introductory lessons for learning hebrew

The only required resource is the textbook. Some additional and very helpful resources are:

 

Getting started…

After you complete the introductory lessons (see below), you may begin the lessons. Each lesson consists of an assignment, a vocabulary quiz, and a grammar quiz.
1. Study the chapter in KHW. If you like, you can use the video that corresponds to each chapter.
2. Do the assignment. You will find all of these here. Each of these assignments corresponds to the translations at the end of each chapter in KHW.

• When you come across terms you don’t understand, use the search box in the upper right of this site to look them up. Nearly every term in Hebrew grammar is explained on this site.
• Be sure to download the answer key which KHW provides. This answer key is only partial but is very useful as a tool to troubleshoot your work.
• As you finish each translation, check what you’ve done against an English translation. If there are differences, figure out why. If you can’t figure it out on your own, ask. So much of your success in this class depends on you taking the time to chase down answers relentlessly. Don’t rush!
• When you finish an assignment, upload it to the appropriate location on the site.

3. The vocabulary quizzes are all on the site. For learning vocabulary, you may use whatever method you are most comfortable with; flashcards, powerpoints, videos, software, Quisition, Anki, book, youtube, Android.
4. The grammar quizzes are all on the site as well. Both vocab and grammar quizzes are closed book.
5. Finally, at the close of each quiz, it is so crucial that you review the errors you made. Figure out what you did wrong and learn from these errors. This is such an important part of the learning process.

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Introductory Lessons

You are about to enter upon what is usually the hardest thing about learning Hebrew. Be patient. Persevere. These lessons are like learning your basic math facts. Everything else builds on this.
The first thing to learn is the alphabet. Since the Hebrew letters are going to appear very bizarre to you at first, it is necessary to take some time with this. Read pages 3-9 in KHW. Use the flashcards here. Watch the videos below in the order they are given. Do the exercises at the end. If you have questions, ask.

1. Basic Features of Hebrew
2. The Alphabet (video);
3. Similar Consonants (video)
4. BeGaDKePhaT (video);
5. The Final Letters (video);
6. The Gutturals;
7. Writing the letters;
8. The Vowels;
9. The Shevas.

It will also be helpful if you learn how to type Hebrew text using your computer’s keyboard. This video shows you how to enable your computer to type Greek unicode; the procedure is the same with Hebrew.

Optional materials: