Introduction to Classical Syriac
The Hidden Pearl Institute offers an intensive four-week beginner level course in Classical Syriac in the summer of 2024. This course is intended for graduate students who need beginner Syriac as a prerequesite for their studies and for professionals who need the language for their research.
To register, see below.
Course Specifics
Course Description
This course introduces students to the phonological, morphological, and syntactical fundamentals of Classical Syriac. The students will also read and translate selected Syriac texts.
Instructor
Armando Elkhoury, ThD
- Edits, translates, and publishes texts from Syriac into English
- Teaches Syriac and Arabic at The Caholic University of America
- Teaches Syriac at Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Seminary
- Taught Syriac at HMML (Saint John University, Collegeville, MN)
- Established The Hidden Pearl Press
- Established The Hidden Pearl Institute
- Established and maintains thehiddenpearl.org website
- Established the Syriac Treasures series (ISSN 2770-0658)
- Established The Père Paul Lecture series (ISSN 2994-6956)
- Established the Père Paul Scholarship for Eastern Christian Studies
Course level
This course offers intensive, in-depth training in Classical Syriac at the beginner level.
Course length
4 weeks
Dates
July 15-August 9
Course Meetings
Sessions are held Monday–Friday in the morning (3 hours) and afternoon (3 hours).
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 9:00 am – 10:15 am | Class meeting |
| 10:15 am – 10:30 am | Snack break |
| 10:30 am – noon | Class meeting |
| Noon – 1:00 pm | Lunch |
| 1:00 pm – 2:15 pm | Class meeting |
| 2:15 pm – 2:30 pm | Snack break |
| 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm | Class meeting |
Total instruction time equals 110 hours (equivalent to two and three-quarter regular semesters).
Class size
Minimum: 5 students
Maximum: 10 students
Course Tuition
$3,200
Course Location
The Hidden Pearl Institute
7164 Alaska Ave NW
Washington, DC 20012
Prerequisite
Familiarity with the Syriac alphabet (Serto script). See The Script and Pronunciation by J. F. Coakley.
Course Goals
Objectives
In this course, students will:
- Acquire an introduction to classical Syriac through careful study of the required textbook;
- Learn the Syriac Helper developed by Armando Elkhoury to aid students with conjugations and declensions;
- Work through all text exercises, both Syriac into English and English into Syriac;
- Memorize the vocabularies at the end of each chapter;
- Work through all supplemental exercises and selected Syriac texts;
- And learn to read and write voweled and unvoweled Syriac texts in three different scripts (estrangelo, serto, i.e., West Syriac script, and East Syriac scripts).
Outcomes
Successful completion of the course will enable students to:
- Have a basic grasp of the grammar and syntax of classical Syriac language;
- Independently approach both vocalized and unvocalized Classical Syriac texts;
- Vocalize Classical Syriac texts;
- Have basic familiarity with the three major scripts (estrangelo, serto, i.e, West Syriac script, and East Syriac scripts) and the two major dialects (Eastern and Western);
- Confidently read and translate simple Classical Syriac texts into English with the aid of a dictionary.
- And use online reference tools.
INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY
This is an in-person course. Each class meeting consists of a lecture, discussion, class reading (recitation and translation) of assigned Syriac texts, and review of homework assignments.
INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS AND COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Required Materials
Robinson’s Paradigms and Exercises in Syriac Grammar. 6th edition. Revised by J. F. Coakley. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013. ISBN 978-0199687176 paperback.
Available from:
https://www.abebooks.com/
and
https://www.amazon.com/
CLASS POLICIES
Class Participation
Students should be prepared to spend up to three hours of independent work in addition to contact hours each day.
Students should come prepared for and to participate in every class session. Preparation has three parts: (1) understanding the grammatical notions of the previous class session, (2) memorizing the vocabulary at the end of the chapter, and (3) preparing all the translations exercises at the end of the chapter. Participation includes speaking and raising questions in class, paying close attention to all class lectures and discussions, reading assigned Syriac texts, and presenting translated texts.
THE INSTRUCTOR RESERVES the right to make changes to the course schedule in the event of class cancellations and other unforeseen events.
Grades
No grades are given for this course.
Certificate of completion
At the end of the course, The Hidden Pearl Institute will grant each student a certificate of completion.
Tuition and Housing
Course fees for the 2024 year is $3,200 and include tuition, a mid-morning snack, a light lunch, and a mid-afternoon snack.
Dinners, textbooks, and accommodations are not included.
Students are responsible for arranging their accommodation around The Hidden Pearl Institute (7164 Alaska Ave NW, Washington, DC). Housing may be found through AirBnB, Vrbo, Booking.com, or any other websites known to students.
Testimony
Ivan studied Classical Syriac with Armando Elkhoury and Robert Kitchen at HMML in 2022. He wrote on his blog:
I particularly enjoyed the systematic approach of instruction where the language system is presented in an almost algorithmic way with its inner rules and codependencies. This was additionally strengthened by the use of a compact presentation of Syriac grammatical foundations created by A. Elkhoury. What was both helpful and inspiring for me was also the way students were encouraged by their first meeting of Syriac original texts, emphasising what could already be recognised based on the level of knowledge already achieved.
https://blogofivan.com/2022/08/17/doak-hmml-syriac/
Register
Registration
Registration is now closed!