7/25/13

New Biblical (Koine) Greek Blog

Hello friends, I just wanted to announce today the launch of the Conversational Koine Institute's new blog.   The blog will deal with any variety of topics having to do with Biblical (Koine) Greek.  Over the next month and a half or so, we're going to be focusing on the (Definite) Article.  You can find out more about the blog and read the fist post by clicking the following link and then navigating to and selecting the "Blog" tab:  Conversational Koine Institute.

7/22/13

JSNT Review of My Book "Entering the Fray"

I was pleasantly surprised yesterday, when perusing the latest issue of JSNT (Journal for the Study of the New Testament), 35/1 (Aug., 2013): 3, to find that my book Entering the Fray: A Primer on New Testament Issues for the Church and Academy was reviewed. The reviewer, Dr. Peter Doble of the University of Leeds, gave a very favorable review of the book. Here's a portion of what he wrote:  


"In his interesting contribution to narrowing the gap between church and academy, Halcomb aims to explain Biblical Studies to non-specialists...Only use will disclose how effective Halcomb’s approach is. His book reads as an informed, fair and readable contribution to bridge-building by a real person—his briefly introducing each issue makes for personal engagement. He knows both constituencies. Halcomb’s rich contribution lies in making accessible what is often rejected or neglected...I commend this volume warmly to ‘congregants, pastors and students’ (p. xii)."

I'm grateful for the positive review and hope that others will be encouraged by it as well. You can get your copy of the print version HERE, the Kindle version HERE, the audio book version HERE, and visit the companion website HERE.

7/20/13

Speak Biblical Greek: Conversational Koine Institute

Check out the new video by and for the Conversational Koine Institute.  Feel free to share.  To inquire about or enroll for upcoming classes, go HERE.

7/18/13

Fall 2013 - Greek 1 Registration Open

Today I'm pleased to announce that registration for the Greek 1 class (Fall 2013) with the Conversational Koine Institue is now open to all. Check out the flyer below for more details. You can get more details on classes HERE and inquire about or register for classes HERE. Feel free to download (but not modify), print and/or share the flyer with others.

7/12/13

(My New Book) 800 Words and Images: A New Testament Greek Vocabulary Builder

Learn to Speak Koine Greek
Dear friends, I am pleased today to announce the release of my sixth book which is titled 800 Words and Images: A New Testament Greek Vocabulary Builder. Along with audio companion files, this work was printed in color with GlossaHouse and is perfect for anyone wanting to build their New Testament Greek vocabulary.  The book has received a number of good reviews already, including one from Bill Mounce, who says the following:

"All language teachers know that a key to learning vocabulary is to use as many of our senses as possible. 800 Words and Images succeeds at using visual and auditory as well as semantic grouping to help students master their Koine vocabulary. I heartily salute this project." 
William Mounce, Ph.D. - BiblicalTraining.org

You can get your print copy HERE right now.  The audio files are available HERE.  A digital version for Kindle is in the works and I'll post on it when it becomes available.  But if you would, keep reading and let me go ahead and share a little bit more about the book.  Here's the aim of 800 Words and Images:

An essential aspect of successfully navigating any foreign language is vocabulary acquisition. Acquiring the ability to comprehend, recall, and use vocabulary takes time and practice. As a vocabulary-building resource, 800 Words and Images is strategically arranged to assist students in gaining competency and fluency in Koine Greek. Divided into ten sections, this work links together nearly eight hundred words from the New Testament with helpful visuals. In addition, audio files for each section have been created so that students can listen while interacting with the book. Research from the fields of cognitive linguistics, neurosciences, and mental representation theory show that when images and sounds are combined in the process of vocabulary learning, retention is dramatically increased. 800 Words and Images utilizes this research for the purpose of helping and encouraging Koine Greek students. All learners, whether autodidacts or participants in a classroom, can use this work to bolster their New Testament Greek vocabularies. Dr. Richard Heyduck and several students also had great things to say about the book:
"Whether you're a beginner or a long time student of New Testament Greek, you will recognize the need to build and maintain a strong vocabulary base. In this work Michael Halcomb has given us a tool to do exactly that. Since this book is image based, it works well for multiple ages and does not require initial English fluency."
Richard Heyduck, Ph.D. - Wiley College
"Michael Halcomb has created just what you need to dramatically improve your ability to read the New Testament in its original language. Utilizing images and audio together with lists of vocabulary organized into semantic domains, this holistic resource will increase the fruitfulness of your studies by engaging multiple senses at once. Halcomb's method immerses students of biblical Greek into the language of the New Testament like never before."
Matt O'Reilly, Ph.D. Candidate - University of Gloucestershire
"800 Words and Images implements recent linguistic research, which suggests that vocabulary retention is substantially increased with the coupling of the visual and auditory senses. If 'A picture is worth a thousand words,' then Halcomb has captured that each word is worth a picture. This first-of-its-kind work will help any Greek student (beginner or advanced) build and retain vocabulary."
Cole Bodkin, M.Div. - SermonSleuth.com