have a grasp of Mnemonics. Mnemonics
>was created thousands of years ago based on the way the human brain works.

>There are no tricks involved, and nothing will hinder you from mastering a

>foreign language by memorizing things.

The problem is that memorizing /associating English 'glosses' to Greek
words is not what Greek
'means'. It isn't the way languages work. However, the actual meaning of
words is probably
best described as a networking of experiences and associations with a
particular node in
a network code, that might be termed a word. That is whaqt modern language
teachers want students
to experience. They don't want things tied down to a non-meaning (or false
meaning) network.
And people do not relate to such
associations while talking, at least they shouldn't. If they did,
communication would be skewed.

>(Some contend that the image is still recalled at a subconscious
>level, based on the fact that you can recall it if you so choose; but, how

>do you prove THAT?)

You experience it. And having done that you might go to a different kind of
Mneumonic, a direct one
like TotalPhysicalResponse.

However, I would appreciate running some tests on them and would appreciate

some specifics off-list, if you'd like to follow up.


